I think in my next life I’d like to be born with a silver spoon in my mouth. Of course, I’m not sure how that will play out during the birthing process, particularly for my mother, but then there’s always the option of a C-section. I’ll start out life the second time around looking my very best (no pointy head and a less than peachy complexion) and have all the advantages of the rich and famous from the get-go. I’m not really looking for fame; I’m just looking to stay at the Stanley Hotel the next time around.
The Stanley Hotel is definitely not your typical rustic Rocky Mountain retreat.
Jim and I could practically smell the old money when we got our first glimpse of this neo-Georgian stately mansion in Estes Park, Colorado. The hotel even came with a history full of mystery and a $5 fee for parking, which we used to defray the cost of our lunch at the hotel the day we visited.
We needed a tour guide just to make it from one end of the lobby to the other.
Nestled in the foothills of Rocky Mountain National Park, the panoramic views from the front porch were to die for (maybe that accounts for all the purported ghosts).
I think I'd be willing to sleep here for the night.
Stephen King had a room with a view the night he and his wife Tabitha stayed at the Stanley Hotel in late October, 1974. They were practically the only guests that night as the staff prepared to close for the winter the next day. Wandering the empty halls alone that night, Stephen reportedly found inspiration for his haunting book, The Shining. Rumor has it Stephen heard the ghost of a child calling for her nanny outside his room (#217) that night, a room today that books 6 months in advance and goes for a minimum of $400 a night. Where’s that silver spoon when I need it?
Here's Jimmy!
I wasn’t looking to stay at the Stanley Hotel for inspiration. I just wanted some history and mystery, some ambiance and excitement thrown in with a cozy down comforter and crisp clean sheets.
The hotel’s Ghost and History Tour fit the bill, particularly the $15 price tag that bought us 90 minutes of history and mystery, ambiance and excitement. It was summer. I didn’t need a down comforter and the sheets at the Comfort Inn down the street were clean if not exactly crisp.
Toya, a.k.a. drama major and tour guide, knew how to weave fact and fiction into a story as memorable as it was hypnotizing. She embraced her role like a medium bridging the gap between mere mortals and lost spirits searching for a voice.
The hotel’s Ghost and History Tour fit the bill, particularly the $15 price tag that bought us 90 minutes of history and mystery, ambiance and excitement. It was summer. I didn’t need a down comforter and the sheets at the Comfort Inn down the street were clean if not exactly crisp.
Toya, a.k.a. drama major and tour guide, knew how to weave fact and fiction into a story as memorable as it was hypnotizing. She embraced her role like a medium bridging the gap between mere mortals and lost spirits searching for a voice.
Toya was possessed with the history and mystery of the Stanley Hotel when she went into tour mode.
We followed like sheep as Toya herded us through the hallowed halls of Freelan Oscar Stanley's grand Georgian Revival hotel. The first fully electric hotel in the world when it opened in June of 1909 was built to house F.O. Stanley’s east coast guests who came to visit their rich, ailing friend during the summer months. Diagnosed with tuberculosis at 53, F.O. Stanley (he and his twin brother Francis Edgar invented the Stanley Steamer automobile)
These two classics look pretty good to me.
sought refuge in the pure mountain air of Colorado in hopes of improving his failing health, a move that netted F.O. Stanley 40 more years.
F.O. Stanley and his twin are mirror images of one another.
Well, 40 years and then some if you choose to believe the ghost stories that come with the Stanley Hotel. This marvelous madam has had a rather checkered past when it comes to owners, but none as devoted as the first, F.O. Stanley and his wife Flora. Echoes of Flora’s performances on the piano have been reported emanating from the predominantly empty music room where she played so often.
Maybe it's a player piano.
Mr. Stanley seems to favor hanging out in the Billiard Room as he did in his day. Both Mr. and Mrs. Stanley have been seen in formal attire on the grand staircase and in the ballroom by guests and staff alike over the years.
I wouldn't mind making a grand entrance on these stairs.
According to Toya, Elizabeth Wilson, chief housekeeper for F.O. Stanley when he first opened, still keeps tabs on the guests in room 217. It was there, in 1911, Elizabeth was nearly killed during an explosion while lighting a gas lamp. In was there, in 1994, in the same room, #217, actor Jim Carrey reportedly requested a room change he refused to talk about while on site filming the hotel scenes for the movie, Dumb and Dumber.
All this fuss about the notorious and infamous room 217 is just a ruse when it comes to the really spooky stuff. Apparently room 418 and the adjacent hallway boosts the most paranormal activity, at least according to guests and staff, including the lovely and talented Toya.
Originally the fourth floor was reserved for the children of guests and their nannies. For years
fourth floor guests have complained of the noisy children running up and down the hallways late at night, only to learn later there were no children registered as guests at the hotel during their stay. Stephen King didn’t complain; he just parlayed the experience into one of the best books (and movie) of all time, even though the original blockbuster produced by Stanley Kubrick wasn’t even filmed at the Stanley Hotel.
All this fuss about the notorious and infamous room 217 is just a ruse when it comes to the really spooky stuff. Apparently room 418 and the adjacent hallway boosts the most paranormal activity, at least according to guests and staff, including the lovely and talented Toya.
Originally the fourth floor was reserved for the children of guests and their nannies. For years
fourth floor guests have complained of the noisy children running up and down the hallways late at night, only to learn later there were no children registered as guests at the hotel during their stay. Stephen King didn’t complain; he just parlayed the experience into one of the best books (and movie) of all time, even though the original blockbuster produced by Stanley Kubrick wasn’t even filmed at the Stanley Hotel.
I think the ghosts were keeping an eye on us by the time we reached the 4th floor.
When Stephen King produced the TV mini-series based on his book, The Shining, in 1997, he did film on location at the Stanley Hotel, now a designated National Historic Site. Changes to the hotel, including the dark wood stain in the lobby that was once all white, were made to give the setting in the movie a more somber tone in keeping with the true nature of Stephen King’s story. Author and new owners, the Grand Heritage Hotel Group, have agreed the lobby will remain as it is until interest in The Shining dies down (no sign of that while I was there).
No sign of resident psychics in most hotels either, but in keeping with the Stanley Hotel’s penchant for the paranormal Madame Vera had set up shop on the basement level. Jim and I thought we might want to stop in, just chat, see if we set off any psychic bells. Besides, I
No sign of resident psychics in most hotels either, but in keeping with the Stanley Hotel’s penchant for the paranormal Madame Vera had set up shop on the basement level. Jim and I thought we might want to stop in, just chat, see if we set off any psychic bells. Besides, I
Of course Madame Vera would have those spooky lace curtains on her door.
really needed some professional help with the silver spoon thing. Maybe I had a former life that came with a silver spoon that would even the current scales of injustice. How many lives do I get anyway? Will I have to wander the Stanley for eternity until I can get in to see Madame Vera? I was a mess after 90 minutes of suggestive, ghostly gobble gook!
And of course, Madame Vera was busy. This was the Stanley Hotel after all where the uncut R-rated version of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining plays without commercial interruption in every guest’s room via Channel 42 all day, every day. This was the Stanley Hotel, the one featured twice on Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures; the same one featured on the Sci-Fi Television
show, Ghost Hunters. This was my very first experience with a haunted hotel. When the experience concluded below ground in the bowels of this boarding house, I decided it would be my last.
And of course, Madame Vera was busy. This was the Stanley Hotel after all where the uncut R-rated version of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining plays without commercial interruption in every guest’s room via Channel 42 all day, every day. This was the Stanley Hotel, the one featured twice on Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures; the same one featured on the Sci-Fi Television
show, Ghost Hunters. This was my very first experience with a haunted hotel. When the experience concluded below ground in the bowels of this boarding house, I decided it would be my last.
Does this look like a tomb or is my imagination on overdrive?
After all, if this place can raise the hair on Stephen King’s neck, the master of macabre, what chance do I have when it comes to handling spooky?
Probably about as much chance as being born with a silver spoon in my mouth.
__________________________________________
The bottom line on the Stanley Hotel:
Verdict: It’s spooky, it’s classy, it’s a must see for the rich, the famous and the rest of us. Fortunately the Stanley Hotel can accommodate everyone via a room, a tour, a wedding, a conference or a psychic reading.
How to Get There: From the Denver area take Highway 36 northwest through the towns of Boulder and Lyons to Estes Park. Approximate driving time is 90 minutes to cover the 65 miles of two lane highway between Denver and this gateway to the Rocky Mountains National Park.
Ideal for: History buffs, nature lovers and anybody who loves a good ghost story.
Inside Tips: If you stay at the Stanley Hotel, be aware the hotel’s historic significance often equates to smaller rooms and less amenities, i.e. no coffee pots, refrigerators and air conditioning. Yep, no air conditioning. The walls are thin too, making you and your neighbor privy to all kinds of activities. The hallways can be noisy when guests, ghosts and tours are wandering the premises. Ask for a room in the Lodge (a separate building adjacent to original hotel) if you value amenities over history. The unique cocktails as well as the standard drinks at the hotel’s new Whiskey Bar (really classy spot) are stiff when it comes to the money and the alcohol.
Nearby Food: There are two places on site serving food. The Cascades Dining Room was pricey with a rather limited selection covering all the bases as well as some local and historical fare. Presentation was good, food even better, service very good. Pastries and hot coffee are what’s happening at the Steamer Café located in the basement of the Stanley Hotel. Long lines can wreak havoc with early morning departures in this small snack shop, so plan ahead. Ice cream or a cookie is the best option the rest of the day at your typical snack bar prices.
Probably about as much chance as being born with a silver spoon in my mouth.
__________________________________________
The bottom line on the Stanley Hotel:
Verdict: It’s spooky, it’s classy, it’s a must see for the rich, the famous and the rest of us. Fortunately the Stanley Hotel can accommodate everyone via a room, a tour, a wedding, a conference or a psychic reading.
How to Get There: From the Denver area take Highway 36 northwest through the towns of Boulder and Lyons to Estes Park. Approximate driving time is 90 minutes to cover the 65 miles of two lane highway between Denver and this gateway to the Rocky Mountains National Park.
Ideal for: History buffs, nature lovers and anybody who loves a good ghost story.
Inside Tips: If you stay at the Stanley Hotel, be aware the hotel’s historic significance often equates to smaller rooms and less amenities, i.e. no coffee pots, refrigerators and air conditioning. Yep, no air conditioning. The walls are thin too, making you and your neighbor privy to all kinds of activities. The hallways can be noisy when guests, ghosts and tours are wandering the premises. Ask for a room in the Lodge (a separate building adjacent to original hotel) if you value amenities over history. The unique cocktails as well as the standard drinks at the hotel’s new Whiskey Bar (really classy spot) are stiff when it comes to the money and the alcohol.
Nearby Food: There are two places on site serving food. The Cascades Dining Room was pricey with a rather limited selection covering all the bases as well as some local and historical fare. Presentation was good, food even better, service very good. Pastries and hot coffee are what’s happening at the Steamer Café located in the basement of the Stanley Hotel. Long lines can wreak havoc with early morning departures in this small snack shop, so plan ahead. Ice cream or a cookie is the best option the rest of the day at your typical snack bar prices.
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