Room 545 of the Grove Park Inn is the residence of The Pink Lady, Asheville’s most beloved ghost.
According to people I’ve talked to, she is the spirit of a young woman who fell to her death from a balcony on the fifth floor of the Inn in the 1920’s. There are various stories about her, but the most likely is that she had come to the Inn for a clandestine evening with her married lover and that she jumped from the balcony when he ended their affair.
Despite the tragedy, she is said to be a kindly spirit who has entertained and, at times, frightened hotel guests for over a hundred years—especially those who have stayed in Room 545. The employees of the Grove Park Inn are said to be so accustomed to her presence that they treat her as just another part of the tradition of the grand old hotel. The spirit usually appears in the form of a pink mist; however, there have been times where she has shown herself as a full-fledged apparition in a pink ball gown.
The Pink Lady seems particularly fond of children. One of the more notable incidences involves a doctor and his family. When family the checked out of the Inn, the doctor requested that Inn’s management thank the young lady in the pink ball gown for the attention given to his children. He told the Grove Park staff how much his children enjoyed playing with her during their stay!
If you are brave enough to book Room 545, do not be surprised when lights, air conditioners, and other electrical devices turn on and off by themselves. The Pink Lady also likes to rearrange things in the room—including your things. And she occasionally likes to wake up sleeping guests with a good tickle!