In the 80s, I lived across the street from the hotel, often times waking by it to get to the beach in the wee hours if the night when I could not sleep. I Never noticed anything unusual. Recently, I returned and snapped some interior pictures. I did not capture anything unusual. There were no orbs, shadows or any other unexplained phenomenon in my photos.
Our local paranormal sleuths, The South Jersey Ghost Research investigated claims of unusual, unexplained activity twice in 2005, once on February 4 and again on December 3. Guests and employees have reported seeing the apparition of a young woman in the hotel for years. 100's of people have witnessed the ghost they have named Emily. She has been seen in the many areas but most often in the hall of mirrors and the basement area known as the catacombs. Also, the owners have heard crying coming from rooms and have had objects move by themselves. They have also been touched on occasion by unseen hands.
The following comes from their site and recants their finding on the fourth of February. The investigation of the Flanders Hotel provided SJGR investigators with a rich variety of psychic impressions throughout the evening. There were multiple spirit energies that investigators received impressions of throughout the evening. One such impression was that of the reported "Emily" She was seen as having long reddish hair, that was slightly curly, she was wearing a white dress and was in the 30's age range. Investigators believe her name may be "Marilynn", "Maryann" or something similar starting with an "M". One of the strongest spirits was that of a young girl who many investigators reported to be around 5 years of age. Reports show that the young girl may have died from hypothermia or from the water and there is a piece of jewelry linked to her also. 2 investigators felt that the painting on the 2nd floor on the left side, looks very similar to the young girl. It is believed she was looking for her mother in the Flanders, "Emily" may possibly be her mother.
The SJGR investigators obtained an above average level of physical evidence indicating spirit activity. Of the photos taken, 10% contained energy orbs. There were also orbs captured on the infrared video camera. We recorded 27 EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomenon). We also obtained 12 unexplainable readings on our EMF meters which indicate a fluctuation in the electromagnetic field with no natural sources found. Investigators detected one anomalous temperature drop with no explainable source during the investigation.
From my previous waymark:
The hotel was built in 1923 as was many other ostentatious hotels, schools, banks and other structures during that era. From what I have read they have newly appointed rooms and the lobby I saw was redone as well. In the 80s the place looked like an old lady on her last leg wearing a lot of makeup trying to look young but clearly close to the end. The end is no longer in sight and when I visited and went inside it was busy, people were working and the inside "mall" and shops were doing business as well.
I lived here for several years directly across the street at 1108 Ocean Avenue and always though the place was closed down. This was in the late 80s. I never noticed the architecture nor the aquatic-based frieze work; it is all quite magnificent. In its day this was as luxurious as something could get. Today, it is still a jewel, but an antiquated, restored jewel.
The hotel miraculously survived the devastating fire of October 1927, when twelve city blocks were leveled, after which the boardwalk was rebuilt a block closer to the ocean, which made room for what became the salt water swimming pools.
From their website (Source listed below): It was for the purpose of creating a first class boardwalk hotel that a group of Ocean City, New Jersey businessmen formed the Ocean Front Hotel Corporation in 1922. The first meeting, held at Atlantic City Country Club in Northfield, included William Massey, Howard Stainton, Allen Corson, William Shriver, Randolph Fogg, Henry Cooper and other prominent citizens of the day. They decided to build an elegant seaside hotel that would compete in service and appointments with the best hotels in America, a project supported by a $100 a point stock investments by ordinary citizens of the community.
Designed by a renown local architect, Vivian Smith, an Ocean City native who achieved success in Philadephia before returning home to assist in the design of the Ocean City Music Pier, Smith also designed Ocean City Hall, Ocean City High School, Ventnor City Hall and a number of Atlantic City hotels. He also laid out the unique, planned rural town of Belcoville, near Mays Landing.
The Flanders Hotel is of Spanish Mission Revival style, similar to the Chatterbox, the Music Pier, Grace Kelly's family home at 26th and Wesley Avenue and the Golden Galleon shops on the boardwalk, which sets a classic tone for the town. Constructed of steel girders and concrete, the hotel was not quite complete when a Grand Opening dinner party was held on July 28, 1923. The over four hundred guests, dignitaries and prominent citizens enjoyed a cuisine that included Aiquilette of Striped Bass, Consome Yvette, Potatoes Hollandaise, peas, Supreme of Chicken Mousselene and an entree of saddle of Spring Lamb, with Mousse glace Flanders dessert. This feast was recreated by Chef Richard Spurlock for the hotel's 75th anniversary party.
The Flanders Hotel is named after Flanders Field in Belgium, where poppies grow over the rows of gravestones of American soldiers who died during World War I, the cemetery made famous by the John McCrae poem