You’ve no doubt heard rumors of the ghostly residents in Downtown’s historic Hotel San Carlos, but now you can get the full background on the haunted city landmark with Robert A. Melikian’s new book, Images of America: Hotel San Carlos ($22,
arcadiapublishing.com).

Melikian uses scores of old black-and-white images to depict the development of the hotel amid growing Downtown Phoenix, laying the history of the hotel out like a tragic story, complete with optimistic dreamers, celebrity cameos and even a disastrous fire.

He pieces the history of the hotel together using ghostly tales, interviews with past employees and guests, and descriptive photos, several of which were taken from his family’s personal collection.

When the opulent Italian Renaissance-style building opened in March 1928, it soon became press fodder due to its luxurious amenities (it was the first building in Arizona to offer air conditioning) and the celebrity guests who flocked there. Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe were among the famous movie stars who checked in. The hotel now features several celebrity suites named after its famous guests.

Melikian also details the rumors of another type of guest, recounting the story of Leone Jensen, a young woman who jumped to her death from the hotel in 1928. Jensen’s ghost and the ghosts of young children are said to wander the hotel, which now hosts ghost tours during Halloween.