If you’ve never heard of The Stanley Hotel we assume that you’ve never watched or read The Shining or done any research on haunted hotels because this is, perhaps, one of the most famous haunted hotels in America because of its association with famed horror writer, Stephen King, and it’s role as the muse for the book (and subsequent film) The Shining.
The Stanley Hotel is a Georgian-style hotel located in Estes Park, Colorado, roughly 90-minutes from Denver. Georgian architecture style, for those that are curious, is marked by the “symmetry and proportion-based on [the] classical architecture of Greece and Rome.”
The Stanley Hotel is an “elite, 420-room retreat” that offers panoramic views of Lake Estes and the Rockies with ample old-world charm and exceptional service. It was built by investor and entrepreneur, Freelan Oscar (AKA “FO”) Stanley, who was the owner of the Stanley Motor Carriage Co., in 1909, and his wife Flora travelled west from Chicago and fell in love with the area. FO Stanley is best known as the inventor of the “Stanley steam engine” which was essentially a steam-powered horseless carriage (AKA a car).
FO had tuberculosis and was given six months to live. His doctor recommended that he and his wife seek out fresh air as treatment and arranged for the couple to travel to the Denver area. Surprisingly, his health did, in fact, start to improve and they loved the area so much that they decided to open up a little retreat there. Construction on the hotel started in 1906, and the hotel officially opened in 1909.
The Stanley Hotel was a grand, top-of-the-line hotel equipped with running water, electricity and telephones. The only amenity that the hotel didn’t have was heat because it was intended to be a summer-only resort. The Stanley’s build their own private residence a half-mile west of the hotel. Famous guests include The Unsinkable Molly Brown—who was the American socialite and philanthropist who survived the Titanic, the Emperor and Empress of Japan, John Philip Sousa, Teddy Roosevelt and, later, Stephen King. And, like many of the places on our list, it’s also recognized for its history, though, in this case, it’s recognized by Historic Hotels of America that recognizes the “nation’s finest historic lodging properties.”
Prior to the Stanley’s purchasing the land, it was owned by Earl Lord Dunraven who came to the area in 1872, on a hunting trip. The Earl built a lodge, cabin and a hotel for guests and “illegally homesteaded up to 6,000 acres in an unsuccessful attempt to create a private hunting preserve.” Naturally, he wasn’t super popular in the area, and after attempting to swindle locals out of land and money he was promptly run out of the area.
Room 217: The Stephen King Room
Room 217 is the famed room that Stephen King stayed in that helped inspire his famous book, The Shining. This second-floor room has a beautiful view of the Rockies and today you’ll find a library of King novels, because why not?
Stephen and Tabitha King arrived in the off-season and ended up being the only guests in the hotel, which means they ate in an empty dining room with “pre-recorded orchestra music playing.” King described suddenly waking up from a nightmare in which his 3-year-old son was being chased, screaming through the corridors of the hotel. And by the time he headed out onto the balcony for a smoke, the storyline for The Shining was already well on its way.
This room is said to be haunted by the ghost of Elizabeth Wilson AKA Mrs. Wilson who was the hotel’s former housekeeper. Mrs. Wilson was injured during a 1911 storm, when she went to light one of the lanterns in room 217, it exploded without warning. Luckily she survived but unfortunately ended up breaking both ankles.
Even though Mrs. Wilson didn't pass away...
