Gerald Olin

Gerald Olin was the manager of the luxurious Hotel Dolphin in New York City. A man who took his position very seriously, Olin was well aware of the hotel's dubious history; in particular, the events surrounding the haunted Room 1408. After a string of deaths spanning more than sixty years, Olin had the room sealed up and it remained vacant for over two decades. A writer named Mike Enslin approached Olin hoping to write a piece about the haunted history of the room. Olin was more than willing to share any information he had, but he refused to allow Enslin to sleep in the room. He offered Mike an upgrade to the penthouse suite, access to documents regarding the deaths in 1408, and an $800 bottle of cognac if Enslin would abandon his plan to stay in the room. Enslin accepted the documents and the cognac but insisted on staying in the room, frustrating Olin. The manager gave him the key and suitably warned him that "...it's an evil fucking room". To his credit, everything Gerald warned Enslin about came true, and Mike barely escaped the room with his life.

Notes & Trivia

 * In the original short story Olin was only identified as Mister Olin. The film provides him with the first name Gerald.