10 Animated Shows Like Haunted Hotel You Must See

Netflix’s ‘Haunted Hotel’ follows Katherine and her children, Esther and Ben, as they move into the Undervale hotel, which the lady inherits after her brother Nathan’s death. The hotel quickly reveals itself to be haunted, and Nathan’s ghost plays an active role in his sister’s family. In the animated horror comedy series, the family navigates the supernatural entities within the hotel and also the inexplicable scenarios outside it. The Matt Roller creation explores the ideas of family dynamics, courage, and curiosity while featuring stories about ghosts and demons that haunt the main characters.

As the family members deal with their unique situation, they also face interpersonal issues that test their commitment to each other. Katherine tries to make her hotel functional, but faces challenges that test her resolve. If the visual elements, quirky characters, and the spooky atmospherics of the series impressed you, these shows, similar to ‘Haunted Hotel,’ will keep you entertained.

10. Casper’s Scare School (2009-2012)

Created by Joseph Oriolo and Seymour Reit, Cartoon Network’s ‘Casper’s Scare School’ centers on the lives of the students who attend Scare School, which specializes in teaching the art of fear. The nucleus of the story is a friendly ghost named Casper, who tries to decode the reality of different beings. He befriends Ra and Mantha, with whom he navigates challenges posed by the heads of the school and threats from the school bully, Thatch. The group comes across several challenges in their school journey, with the most important one being the fact that the protagonist does not like to scare people.

Based on the character ‘Casper the Friendly Ghost,’ developed by the creators with Vincent E. Valentine II, the animated action drama series delves into ideas of friendship and adventure. Inspired by the eponymous film directed by Mark Gravas, the show, akin to ‘Haunted Hotel,’ deals with the emotions of ghosts and humanizes them. The ghosts in the stories face moral conundrums that affect the way they treat human beings.

9. Danny Phantom (2004-2007)

In Nickelodeon’s ‘Danny Phantom’, the titular protagonist struggles with his life as a student at Casper High School due to his shy and unassuming nature. However, he discreetly holds supernatural and ghost-like abilities that he uses to hunt down ghosts. As he navigates his life as a student, he realizes that his abilities come with a responsibility, and that he must use them to save others, along with his friends Sam and Tucker, who also have curiosities of their own. Created by Butch Hartman and Steve Marmel, the animated action-adventure series reflects the world of ‘Haunted Hotel’ and its characters due to its portrayal of supernatural abilities and the way they affect people’s behavior.

8. Mona the Vampire (1999-2006)

Based on the eponymous children’s book written and illustrated by Sonia Holleyman, ‘Mona the Vampire’ is a tale of courage, friendship, and battle that follows the adventures of Mona Parker, who believes that she is supposed to be the savior of her town and protect it from threats posed by supernatural entities in the Canadian animated children’s show. In her imaginative journey, she is joined by her friends Lily Duncan and Charley Bones, who also share her passion for adventure. The three of them face various challenges as they try to save the town, while also navigating interpersonal relationships. Created by Kent Redeker and Mia Resella, it resembles ‘Haunted Hotel’ due to its focus on supernatural entities and young characters who bravely face them in similar visual settings.

7. The Real Ghostbusters (1986-1991)

ABC’s supernatural animated series ‘The Real Ghostbusters’ or ‘The Real Ghost Busters’ chronicles the adventures of Peter Venkman, Winston Zeddemore, Egon Spengler, and Ray Stantz, who continue to hunt down ghosts in the city of New York and save it from existential threats. Based on the film ‘Ghostbusters’ directed by Ivan Reitman, the narrative developed by Joe Medjuck and Michael C. Gross also acts as a sequel to the movie and follows the team as they face new entities and challenges that test their ghost-hunting skills and also their interpersonal relationships. The team continues to work from its discreet office space where it encounters inexplicable challenges. On the lines of ‘Haunted Hotel,’ it features sequences of the main characters trying to control or capture ghosts, while also dealing with interpersonal challenges. Both shows contain adrenaline-fueled action sequences, while also navigating the mysteries of the unknown world.

6. Ruby Gloom (2006-2008)

Created by Martin Hsu, ‘Ruby Gloom’ explores the adventures undertaken by a group of friends, headed by the titular protagonist. Set in a spooky atmosphere, the Canadian animated horror comedy series deals with the trials and tribulations of Ruby and her friends Iris, Skull Boy, and others as they try to explore the secrets of the town of Gloomsville. As the eccentric characters deal with their curiosities, they also face the tests of friendship. Akin to the world of ‘Haunted Hotel,’ the show features strange entities and the emotional dynamics between young characters who are obsessed with the unknown. Despite the tonal differences, the shows have similarities in terms of their exploration of the macabre elements of the worlds they are set in.

5. Courage the Cowardly Dog (1999-2002)

Cartoon Network’s ‘Courage the Cowardly Dog’ tells the story of a dog called Courage, who must face off against supernatural entities, ghosts, and other threats, as he tries to protect the house and land of the farmers who own him. However, his fear of the entities he fights against makes it difficult for him to achieve his goals, while also having to deal with them single-handedly. The animated comedy horror series created by John R. Dilworth navigates the ideas of fear, secrets, loyalty, and bravery. Similar to ‘Haunted Hotel,’ most of the action takes place in a single location, which creates a claustrophobic effect. The idea of unlikely heroes dealing with dangerous threats also forges a spiritual connection between the shows.

4. The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (2003-2007)

Created by Maxwell Atoms, Cartoon Network’s ‘The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy’ is a tale of unlikely friendship between the Grim Reaper, Bill, and Mandy. The Reaper joins the other two following his loss in a limbo contest and accompanies them on their adventures, wherein they explore supernatural phenomena and also traverse the realms occupied by beasts and deal with monsters. As they explore the secrets of the underworld and other unknown worlds, they face various challenges that not only endanger them but also their friendship. On the lines of ‘Haunted Hotel,’ the animated horror comedy series features the idea of youngsters being involved in risky scenarios with supernatural entities, while also dealing with the trials and tribulations of their own bond.

3. Beetlejuice (1989-1991)

Loosely based on the eponymous film directed by Tim Burton, ‘Beetlejuice’ follows the schemes and the haunted mind of the titular protagonist, who is a ghost. The supernatural entity involves himself in pranks and also troubles others around him through mischief. His relationship with his best friend, Lydia, is also explored in the animated fantasy comedy series created by the original film’s director. The narrative focuses on the complexities of the relationship between the main character and his friend, as they navigate the world with different points of view. It resembles the world of ‘Haunted Hotel’ through its exploration of the macabre while also featuring similar visual styles. The stories are connected due to their depiction of strange worlds.

2. The Haunted House (2016-)

‘The Haunted House’ or ‘Shinbi Apartment’ narrates the story of two siblings, Ha-ri and Du-ri, who deal with the trials and tribulations of growing up, while also dealing with strange entities. They take on ghosts and other unknown threats with the help of an old goblin that lives underneath their apartment. In their epic adventures, they also face off against possessed individuals, ghosts, and animal spirits. Directed by Dong-Sik Shin, the Korean fantasy horror series delves into the theme of family and secrets. The sibling bond in the show connects it on a spiritual level with ‘Haunted House,’ which also features a complex bond between Ben and Esther, who also show interest in navigating the secrets in their world.

1. Hotel Transylvania: The Series (2017-2020)

Based on the media franchise ‘Hotel Transylvania’ created by Todd Durham, Disney Channel’s ‘Hotel Transylvania: The Series’ follows the adventures of a girl named Mavis. When her dad, Dracula, leaves for vampire duties, she gets to show him how she can run Hotel Transylvania on her own and continue his legacy. In this journey, she is joined by her friends Wendy Blob, Pedro, and Hank Stein, who help her run the marvelous and scary establishment. As the young girl tries to achieve liberation from the constraints of life by having fun with her friends, her efforts are challenged by the arrival of her Aunt Lydia, who has her own agenda and the desire to control things around the hotel and the life of the girl. The animated comedy horror series created by Mark Steinberg is similar to ‘Haunted Hotel’ because it is set primarily in a single location, which adds to the claustrophobic feel of the narrative. Both shows feature young characters who try to understand the spooky world in their own terms, which creates some tension between them and the adults. The visual choices in the stories also connect them on a greater level.