8 atmospheric hotels for Halloween

A seven-mile drive south of the forbidding Dracula’s castle at Bran, the road winds higher into the Carpathian Mountains, where Amfiteatrul is perched on a high ridge surrounded by forest and wildflower meadows. At this time of year, the rhythm of the seasons dictates wild-berry forages and mushroom collecting, produce that is then used in the excellent kitchen. Amifteatrul is a collection of unique 200-year-old houses, each fantastical enough to stir the imagination as Halloween approaches. Painted in soft shades using natural dye from plants that are cultivated nearby, the décor changes according to the season: there are ghoulish, grimacing pumpkin faces dotted around the dining room in October; beribboned cuddly Easter rabbits in spring. The kitsch is part of the charm and doesn’t detract from the fabulousness of the views, the landscape that’s made for hiking, the food which is nearly all home-grown, or the excellent health retreats. If you visit as part of the itinerary organized by The European Nature Trust, Amfiteatrul is the staging post for forays, ever deeper and higher, into the mountainous virgin forest. Here you can sleep in hides and wake up to the thrilling sight of bears, wild boar and deer grazing and foraging. amfiteatrul.ro; theeuropeannaturetrust.com

Halloween conveniently dovetails with school breaks in many countries, and this resort hotel with vast gardens, perched on one of the seven hills of Rome, has enough on offer for everyone in the family. Grateful parents will be able to separate themselves from their offspring briefly at the only three-Michelin-starred restaurant in the city, or sign up for private tours of the hotel’s world-class private art collection, which includes a Tiepolo and a Warhol, with expert art curators. For children with a ghoulish disposition, Rome is unbeatable: there is the Colosseum, where gladiators in costume prowl around; sword-fighting lessons at the Gladiator School on the Appia Antica; or the crypts of the Capuchin monks, where bones and skulls line the walls. Back at the hotel, for those with a more limited interest in history, there are hat-making courses that will keep the young entertained while the adults head for the excellent spa. romecavalieri.com

Though the High Line Hotel is only a heartbeat from the Hudson in the middle of NYC’s Chelsea gallery district, stand outside this former dormitory in its dramatic cloistered grounds and be transported to turn-of-the-century England. Inside, the 60 rooms’ vintage décor is pure boutique chic, but the public areas – particularly the shadowy Hoffman Hall event space, with its molded ceilings, stained-glass windows and stoic sculptures – stay true to the building’s neo-Gothic roots. thehighlinehotel.com