A Visit to the Stanley Hotel
Only the old windows rattled at night, but the Stanley Hotel was worth a stay.
My child has recently become interested in the thriller/horror genre of books. They love ghost stories and haunted history, making this a perfect time to take them to the most famous haunted hotel in Colorado: The Stanley Hotel. I personally love to visit historic, and potentially haunted, hotels during my travels.
History of the Stanley
Perched over the town of Estes Park in the Rocky Mountains, the Stanley Hotel is hard to miss. Its white, Georgian Colonial Revival architecture with red roofs stands out from the green mountains behind it. Built in 1909, the original hotel houses 140 rooms and is four stories. It was built by F.O. Stanley and his wife, Flora, as a summer retreat for the East Coast wealthy society. The fresh mountain air was also what brought the Stanleys to Estes Park. Clean mountain air was a treatment for tuberculosis, which F.O. had battled three separate times in his life.
The Stanleys ran the hotel until their passing; Flora in 1939 and F.O. in 1940. Since then, the hotel has been through many owners and renovations. It wasn’t until author, Stephen King, visited the hotel and dreamt up the story “The Shining,” that the hotel took on a more spooky appeal.
Visiting the Stanley
Bringing my child to this place was kind of a nostalgic moment for me. As a kid, I spent many visits to Estes Park, looking up at the Stanley Hotel and wanting to stay there. As an adult, I have had two previous visits to the hotel. My first visit was a sleepless one. The hotel is old, drafty and very creaky. But the fourth floor where I stayed, is reportedly haunted, which I expereinced first-hand.
My curious offspring was excited to stay at the hotel. This time we wanted to avoid any ghostly encounters. We avoided the main building, where most paranormal encounters occur in either room 217 or on the fourth floor. Today, the Stanley Hotel has a variety of lodging options. I wanted to keep the historical feel so we stayed in the Lodge building, or the Manor House. This building was opened in 1910 for visiting bachelors and includes a small restaurant, a library and a lounge.
As a light snowstorm rolled in, we settled into our room located just past the lounge. The room was small but had a king-sized bed, ample closet and a good-sized bathroom. Large windows looked out onto the courtyard area at the back of the building. The common area on the third floor offered some beautiful views of Estes Park.
Touring the Stanely
The lounge area is exactly what I would envision wealthy bachelors would enjoy. Dark beams on the ceilings, dark wood and a large fireplace gave the room a cozy feel. Once our things were settled, we ventured outside to check out the hedge maze that was installed after many guests came to the Stanley after watching The Shining and asking about it. The hedge was still growing and was about 4-feet tall but we had fun wandering through it.
We went inside the main hotel to the first floor. Right inside the door is a Stanley Steamer car that used to bring guests up from the original train station in town. There is a small gift shop, a ballroom, music room which has been converted into a wine bar, a billiard room and the Cascades bar and restaurant. Downstairs, we browsed the museum, which includes movie props for both the Kubrick movie and the TV series. There is also a chocolate shop, whisky bar and ice cream shop. The basement level also houses the starting location for the hotel’s various tours. That evening we went on the night tour.
The night tour is a good mix of history about the hotel and the Stanleys. It touches on the connection to Stephen King. Then it shifts to tales of ghost sightings and paranormal experiences documented by previous guests. I enjoy this tour because it takes you into the concert hall, which was built for Flora, who had stage fright and rarely played there. The tour also heads through the billiard room and into the tunnels under the hotel. My child enjoyed the mix of history and haunted stories but wasn’t keen on being in the underground tunnel in the dark.
Nighttime at the Stanley
After our tour, we headed back to our room for the night. The room was small and the king-sized mattress was a bit smaller than the frame holding it up, leaving extra gaps around the mattress. The bed squeaked at every movement. When the curtains were open, the cold air outside flooded through the gaps in the old windows and made it slightly chilly in the room. Once the curtains were closed, the room warmed up to the 68 degrees set on the thermostat.
We slept with the light on, just in case we had a spirited visitor. The room had plenty of rattles from the wind pressing against old window panes and creaks in the hallway when the other guests retreated to their rooms.
Until next time, Stanley
Overall the visit was a hit with my kid and they want to come back. I enjoyed sharing the experience with the next generation, hoping that the allure of Estes Park and the Stanley become a tradition for them as well.
If you ever find yourself visiting the great, beautiful state of Colorado, I do encourage a trip to the town of Estes Park. It’s one of my favorite locations in the state. And while you are there, book a room at the Stanley Hotel, maybe even room 217? If you do, book now. That room often sells out years in advance – especially on Halloween.
