When it comes to the most haunted hotels across America, many pale in paranormal comparison to The Stanley Hotel. Set against a dramatic backdrop of the Rocky Mountains in Estes Park, Colorado, the magnificent Colonial Revival-style hotel flourishes in a cinematic atmosphere and is filled with ghost stories that feel as though they were plucked from the pages of a horror novel. Actually, it’s the other way around. During his one-night stay in 1974, Stephen King was struck with the inspiration for his famous novel, “The Shining,” after having a vivid nightmare in Room 217.
Of course, “The King of Horror” isn’t the only guest to have a spine-chilling stay at The Stanley. Through the years, there have been countless reports of supernatural happenings at the hotel, from the inexplicable moving of objects and unexplained footsteps, to phantom touches and ghostly apparition sightings. Suffice to say, flesh-and-blood guests aren’t the only beings that check in to the hotel. If you’re brave enough to book a room at one of America’s most haunted hotels, beware of the many things that go bump in the night.
The haunting history of The Stanley Hotel
The Stanley Hotel’s story begins back in 1903 when Freelan Oscar Stanley, an inventor from the East Coast, visited the beautiful Colorado valley during a bout of tuberculosis. Believing that the enchantingly rural area had somehow cured his ailment, he made a plan to return with his wife, Flora, by building a grand hotel on the edge of the humbly-appointed mountain town of Estes Park. In 1909, The Stanley Hotel opened its doors, boasting 140 rooms outfitted with electricity, modern bathrooms, and elegant furnishings.
The hotel flourished throughout the early 20th century, though Stanley passed away in 1940 at the age of 91. However, it seems his spirit didn’t travel far. People have reported seeing his phantom form haunting the bar and billiard room, while the spirit of Flora is said to tickle the ivory keys of the hotel piano (much like she did in life)…