If you are familiar with Stephen King’s novel, The Shining, you may know that the inspiration for the haunted hotel comes from a real place – the Stanley Hotel – located in the breath-taking town of Estes Park, Colorado. I was lucky enough to attend a conference at this infamous hotel and fell in love.
Estes Park is one of the most stunning towns that I have ever visited. It is situated at 7,500 feet elevation and nestled in the Rocky Mountains. It marks the gateway into Rocky Mountain National Park. Gorgeous mountain views can be seen from every direction at the hotel and elk are frequent visitors.
The Stanley Hotel offers four different lodging options. Visitors can stay in the hotel for the classic historical rooms and some spooky experiences. Other options include The Lodge at the Stanley, Aspire at The Stanley, and The Residences at The Stanley.
Due to overbooking of the main hotel, we were assigned to the Overlook Condos. These are condo-style rooms with private bedrooms and bathrooms, a full kitchen, and a large living space. Plenty for two people.
In the mornings on my way up to the main hotel, I was greeted by wild elk who had wandered onto the grounds.
Activities
Historic Tours
We couldn’t pass up attending one of The Stanley Hotel’s historic and haunted tours. The hotel was originally built in 1909 by F.O. Stanley. He had moved to Estes Park for health reasons and was determined to make it a resort town. On the tour, we were able to access areas within the hotel that are closed guests and learned a bit about the history of Stephen King’s association with the hotel.
There is an optional night tour available, which we took, that allows visitors to experience the more “active” phenomena areas and shares a lot of the paranormal history of the hotel.
Adventure Tours
The Stanley Hotel offers adventure packages to its guests. After all, you don’t want to visit Estate Park and not experience all it has to offer the outdoor enthusiast.
In the summertime, book a package for rock climbing, go on a guided hike or use the anchored steel cables to tackle the Via Ferrata.
For winter adventures, snowshoe to the top of a mountain, go cross-country and downhill skiing or take a full day to go ice climbing.
There is plenty to do whether packages through the hotel or venturing out on your own as we did.
Rocky Mountains National Park
Being that Estes Park is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, in my opinion, you can’t visit the town without taking a hike or two into the park.
We took a short hike to admire the stunning views of the Rocky Mountains. While we didn’t have much time to enjoy the scenery, we certainly loved what we saw. Scenery aside, this is another opportunity to get to see wild elk in their natural environments.
In addition to hiking, visitors can go zip lining, take jeep tours, go rock climbing, and much more to fulfill all of your outdoor adventure needs.
What An Experience
Staying at The Stanley Hotel was an adventure that I will never forget and hope to one day repeat. After a long day of playing hard, there’s nothing better than to spoil yourself with relaxation, beautiful views, and a unique hotel experience. I highly recommend anyone looking for a combination of luxury and the wonderful outdoors and take a close look at The Stanley Hotel. It is well worth the visit.
For more information, visit The Stanley Hotel.