GHOSTLY HOSPITALITY
Caden Baird, Lauren Leitch, Zach Papa
Name of Hotel: The Stanley Hotel
Location: Estes Park, Colorado
Classification: Boutique and Condotel
Description
Famous for its old world charm, The Stanley Hotel has the most spectacular views out every window and is less than six miles away from Rocky Mountain National Park. Multiple renovations have restored this 140-guest room hotel to its original grandeur. The Stanley offers over 14,000 square feet of unique meeting and event space equipped with many amenities.
Services
Pet Friendly
Some Condominiums
Sites
Haunted History
Sculpture Garden
Hiking
Fishing
Bike and Cart Rentals
Golfing
Sightseeing Tours
Snowshoeing
Cross-Country Skiing
Butterfly Encounter
Chilling Experiences
The evening tour takes guest all over the 100+ year old hotel, showing where the previous dead owners are said to be seen every night. If you don't believe in ghosts before this tour, you most definitely will after the tour.
History
Completed in 1909 by F.O. Stanley (inventor of the Stanley Steamer automobile), this 138-guest room hotel is best known as the inspiration for Stephen King's book The Shining, which he wrote after staying at The Stanley, in room 217. King did not write the novel there, and the 1980 Stanley Kubrick movie was not filmed there, but the TV movie version of The Shining was used as the location.
Ghostly Encounters at The Stanley
- The ghosts of Freelan Stanley and his wife Flora have been seen dressed in formal attire on the main staircase and in other public areas, such as the lobby and the billiard room.
- Mr. Stanley has also been spotted in the administration offices, perhaps to keep an eye on the hotel's books. The Flora's piano playing occasionally echos in the ballroom.
- Disembodied voices and phantom footsteps have been heard in the hallways and rooms.
- Staff and visitors have reported unseen hands yanking at their clothing.
- More than one guest has said they have awakened to find their blankets taken from their beds and neatly folded.
- The Earl of Dunraven, who owned the land prior to the Stanleys, is said to haunt room 407, where the aroma of his cherry pipe tobacco still can be smelled. A ghostly face has also been reported peering out of the room's window when it was not occupied.
- Room 217, where Stephen King stayed, was the site of a tragic accident in 1911: housekeeper Elizabeth Wilson was nearly killed by a gas leak explosion. Since her death in the 1950s, strange, unexplained activity is said to take place in that room, including doors opening and closing, and lights switching on and off by themselves.
- Room 418 is the most haunted room, according to hotel staff, apparently by the ghosts of children. Guests who stay there say phantom children can be heard playing in the hallways at night. One couple complained that the noisy children kept them up all night, although there were no children staying at the hotel at the time. Impressions of bodies have been found on the bed when the room as been unoccupied.
- The ghost of a small child who calls out to his nanny has been spotted on several occasions on the second floor