For a family member's birthday, I wanted to mix it up and do something a little different. I googled and googled and stumbled across "The Haunted Hotel Experience". I was really surprised I had not heard of this, being there is only so much to do in SETX. First off, don't let the name "Haunted Hotel" fool you, this is not a super scary people attempting to scare you type experience. It is set up in a building beside and shares a wall with the former Haunted Hotel in Beaumont.
What is it? A game. A game that will have you locked inside a room or rooms where you will have to work as a group to find clues, solve puzzles and riddles to escape. These games will change every so often throughout the year to keep things fresh. My group chose "The Haunted Hotel Experience" which consisted of three rooms, set up as a serial killer's apartment. Note that the remainder of this review is based on the experience of this specific game, which is changing in November 2016. While the apartment itself is a little creepy, it is by no means "frightening/scary".
The price: Regular pricing as of the time of this review is $35 per person, however, check their Facebook business page as they often have promo codes. I was able to score tickets for $25/piece.
Prior to booking, I had messaged staff via their Facebook page informing them that I may not have a babysitter and asked if my toddler would need a ticket. Thankfully, they were kind enough to not make me pay additional for her.
When we first arrived, we entered a small area, were greeted by staff who explained the rules and had a lock box to place cellular devices (as they do not want any photographs or videos taken). I know some are totally attached to their cell phones, so know prior you will need to keep them in your vehicle or the lockbox. A staff member will be present in the room during the duration of the game.
After the rules were explained, the staff member took us down a dark hallway (he even turned on a small light for my toddler not to be scared). We entered a darkly lit small room with flickering lights that had newspaper and writing/blood splatter covering the walls. There is a small intro where a creepy voice tells you the "story" and that you have an hour to escape. At this point, my kiddo was saying she was a little frightened, but we quickly found the code to unlock an additional door which led into a brightly lit large room. After that, she was totally INTO the game, looking everywhere for clues and trying to "help" the adults. The staff member even helped lead her to some clues so she felt apart of the game.
In the beginning the staff member is "handcuffed" in the first room, and after you find the key to the handcuffs you can decide whether or not to uncuff. Let me tell you, it is beneficial to unlock him :) If you're totally sucking, he sort of helps move things along without completely giving away the answer. Or if you don't want help, he won't assist per request. Plus the staff member we got was pretty funny and made the experience that much better.
This game is extremely well thought-out. I was truly amazed how all the pieces and clues fit together. Someone thought long and hard about this. Thankfully we had a couple analytical minds on a crew that helped knock out some riddles. I personally just did a great job of unlocking the locks with the keys other people found :P The game typically is for a group of 12, we had 6 and got SO CLOSE but unfortunately, ran out of time before winning the game. By the end of it, my toddler asked the staff if we could "please have more time"!
After the game, if you win you get to take a group picture with "winner" signs. If you lose well.... you take a picture with loser signs. LOL Being overly critical, I wish they would have a better camera for more flattering photos :P
Seriously, everyone in SETX should experience this, at the very least, once in their life! Such a unique and fun way to spend your time. Talk about a wonderful team-building exercise. Highly highly recommend. Please, go support this local business so we can keep this amazing activity in our area! read more