The Haunted Hotel of Birmingham
Greetings from the Hotel Indigo Five Points!
I traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, last month, Traveler, and I never even made it into the city.
It’s not that there isn’t anything to do in Nashville. There is a lot to do in Nashville, as a matter of fact. But I had a problem when I made it to Nashville. The moment I stepped off the plane and made my way through the airport, I had too much to do and not enough time to do it.
For all of its charm, hotels in Nashville were expensive. I had to go to Adams the next day to see the Bell Witch Farm (another story for another day) and needed a place to stay. As I poked around for hotels, I discovered a real hidden gem.
Birmingham, Alabama, is far less expensive than Nashville.
With the room budget in place, all I needed to do was find the right haunted hotel.
According to Haunted Rooms America, the Hotel Indigo was just the place.
The Lore
Formerly a medical complex mixed with an artist collective in the 1930s (you have to love the Bohemian nature of America during the Depression), the building eventually became a hotel near the heart of the Five Points Intersection. In old photos, the former Medical Arts Building can be seen looming over what is now Pickwick Plaza, a central hub to an underrated American downtown.
As for our spirits, Haunted Places (wow, there’s a throwback) tells a tale of a nurse from the Medical Arts Building roaming around the eighth floor checking up on guests under the guise that they are new patients. I didn’t notice an eighth floor when I was in the elevator, so I wonder if this story is from the days of the Pickwick Hotel, a precursor to the Indigo.
Haunted Rooms dives a bit deeper. In addition to the nurse sightings, the website mentions several different kinds of apparitions or phenomena. Cold spots and feelings of being watched are the base sensations that follow guests all over the hotel. The basement (I think where the gym is) was allegedly a morgue at a point, because of course it was. “Odd odors,” whatever that means, can often be detected.
A little girl may haunt the lobby as she plays the game of jacks in another time. And, of course, former guests and partygoers can be seen all over the hotel.
Yes, they appear in your room, too, Traveler. That’s according to Haunted Rooms. But did Dudley and I see an apparition? Well, we’ll find out!
The Trip
I drove from the outskirts of Nashville down to Birmingham one lovely Tuesday in July. In the three-plus hours it took to arrive in town, I stopped only at a Buc-ee’s to see if it matched the hype. (Buc-ee’s is quite suitable for being a giant convenience store, Traveler, but it’s no Sheetz.) After my chicken fajita taco, I gassed up and bee-lined for Birmingham.
Birmingham is a fun town that I knew little about upon my arrival. It’s very walkable (I traversed a few blocks the following morning while I awaited breakfast), and restaurants are on every corner. I was near a statue, The Storyteller, which I found to be stunning. After I regained my bearings, I stretched out, paid for parking, and went inside to the Indigo lobby.
Check In
The lobby of the Indigo maintains its gorgeous Art Deco origins while extruding a contemporary look and feel to the hotel. Upon walking in, we’re greeted to the right with The RX Lounge, a bar and full-service restaurant, to our right. To our left is the check-in desk. The staff was amiable and provided excellent service during my stay.
The hotel’s security is top-notch. The door is monitored 24/7 and remains locked. Either a room keycard is needed, or someone is there to buzz in guests. Parking is secure, too. Valet parking is available, but there is also a parking garage behind the hotel that leads to the plaza. The cost is under $30 for 24 hours.
The Room
I was placed in a beautiful room on the third floor, overlooking Pickwick Plaza. Everything was quiet and clean, which is all I’m looking for as I wind down. The king bed was comfortable, and I could rest for ten hours (don’t judge me; I had jet lag and drove all day! Let’s not forget the July heat!). There were local eateries in walking distance, but as I was in the South, I couldn’t resist a favorite of mine, Whataburger.
When I moved to Los Angeles over 12 years ago, one of the first fast food places I tried on my road trip was Whataburger. It was cheap, the fries were cold and had too much salt, and there was no way it was good for me. It was perfect.
Whataburger remains one of my favorite fast-food places (right behind Del Taco). But if fast food doesn’t work for you, don’t worry; they sell an inclusive breakfast option, which I will cover shortly, Traveler.
After I ate, I said goodnight to the spirits and went to sleep.
The Next Morning
I awoke from an excellent night’s sleep, Traveler. The central air, the bedding, and the mattress were all perfect. First, I left the hotel to walk towards the nearest ATM, about half a mile away.
Birmingham, though not without the socio-economic issues that any town in the U.S. is currently dealing with, is very beautiful to walk through. This is especially the case as the sun rises over Five Points South. On my way back, I managed to snag a photo of the Storyteller Fountain and a blurry photo of a cardinal.
Upon returning to the hotel, I took a shower and performed a ghost hunt. The result will be the last section of this article. For now, I had breakfast to eat.
Breakfast
I used my voucher to splurge on French toast with a side of yogurt and fresh fruit. I had water with my plate but was also offered coffee or juice. The French toast was cooked to perfection, and the yogurt was very well made. If this wasn’t a scratch breakfast, then you could’ve fooled me, Traveler.
After breakfast, I went back upstairs. I had a three-and-a-half-hour drive to Adams and the cave, along with a stop for gas, but first, I had a seance to conduct.
But, Is It Haunted?
As always, I took a shower, Traveler. The water flow was great, and I didn’t detect any hard water from the property. After brushing my teeth, I took out my kit and got to work.
The answer is yes, Traveler. During a dowsing rod session, I may have connected with a former hotel patron in its early heyday who returned after death to the place he loved the most. That’s according to the responses from the dowsing rods, anyway. As always, I can neither confirm nor deny anything I obtain during my small little ghost hunts.
But, if those responses were true, then I agree. It’s a fantastic hotel, and should I find myself back in Alabama, I could see myself staying there again.
I’ll upload a video of the ghost hunt to my YouTube channel before the month ends. In the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy plenty of other videos, including the Wayside Inn video, in which I have the most activity I’ve ever had while doing this.
In the meantime, as always, Dudley and I must be on our way. We’re heading westward in September, and I hope we can check out some ghost towns.
Until again
Safe Travels, Traveler.
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