Here in this mountain wilderness, surrounded by the rustic haunts of the hunter and homesteader, was an edifice that withstood comparison to the posh hotels “back east.” Electric lights, telephones, en suite bathrooms, a staff of uniformed servants and a fleet of automobiles were at their disposal. The tours covers the history of the hotel, the Stanleys, and the haunted aspects of the hotel. of sophisticated meeting and event space equipped with modern amenities. Most of the rooms on the tour are generally closed off to the public and only used for tours and special events. They had a bit of an eerie and surreal experience being the only guests in the large resort hotel and that night King had a nightmare about his son being chased by a fire hose in the hallways of the hotel. It h… It took 300 men, working around the clock, 2 years to build an 11 building complex. Hi Robert, Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. 1851 - The hotel's name is changed to Hungerford's Hotel, after being bought by F. G. Hungerford. Naturally, Stanley had also done much to develop the burgeoning town. Now she is believed to be responsible for folding and putting away guests’ clothes and for her disapproval of unmarried couples sharing a room. Book tours and meals in advance to save on parking! Best, Jessica. Stanley was a lifelong entrepreneur and inventor. Best, Jessica. Due to our high flow of traffic in the summer time we have created a parking token. ~ Jessica. My father came out for a visit and we drove up to Estes for the weekend and figured we’d find a hotel once we got up there. It was initially used to house unmarried male guests as it was considered inappropriate at the time to house single women and children in the same building as the single male guests. I have actually never been to Boulder but hope to get a chance to visit on a future trip to Colorado. By the 1970s the hotel’s splendor had faded due to lack of care and investment. Second for its connection to Stephen King and, The man responsible for building The Stanley Hotel was, Stanley helped establish the first bank, funded the paving of roads, funded local schools, gifted vast tracts of land to the town, and helped, Without Stanley’s vast fortune, subsequent owners had a difficult time maintaining the large resort hotel and it passed through owners, who like Stanley never managed to make a profit. The hotel also has the haunted history, which I personally found less interesting but it is a big draw to many of the visitors. My buddy and I visited Estes park in the summer of 1979. We were in Room 219, which I believe was a King Deluxe room. ; The Lodge at The Stanley for boutique hotel- CLOSED FOR WINTER 2020-2021.; Aspire at The Stanley offers apartment-style residences for extended stays. The Stanley Hotel has an excellent informative website, and you can also email them at info@stanleyhotel.com or call them at (970) 577-4000 or 1-800-976-1377 for more information. I also enjoyed hearing about the good marriage between F.O. Hi Rhonda, Thanks! We were then given free time to explore a couple of areas of the Concert Hall before heading back outside. They can also provide information if you are interested in holding a wedding or event here. In 1905, Stanley had built and moved into his own property in Estes Park, a four bedroom house. By the second day, we were able to get all our devices to connect which was great and the connection strength was good once we were connected. You can also come for a drink at the Whiskey Bar or meal at the Cascades Restaurant or Steamers Cafe. People were given time to take photos and given tips for the best places for paranormal activity. These are our only accommodations to accept pets and only dogs are allowed. If you want the chance to stay here, be sure to book this room well in advance. Tourists visiting the majestic Rocky Mountains, Lake Estes and the resort town of Estes Park in Colorado often stay overnight at the Stanley Hotel. Visitors to Estes Park flock to the hotel to take a tour, have a drink at the Whiskey Lounge, and stay overnight in one of its historical (and perhaps haunted) rooms. As I lay in bed I could hear a strange scratching noise coming from the window which my father had left open a crack. It might have eventually have succumbed to the wrecking ball, if not for a fortuitous visit by author Stephen King. To entertain guests, a Concert Hall was built which was also a gift for Flora as she loved to play piano. Or if you are visiting, the guides may be able to find that information for you. The second evening at the hotel, we watched Kubrick’s, We did the regular Stanley Hotel Tour which is a 90 minute guided walking tour. It’s where female … He wanted an all electric hotel so he built a power plant on Fall river. ~ Jessica, Your email address will not be published. The hotel is a tourist attraction and its appeal to visitors does make for a less peaceful and relaxing stay in the main hotel than one might expect, at least during the afternoons. If you are going to be visiting Estes Park, I’d take one of the tours and see for yourself. Those that want more peace and quiet but still want to stay in a historical section of hotel, should consider The Lodge. In addition to its regular hotel tours, The Stanley Hotel also regularly has live entertainment on weekends throughout the year at its Stanley Live venue. Hello, I enjoy the character and story behind places like this. We were from the east coast with no jobs or money but we almost went for it. **Disclosure: We were provided free accommodation and one dinner by The Stanley Hotel and Visit Estes Park covered our breakfast and hotel tour in order to review the hotel as travel writers. After seeing The shining a few times I made the connection with the Stephen King angle of the story. During our time in Estes Park, a fellow travel blogger and friend Caroline from Caroline in the City also happened to be staying at The Stanley Hotel with her sister so we met up for drinks at the Whiskey Bar. It was opened in 1909. It was so informative and took me right back to Estes Park. 2 day Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary, tips on exploring Rocky Mountain National Park, Gifts for Travelers – Travel Gifts Made in the USA. The Stanley was a model mountain resort of a kind that had previously existed primarily in the Colorado Springs area, complete with a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts, lawn and indoor bowling, croquet, and billiards. The History of the Stanley Arms Pub and Hotel. The History of a Haunted Hotel Image: daveynin/Flickr via CC by 2.0. Tours do sell out, so it is best to book in advance if you know the date and time you want to visit. [*] In the 1920’s a bordello was built in the hotel where liquor was sol… The Stanley Hotel is famous for its old world charm. [*] Thomas Edison and Eleanor Roosevelt once stayed at the hotel. Historic Stanley Hotel is in the Renaissance, Tuscan style, with 138 guestrooms, many having views of the Rocky Mountains. The hotel is open all year. Jim Carrey requested to stay in room 217 during the filming but left the room after only a few hours, and refused to return. This article contains only our own honest thoughts and opinions. Before it was The Shanley, The Napanoch Hotel was built by Thomas Ritch in 1845. ~ Jessica. A great place to watch the film for the first (or fourth) time! It was very interesting hearing the history of the hotel & realizing how much F.O. The Stanley earned a reputation as a paranormal nerve center long before King's arrival at the hotel, completed in 1909 as … The memorable hedge maze in the film did not exist at the Stanley Hotel, the Timberline Lodge, or King’s fictional Overlook Hotel, but was added into Kubrick’s retelling of the story. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. The main tours currently offered are the historical Stanley Hotel Tour which is offered during the day as well as special after dark evening tours. The hotel’s story begins with its namesake, F.O. We personally did not see any ghosts and are not huge believers in the paranormal, but there were certainly some die-hard believers on our hotel tour! As of June 2015, the hotel constructed a miniature maze inspired by the film’s climatic scenes. It was some sort of pineapple, berry, lime, and mint concoction that tasted delicious and I wish I would have asked the exact ingredients to be able to replicate it! Rooms can be booked by phone or online. The Stanley Hotel inspired the Overlook Hotel in Stephen King's 1977 bestselling novel The Shining and was a filming location for the related 1997 TV miniseries. The bar serves a variety of beer, wine, and cocktails, but is best known for having Colorado’s largest selection of whiskeys, bourbons, and scotch. The Concert Hall. Parking is limited at the hotel so they do charge a parking fee for non-guests (generally just in the busy summer season). Haunted history of The Stanley Hotel. the  “Unsinkable Molly Brown” of Titanic fame), composer John Philip Sousa, and Theodore Roosevelt. Stanley & his twin brother did that impacted American history. The last part of the tour we headed back downstairs to the museum area and then into a short section of service tunnel area which connects the hotel to the staff entrance. I was attending the university of Denver at the time. The day fee of $10 is payable to the Guard Gate attendee upon arrival. The Stanley Hotel is a luxurious historic landmark hotel in a spectacular mountain-view location, offering old-world charm matched with the latest of modern amenities. If you make a purchase using one of these links it means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read more in our Ethics Code about how we accept work.**. We invite you to partake in all the Stanley has to offer and hope that, when you visit, you will be able to feel the mantle of time slip away and see the hotel as it once stood. The restaurant is known for its steaks (we didn’t get a chance to try them) and their Colorado inspired dishes so we’d recommend focusing on those dishes. When we were checking out , the clerk asked us how our night was and my Dad said go ahead and tell him. Freelan Oscar Stanley was a person of many talents, trades and interests. Rooms rates range from about $200 to $750 per night, with the Stanley Classic standard queen rooms in the main hotel and the standard queen rooms in The Lodge being the lowest priced. Second for its connection to Stephen King and The Shining, and lastly for the supposed hauntings and paranormal activity associated with the hotel. Please scroll to the end to leave a comment. The Stanley Hotel would host a number of wealthy and famous people in its heyday, such as socialite Margaret Brown (i.e. Our tour began on time and there were about 12 people on our tour. We somehow wound up at the Stanley Hotel for a “free dinner” and an informational tour. King was generally disappointed with Kubrick’s adaptation of his novel and in 1997, Stephen King wrote a teleplay and produced a three-part The Shining TV mini-series directed by Mick Garris, using the Stanley Hotel as a primary filming location. Therefore, like many "lungers" of his day, Stanley resolved to take the curative air of the Rocky Mountains. 230 reviews of The Stanley Hotel Ghosts and History Tour "My husband and I stayed at The Stanley Nov. 23rd-Nov.25th, 2012 & took the Ghost & History Tour our second day there. However, the couple decided after a couple of years that they wanted to be able to be able to accommodate more of their friends and provide the sort of social life that would impress their East Coast millionaire friends, so they built the Stanley Hotel. Isn’t it crazy how much impact a film can have? It's a momento medallion, one side displays the Rocky Mountain National Park Centennial logo and the other exhibits our Historic Stanley Hotel. Great story about the hotel. We also had an order of the truffle parmesan shoestring french fries which were so addictive! The History and Haunting of the Stanley Hotel, 2nd Edition is a comprehensive look at one of the most-haunted venues in the world. Today, Historic Hotels of America is a prestigious collection of historic hotels that have faithfully maintained their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity in the United States of America, including 46 states, the District of … Interestingly, a hedge maze (although much smaller in scale) was planted at the Stanley Hotel in 2015 because of its connection with the film. Historic hotel’s history. Together, they resolved to build a beautiful grand hotel – and when the Stanley Hotel opened in 1909, the first guests who pulled up in stylish Stanley-designed steam cars were astonished at what they saw. First for its historical place in the history of Estes Park and the development of the area. Special packages for dog owners (allowed in the Lodge), Rocky Mountain National Park visitors, and ghost lovers are available. For appetizers we ordered the onion soup and the buffalo sausage with lentils, both were quite good. Yes, the Stanley Hotel was definitely not at its peak around the time you visited but was on the way up after Stephen King’s The Shining book was published in 1977. Its history is very odd, to tell you the truth, starting with how it first came under the ownership of Freelan O. Stanley, the hotel’s namesake. The Shining gives me chills. This was before Steven KIngs story the shinning had come out. It is unclear why he refused, but it seems he got spooked by something. That said, we still really enjoyed our room and it was a very comfortable place to spend our two nights in Estes Park. The Stanley Hotel was built by inventor Freelan Oscar (F.O.) Hi Robert, Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. I like to visit in Colorado and thank you. However, there is a family-friendly tour available for those with younger children. There were two beds in the room. The  bar area can get quite crowded, especially during the summer so come early to ensure a seat. 1845 - Thomas Ritch built a new hotel called Ritch's Hotel, but later renames it as the Mansion House. The Stanley Hotel   |   333 Wonderview Avenue Estes Park, CO 80517. Upon check-in the Kings discovered that it was the last day of the season, and the hotel was closing the following day, meaning there was limited staff and they were the only guests. I went to the door and cracked it open to see who might be in the hall, and when I looked down the hall there was furniture in the hallway against the wall and the light seemed dim. The large number of strange happenings is believed by some to have a geological basis related to the types of minerals and rocks under the hotel which you can learn about on the hotel tours. The Stanley Hotel has been regularly visited by Ghost Hunters and is believed to be one of the most haunted hotels in the country. 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