Karsten Hotel — Hotel in Kewaunee

Without a plan for staying over night, we got in the car and just meandered. It was getting a bit late so we called a hotel to check about vacancies. They had a room available so we went there to check in.

I’m super sensitive to energy and whether you believe it or not, I am able to sense things and communicate with things others can’t. There is always proof when this happens.

So we walk into the hotel and as soon as I cross the threshold a young boy runs in front of me in a jovial manner. He was very happy.

We go to the guy at the desk to get the room key. He walks us up to the 3rd floor and as we’re coming around the corner to our hallway he says “this hotel is also supposedly haunted “ to which I respond “I know. I knew this before we checked in by the energy this place has and as soon as I walked in I saw a young boy run in front of me.” The front desk guy was very interested and asked for a description which I gave which matched the boy who’s lingering there.

We got into our room and I immediately knew someone was there. It was a woman who was very stern. Didn’t want the room becoming disorganized or messy. She seemed like she had things to communicate. Eventually she would.

We left the room and began walking around the hotel which has an assortment of old furniture and art. The unoccupied rooms were left open and the front desk guy said we could go inside any of those rooms if we wanted to. I was taking pictures down the hallway when I saw the young boy sitting in the pink chair. We were at the far end of the hallway where I took the picture. We got up to where the pink chair was and the boy was there. Next to the chair was a table with a note pad which had writing on it saying “RIP Billy “ and things of that nature. Before we got to the boy I already knew his name was William from my first encounter.

We continued to walk around the hotel and got to room 312. The door was open and as I stepped inside I immediately smelled the strong odor of a cigar.

We went downstairs to the fromt desk and I began telling the guy what I had encountered. He was very excited about the woman and asked for a description, which I gave to him. He said is it her? And ran over to a photo… sure enough, it was her! She was the maid! This made sense why she was dressed like she was and why she wanted the room to remain tidy.

The front desk guy offered to show us the basement, and I couldn’t resist! As soon as I walked down there I knew I’d find the lady there and I did. She said she needs to keep working. She can’t leave. I told her she can go and be at peace. That she doesn’t need to stay there.

We left for dinner and a walk. Then came back. When we got back to our room the lady was there. This encounter she was more at ease as I reassured her we wouldn’t mess up the room. She communicated with me that people didn’t believe her and she needed her story told. She didn’t mean to get him sick and she was sorry. But no one at the time believed her. She loved him (as a friend) and loved her job at the hotel. She felt like no one believed her words when he passed away, so she’s waiting for people to forgive her. Until then she wants to keep working.

We went to sleep and it was a deep and restorative sleep, the best I’ve had in months!

As we were ready to leave the owner, Alex, came downstairs and talked with us. When I found out he was the owner, he wanted to hear my story, so I told it to him in front of other guests , who may or may not have seen or experienced anything. He verified everything I told him even to the extent that the woman did get ill and her illness spread to the owner which caused his death. The cigar smell was from the owner who stayed in room 312. The little boy was named William (Billy) . As I gave descriptions of their appearance, it was confirmed by the owner that those people were in fact who they were and he showed me pictures. It was stunning!

Alex, the owner, asked me to write down what I told him. I did so, and hope that the woman finds peace now that her story...

I stayed here on short notice over the Memorial Day weekend. The staff were friendly and the place was like stepping into the past. There are antiques all over the place which adds to the turn of the century charm. One can see how the years have come and gone here and personally I enjoyed it quite a bit. The main draw here is that it is pet friendly and my Irish Setter comes with me when I travel. I enjoyed staying in one of the deluxe rooms #201 which faced the harbor on the second floor and was quite roomy. The beds were very comfortable which after a long day of hiking and trail running in the nearby state parks of Door county I really appreciated. I also enjoyed the large Jacuzzi and shower to wash off the dust from the day. I'm 6'5" and was thrilled the shower head was high enough for me. I did not dine or visit the bar that's advertised as I was usually out in the morning early and back after sunset. I did grab fruit to go from the breakfast bar which had a nice spread of fruit, muffins, and the usual breakfast fare. The rooms were clean as was the place in general. The only negative thing I have to say there is the windows and window ledges needed cleaning around the place. With the nice views I would have appreciated more with clean windows and without old spiderwebs and dead insects on the ledges. After some peculiar experiences during my stay I decided to do a little online research into the place. It was then I discovered the place is famous for being haunted! Reading on what others have experienced it made much more sense to me about some of the things that happened. I will say that I felt welcome and comfortable my whole visit. The first odd thing that happened was my dog seemed to sometimes get nervous and would pace to the door and then whine at me like she needed to go outside but would then lie down on the bed by the door and watch the door intently. When I would put her leash on and see if she needed to go out she would get off the bed and go in the opposite direction of the stairs towards the room to the left of an old victrola phonograph. She was always very interested in that area and would check it out every time we would come and go from the room. Often that door would be open although I did not peek inside as I didn't know if there was someone staying there or not. More often than not that door was open. I had thought it was just a popular room as it does have views of the lighthouse. I discovered afterwards that this area was where the suite where Mr. Karsten Sr was located in times past. The morning after my first night I heard the sound of a child running outside the door to the room in the hallway. This caused my pup to run to the door and start barking. I grabbed my pup by the collar and opened the door to apologize after shushing her but there was nobody there. I just assumed the child had gone around the corner or downstairs. I hadn't seen anyone with children during my stay so this may have been something and it may have not. The scent of old cigar could also be detected the first night of my stay in the hallway by my room which came and went quickly. Overall I will give this four stars and would stay again in the room I had. It's an atmospheric old hotel that has seen a lot of care. They should definitely keep the antiques around the place as it suits the atmosphere. It's to be expected that it's not going to be the trendiest place or a weekend condo. I think I would prefer staying at a place like this where my pup and I were comfortable, the prices were reasonable, and I felt welcome to be there. The whole haunting bit was a bonus and it would have been nice to know beforehand. At least maybe a little information about it in the room. That kind of thing would be more of a draw for me rather than a reason...

Not for the faint of heart. Say goodbye to room service, elevators (2nd & 3rd floor rooms), and 24hr staffing. Say hello to history.

I'll start with noting this property has changed ownership (& names) frequently. It's back to being The Karsten (nest) Hotel as of about 5-6yrs ago. There is no website so you'll be booking 3rd party online or calling in your reservation. I recommend the latter. The desk isn't always manned so calling may take some persistence. You'll want to keep this in mind with arrival too, (there is a number to call on arrival if the office is unmanned.)

We booked 3rd party pay on arrival through Expedia for about $200 (2ni) in a Deluxe Q lake view on arrival we paid a very close $202 The owner initially thought it was just 1ni & was ready to go to bat for us, thinking we were being overcharged, i greatly appreciate the honesty.

On entering, we noted it was a basic Q room & it appeared housekeeping had gotten distracted when cleaning the bathroom, as it was partially completed, with the tub missed (had a presumably used towel, near empty & lid removed shampoo & a used bar of soap, along with hair from assorted body parts in it.

The owner was quick to respond on the app, & apologized, noting the Expedia booking was rate coded as Basic room (always a risk with 3rd party bookings & we knew that going in... we just couldn't find a way to book directly). I'm 99% sure he then stayed late, waiting for us to get back in to offer a new room. Again, an action that speaks volumes. Alex, the owner & manager has had the place for about 5yrs. He takes great pride in the property & is happy to exchange stories. We thoroughly enjoyed the talks. His integrity is certainly note-worthy.

The lobby is filled with historical info & the closed bar is a marvel. Operation is more like a BnB than hotel. Meaning, the office area is often unmanned & much is on the honor system, including the dining area where an assortment of water, soda, juice, fruit, bars, cereal, breads & accompaniments were available.

The rooms vary in size & all include tubs, some jetted. I could actually envision a less is more take, removing some of the eclectic decor to really let the historical property sing. As well as hiding mini-fridges in the wardrobe (which is designed to hold a mini-fridge) or removing them completely. Though I'm sure many want the fridges. I'd rlalso recommend replacing shower curtains with washable ones or even glass, for easy cleaning and a good vinegar soak to free up the shower head flow.

What the property lacks in luxury, it makes up in character. It definitely isn't for every traveler. It's old, no denying it. Still, the beds were comfy, the bedding was fresh & the rooms were odor-free. Windows don't open, though the temperature control works great & each toom controls their comfort level. The front door remains locked & you're given a key for that door, as well as your room. Unoccupied room doors are left open, so you can explore. Note: Room 310 was Agatha's, a long-term housekeeper & 1 of at least 3 ghosts who reportedly decided to spend their afterlife here.

As for ghost encounters, I heard 4am running in the hall... was it little Billy, the youngest spirit? It could have been or maybe it was another guest... I guess I'll never know.

There are, however, plenty of noted experiences to go through in the lobby & I'm sure Alex could tell you even more. I recommend taking the time to immerse...