Sometimes, it’s about the journey as much as it is the destination. That’s certainly the case when you visit a hotel with a hidden history. Featuring concealed doorways, secret passageways, and discreet entrances, the following six hotels contain more than meets the eye — as long as you know where to look.

Fairmont San Francisco – California

Hidden within the Fairmont San Francisco is a two-story penthouse so prestigious that the average guest is completely unaware of its existence. The suite’s secret entrance on the seventh floor allows high-profile guests such as celebrities, dignitaries, and presidents to access the room without anyone being the wiser. 

In addition to lavish furnishings and a dining table that seats 60, the suite has a library with a concealed stairway located behind one of the bookshelves that leads to the hotel’s private rooftop. According to legend, the penthouse’s hidden entrance was allegedly used by actress Marilyn Monroe, who would slip up to the suite for liaisons with President John F. Kennedy — although this has never been confirmed. In any case, the secrecy around the penthouse only adds to its allure.

The Mansion on O Street – Washington, D.C.

This boutique hotel, museum, and event venue offers one of the more unique overnight stays in Washington, D.C. The Mansion on O Street contains a network of more than 70 secret doors that connect over 100 rooms, transforming the property into an interactive maze of hidden passageways. 

Overnight guests can uncover concealed entrances throughout the mansion, with rooms such as the Captain’s Suite and Newport Suite both hidden behind secret doors. Each room is based on a different theme inspired by cultural concepts, historical periods, or artistic styles. The Versailles Suite, for example, features luxurious French design, while the K-9 Suite pays homage to our four-legged friends, and the Speakeasy features a bar, a working piano, and a hidden entrance reminiscent of the Prohibition era.

The Greenbrier – West Virginia

Some hotels, like the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, contain rooms they hope they’ll never have to use. Hidden beneath the West Virginia Wing, the Greenbrier Bunker was built during the Cold War as a preventive measure against the threat of attack from Russia.

To preserve the clandestine operation, the top-secret bunker was built with four concealed entrances that still exist today. Three entrances are located in the woods surrounding the resort and were previously used to allow personnel to discreetly access the bunker or stock it with supplies. The fourth entrance is hidden in plain sight, behind an ordinary wall in the hotel’s public exhibition hall. 

Today, the bunker is open to the public through guided Bunker Tours offered by the Greenbrier. The daily tours last about 90 minutes and require advance reservations.

The Grand Hotel – Taipei, Taiwan

Another product of the Cold War, the hidden tunnels beneath the Grand Hotel in Taipei were built during the 1970s to protect dignitaries, including former President Chiang Kai-shek, in the event of a military attack. Concealed entrances inside the hotel lead to winding underground passageways that were specifically designed to slow down advancing assailants. The underground passageway also features a 65-foot escape slide, which was installed to help the aging leader evacuate quickly without the need for stairs. 

Although the tunnels were kept secret for decades, they are now open to visitors, in addition to being the building’s designated emergency exit. Guests can tour them to learn more about the hotel’s history during the Cold War era.

The Knickerbocker Hotel – New York

You’d never guess that hidden beneath Times Square is a secret entrance to one of the most iconic watering holes of the early 20th century. Back then, the Knickerbocker Hotel, a historic hotel built by businessman John Jacob Astor IV of the prominent Astor family, devised a way for wealthy patrons to access the property discreetly. Through a secret entrance accessible from the subway, guests could move directly into the underground bar without having to climb the stairs to Times Square. 

A product of the Gilded Age, the Knickerbocker was famous for its nightlife, making its bar one of the most popular spots for the well-to-do in the early 1900s. Although the secret entrance no longer provides access to the hotel, the sealed-off door remains visible from the subway platform, a reminder of the building’s glamorous past.

Beijing Summer Palace Hotel – China

The Beijing Summer Palace Hotel features a hidden entrance that provides private access directly into the historic Summer Palace. Available for guests of the hotel, this tucked-away entrance allows patrons to conveniently enter the Summer Palace while avoiding the more crowded public access points.

Since the Summer Palace is one of Beijing’s most popular attractions and a major landmark in Beijing, drawing an estimated 10 million to 15 million visitors per year, this secret entrance is considered quite the perk. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the massive landmark contains two of the largest imperial gardens in China, along with Buddhist temples, historic pavilions, and serene lakes.