We just came back from a girls trip to Colorado. We went to enjoy Bigfoot Days in Estes Park. My mom & aunt thought it would be fun to have a spooky experience. The hotel is rich in history. Everywhere you look there is charm. We stayed in the "Cowboy Attic Suite". My mom immediately had an "experience". I heard a grandfather clock chime throughout our stay. I never saw one and forgot to ask where it was located. I love old clocks. My aunt had her own experience that woke her from her sleep. Everyone we encountered was nice and we appreciated the cander as we asked for their stories/experiences there. The bad....for what we paid, it was not worth it. The floor feels dirty. It is as though they have not thought to clean the carpets in quite some time. Under the bed is a nice layer of dust. The whole hotel could use a moist cloth and a good wipe down. The dust in the display cases throughout the hotel is obvious and off putting. We met Hannibal. Wish we would have booked the seance, but alas, we ran out of time. He was a hoot to talk to. read more

Where to start. Our most recent stay of six (6) nights was a tale of NO's! No reasonable on property quality food choices No AC and Non Operable windows to open Non Operable portable AC unit sitting in middle of an already tiny room No housekeeping No (well extremely limited) parking because of construction No beautiful grounds And on and on.......... The hotel obviously has history and charm but it's currently under massive construction everywhere you look. Total chaos. Dirt overflow parking. And all at a premium $$$ price. Don't do it. You'll regret it I promise. read more

Usually, we love staying at the The Stanley Hotel. The staff is always delightful and brings a smile to your face. Unfortunately, our Mother's Day weekend stay (May 9-11) was a miss. The entire outside of the hotel is torn up and under construction. There are very few parking spots available, and they are not reserved for hotel guests. We had to park at the Aspire Hotel and walk all of our luggage and belongings up to check in. We stayed in Room 215, which becomes extremely hot in warm weather because the sun sets directly on that side of the hotel (see photos provided). Since the hotel was built in 1909, there is no A/C. When we spoke with the front desk, we were told that once the sun set and temperatures dropped, opening the windows should cool the room down. Unfortunately, the room only cooled from 82 degrees to 79 degrees, and we could not sleep comfortably. Sunday morning, we requested a fan, and a box fan was delivered. Sunday night, the room finally cooled to 74 degrees -- but not until around 5 a.m. Paying $400 per night to be that uncomfortable was very disappointing. We recommend not staying at the hotel until construction is complete. If visiting during warmer months, make sure your room faces the front side of the hotel to avoid the intense afternoon and evening heat The bright spot of the stay was the staff at the restaurants and coffee shop, who were wonderful as always. read more

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I was hesitant to go to Colorados most haunted hotel but glad to go on a shining tour and explored the hotel. It was a pretty hotel and a great story of how the hotel came to be. We went to the whiskey bar and had a great old fashioned with a nice bartender. I think I'll come to just visit and not stay overnight to find out if anything spooky wanted to say hi. read more

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Beautiful and haunted. The Stanley has been consistently wonderful each time I've stayed here. Estes Park and RMNP are so fun no matter how many people you're traveling with. The Post on the grounds, which I'll review separately, is a 5 or 5 as well. read more

The Stanley Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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I grew up visiting the Stanley but never staying the night, so I'm familiar with the "haunted" aspect. We stayed for a wedding with no expectations of the "haunted experience" most go for. However, we were placed on the fourth floor, one room down from the infamous "401" which I appreciated since this is what the hotel is known for. Something fun that I really enjoyed was at check-in, you are provided with a map of the grounds and a collection of stories of guests with spooky experiences and the rooms they were in when they stayed. The building is historic, so there are some things to be expected. There is no central A/C in the building. Also, the elevator was broken our entire stay. Not ideal, however, guest services offered to have our bags brought up for us. Though many complain the rooms are small, this building has been preserved and it's about the experience. There are plenty of grounds to walk around and many artifacts, almost like a museum. This was a very enjoyable experience! read more

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Historic is the key word here, not luxury! We came for a concert at the concert hall and know it would be a late night with an after party for hotel guests till midnight, we decided to stay the night since we came from Denver. The show and venue were absolutely amazing and you can beat the views from the hotel- longs peak and front range are spectacular! On to the actual room- small, super creaky floors, not comfy mattress or pillows. No ac, tiny bathroom and shower that you can't reach in to turn on before you actually get in and super slippery tub lining! The worst part was after a late night Athena their concert hall, LOUD construction started at 7:30 am!!!!! For the price of the room, next time we will stay elsewhere- off to take a nap! read more

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I really should've checked the recent reviews. CONSTRUCTION everywhere!!! In room 401, My $600 room had a balcony with a view of what is now a pile of dirt. The ceiling fan was nasty, and it's adjacent to the elevator so you hear this weird noise in the ceiling every time the elevator is used. Plus side, the ghost tour was fun, but everything else was just disappointing. Hopefully they don't ruin this place with all the new construction. read more

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If you are ever in Estes Park, go visit the Stanley. There are ghost tours and a few gift shops. They host several different events throughout the year as well. It's a beautiful property with walking paths around the area. Great views and beautiful garden areas. The restaurant is good. You can enjoy a nice meal, lunch , appetizers and cocktails. Don't forget the " REDRUM" beer!! It's 10.00 to park to go visit if you're not staying in one of the rooms but you get a coin back for I think 5.00 or maybe the whole 10... can't remember but it's worth it either way. Beautiful old historic hotel with lots of great history. read more

The Stanley Hotel - Front of the hotel - Hotels Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

This place is a complete rip-off. Three hundred and fifty a night for a room with no air conditioning, no regular cleaning service, no place for more than one suitcase, tiny room, and to top it off an event being held during our visit took all of the guests parking at the hotel. Both front and back of the hotel are going through major construction taking up all of the outside guest areas. And you get to listen to large earthmoving equipment all day long. None of which was mentioned on the website. Instead of updating and maintaining the legacy and history of these grounds the management chose to tout the dubious distinction of being a location used in films Dumb and Dumber, and the Shining. The real horror here is to your senses and bank account. This place is blight on Estes Park. read more

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We did NOT have good experience with our stay at Stanley hotel. We had a group of 8 folks and 4 rooms reserved. All of us did not have good experience one way or the other. On the first day of my stay, the AC in my room was not working at all. I called front desk about 3-4 times in the night and front desk said they have no one to help with that in the night, but they will send someone as early as 7am in the morning to fix the issue. Unfortunately when we returned back to room at 7pm on the next day, the AC was still not working. And I called front desk again and they had no clue about the previous night 3 times phone call and the request to look into AC issue. At the same time, I also asked there is no housekeeping done in the room. The front desk said that is only done after 3 nights, which was very surprising to me with such an expensive hotel. But the front desk said, if we request housekeeping then they will come to the room and clean the room, change the towels, etc. So we requested for housekeeping for all our rooms the next morning. And again when we returned in the night, there was no housekeeping done and when we talked to front desk, they again had no clue of our request in the morning. We were really surprised with the service provided by such an expensive hotel. We will never ever stay in this hotel. Thanks! read more

Beautiful location... the hotel is very tired and rundown, and is now a construction zone. Due to the portable AC unit, the window doesn't even close, leaving you 20 ft from the active construction that wakes you up at 7am. The hotel should be closed down during this big of a construction project, or the prices should be slashed significantly. read more

The Stanley Hotel - Shower pole slanted so it never stays closed.... Huge water puddle in the tiny bathroom - Hotels Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

This is super cool place. I didn't stay there, but I went to the bar for a couple cocktails. One of the best old-fashioned I've ever had. Bartender was super friendly. The decor is very cool and it's got a lot of fun history. I think it'd be fun to stay there. Definitely worth stopping for a drink. Pricey though. Just be aware of that. Four drinks was 100 bucks. read more

Property is a mess and the ada entrance to the Lodge is not in Ada compliance due to the fact that the Sundance festival people blocked the only ramp entrance. When I complained they told me that Sundance pays a lot of money to be there . I've never been treated so rudely read more

I was super excited to stay at the iconic stanley hotel, and arrived extremely disappointed. the construction on both the front and the rear of the building was not disclosed during booking. the property is a mess on both the inside and the outside. our room is very small as well, with the ac being a stand up window unit and a large gap where the vent goes outside, letting in all the bugs. for paying $350 for ONE night, i would never stay here again. stanley.. DO BETTER! read more

The Stanley Hotel - vent going to window with gap, and construction in the front of the building. - Hotels Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Didn't stay here, but instead took on of the tours. Really great tour and beautiful property. Historical background was very interesting and we were entertained by the tour guide's attempts to sell the haunted angle... we were lucky enough to have a dude on our tour that was a true believer, and scared easily, so even more fun! LOL read more

Obviously, from the recent reviews and absolutely no response from the management, this hotel establishment does not value its guests. As everyone else has mentioned, the construction is a huge turn off! And absolutely no mention of it when you're booking your room. In addition, when I booked my room, I did not realize that I was booking it in the Aspire building. I thought that the Stanley hotel was one big hotel. I did not realize that there were different newer buildings. In the end, though, I am very happy that we are in the other building as what is being done at the original hotel is really offputting. The staff, however, were very nice and accommodating. Besides all of the construction, they have tours going on an hourly basis that are open to anyone who passes by, for a cost of $25+, of course and no discount for hotel guests. Those tourists who have not spent several hundred per night are all over the main lobby, dirtying up the carpet, wandering around the property with screaming kids, going up and down the stairwells, and elevator if it's running, just taking up space that should be reserved for guests!! Especially guests who are paying dearly for what they thought would be an old, elegant hotel experience. It is definitely not an elegant hotel anymore. It tries, a little, but is obviously too interested in making money off of tours rather than providing an exceptional experience for guests. I had envisioned myself sitting in that grand lobby reading a book with some tea. Impossible and wouldn't be pleasant if it was possible. Our room in the Aspire was nice, and the lobby, spa and gym facilities and the outdoor pool are very attractive and peaceful. But, again, some things just don't make sense. For instance, the lovely fireplace they have in the lobby is shut down at 8 PM when the desk agent goes home. I have been looking forward all day, to just sitting by that fireplace with a nice drink and reading my book. Seems like a normal expectation for a higher end hotel in the Colorado mountains. The pool area is nice, as is the steam room and gym. There are plenty of towels, tea and coffee and nice amenities. They need little tables out by the lounge chairs on the pool deck for people to set their drinks and things on instead of the ground. The beds, linens and pillows were great. There is no mini fridge in the room, no additional amenities in bathroom like Q tips, makeup remover wipes, etc... normal amenities offered in hotels of this price range and expected caliber. There is no full length mirror in the bedroom or in the bathroom and the mirror in the bathroom is so dimly lit it is impossible for a woman to see to put makeup on and no other mirror in the bedroom. They don't make up your room or refresh towels unless you specifically request it. I understand not changing out towels for ecological reasons, but when you are paying these kind of prices for a hotel room, someone should come in and make up your bed every day and tidy up and take the trash out. We're just one night in to our stay so we shall see how the rest goes. It has been pretty disappointing though. read more

While visiting The Stanley Hotel for Valentine's Day, we also decided to take one of the tours. Overall, it was okay. The tour guide was fine and definitely had a lot of information to share, but at times it felt a little odd -- she kept directing comments toward the walls, which made it a bit awkward. We were shown three rooms on the main floor, then taken outside to see the maze and the house where the housekeepers used to live, which was actually pretty cool. I just wish the tour had been longer and included more of the hotel. It would have been nice to see one of the guest rooms and maybe hear more about booking a stay to encourage visitors to come back. It was interesting and I'm glad we did it once, but it's not something I would make a special trip for again. If we're ever back in the area, I might try a different tour, but I probably wouldn't choose this one again. read more

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I've always wanted to stay at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. And so we did for our wedding anniversary April 2026. And I was disappointed. We booked online and made a few notes for the staff. First, it was our anniversary getaway. Second, we prefer feather pillows. We were surprised that the hotel was/is under significant construction. No mention of this on the website. A main dining area was not available, and the parking was considerably smaller. No big deal. The hotel is spattered with memorabilia from the movie. Which I didn't mind one bit. It made this hotel re-famous in spite of the fact it was a beauty built in 1907 by late, great F.O. Stanley. We opted for a queen junior suite. The size and shape of the room was wonderful. Beautiful windows that fully open allowing a nice breeze in. The bed? Average at best. It was bouncy and squeaky. The linen was good. Soft and seemed like very good quality fibers. The pillows? Well, if you like hard, lumpy, tubes for pillows, you're all set. We asked for feather pillows again. We're told they just switched over to another company (presumably the lumpy pillow factory) and would try and find some of the old pillows. We were delivered smaller lumpy pillows. This wouldn't have been so bad if we were told by email that they didn't have feather pillows. We could have brought our own pillows. But they do have feather pillows! They just needed to go over to one of the other buildings (The Aspire hotel/building) and get them. If you want to be a great hotel, you must have a good bed and pillows. Without that, nothing else matters. The layout of the room was awkward. First, two enormous TV's that were way too big for the spaces. And that's coming from someone who loves televisions. The remotes worked just as awkward. They worked, but you had to use two remoted for the main TV. The furniture was not functional. I expected maybe a desk in a junior suite. But instead, we got a sofa-sleeper. Which wasn't bad, but it was not comfortable as a couch. Two enormous dressers that sat next to each other and one prevented the other's drawers from opening. The thermostat seemed broken to me. We tried to just turn it off because it was so warm even though the outside temperature was 50, the room temperature was 75.... The entire night! We called the front desk, but they told us to do what we had already been doing. We could feel the baseboard heat on. We just opened the windows and slept without covers giving our floormates within view a show, albeit, boring. The coffee maker was a Keurig type set up and worked great. The bathroom was small but wonderful. It felt fully updated with the old charm as well. I wish it would have include a shower cap, Q-tips, and facial wipes for make-up. That's common at hotels in this price range. Other than that, the room was awesome. I'm kidding. It was not. It has potential, but it needs an interior designer who cares about the function of a room and management that understand the importance of excellent beds and pillows. And maybe read the notes guests put in the reservation. Or, if you did for us, mention it when we arrive. Like, I don't know, "Happy Anniversary! We're so happy you decided to spend it here with us. Thank you. And your feather pillows are already in your room." For the price we paid, yeah, I expect at least the feather pillows. I felt like the entire hotel had an identity crisis. Is it a luxury hotel or an attraction? In practice, they do neither very well. A couple great things. The gift shop. This shop is well appointed and stands out compared to the rest of the property. This shop is on par with the Broadmoor shops. Really nice. The Stanley Chocolate Factory in town was what I was expecting from the hotel. An excellent chocolate shop with exquisite candies that rival competitive chocolatiers. It's worth a visit. And something the hotel should model in its décor and quality. It just felt like an upscale shop. The hotel misses some of the most common conveniences. First, billing things on property to your room. I can give a pass to the Colorado Cherry Store, but I'd work on that one too. But the main restaurant? Why couldn't we charge our evening (anniversary dinner) to our room? Come to find out, our server, for whatever reason, was unaware of that. I find this baffling. The next morning, our breakfast server said, we certainly can charge it to our room. Baffling. The gift store should be billable to the room as well. I'm sorry, it's convenient for guests and should be a requirement for all on property vendors. As we sat for dinner we mentioned our anniversary to the hostess, which meant something to us at least, but she did not inform our server, so we were not offered a desert or even a "congratulations." Our hostess did say, in passing as we left, "By the way, happy birthday!" How 'bout them apples! We got a laugh out of it at least! Enough for now. read more

The Stanley Hotel - This is where we stayed! - Hotels Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

We had a really lovely stay at the Stanley Hotel. It's a beautiful property with rich history and everything was very clean. The atmosphere and experience overall were great, especially the ghost tour. We also ate at their restaurant where we had delicious food and drinks. The cafe area had the best cherry pie ever! The only downside was early morning construction noise. Our room, 420 was right next to where work was being done, and loud construction started around 7am with no prior notice. Honestly, the construction noise ended up being the scariest part of our stay. It would have been appreciated to have a heads up or a slightly later start time. Aside from that, everything else about our stay was wonderful and we'll be back. read more

Four of us stopped in The Whiskey Bar for cocktails. Tyler was our bartender & he mixed excellent drinks & was very personable. In particular, the martini was extremely smooth. Thank you Tyler. read more

My wife and I like to do the ghost tours and adventures so when we were in Estes park we signed up for the night time tour. The Stanley is the setting for the shining. The movie was not filmed here though some of the tv series was. We arrived for the tour and after everyone gathered we started. They took us into some of the dark recesses of the hotel as well as several out buildings. At one point we all piled into one room with out the lights to see if anything happened. We were also given some time to wander around and take pics or see what we could find. Nothing showed in our pics nor did we see anything. Very cool place. We did not stay there though. read more

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so disappointed. I failed to read the fine print on the website. NO HOUSEKEEPING. we were there for 4 days ($2,000.00) the trash was never emptied, muffin crumbs left on the carpet, no clean towels. I left my Bose earbuds on the bed side table. tried calling the front desk for 4 days , no one answered the phone. I tried reservations, concierge, catering, nobody picked up the phone. read more

Ashley offered wonderful customer service and brought a genuine warmth to the experience. She took the time to explain the paranormal show, walked me through the different tarot decks they carry, and answered questions with enthusiasm and knowledge. Visiting today (Nov 1st, 2025) felt meaningful--it's Day of the Dead, and I was honoring my parents, who absolutely loved The Shining. Since The Stanley Hotel played such an iconic role in the film, this stop made for a fitting and heartfelt capstone to the day. Thank you, Ashley, for adding a personal and memorable touch to the visit. . read more

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We took a historical tour on a Monday afternoon at 3:40. Our guide was very friendly and animated. He was full of interesting knowledge and facts about the building and its history. We got to go behind the scenes into many places that the general public isn't allowed, which was cool. We all learned a lot and agreed that the hour flew by. We'd love to come back and take all of the other tours available too. read more

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We stayed in room 217 for three nights. It was clean and beautiful. The views are amazing. Everything worked, bed comfy, slightly haunted Boo! and had the best time scaring the people who came to our door for pictures. We ate dinner at Cascades and our food was delicious. Every worker there was beyond kind and generous and fun. We didn't mind walking three minutes to our parked car in whatever spots were available. The Shining tour was great fun! We loved everything about The Stanley and can't wait to go back. Beautiful!!! read more

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Tucked away in the stunning Rocky Mountain town of Estes Park is the iconic Stanley Hotel--a grand Georgian Colonial Revival beauty built in 1909 by Freelan Oscar Stanley. Best known as the eerie inspiration for Stephen King's The Shining, this historic gem is just as captivating in real life as it is on the page. We rolled in just before noon and kicked things off with lunch at Cascades Restaurant, located inside the main building. For starters, we had the pork belly and it was absolutely unreal. So good, in fact, we came back after our hotel tour and ordered it again. So nice, we had it twice. For the main course, the wife and I both had the flat iron steak--cooked perfectly and packed with flavor. Service was top-notch, and honestly, you couldn't ask for a better dining vibe than inside this haunted, historic hotel. While my wife and oldest son went on The Shining tour, I chilled with the twins in the lounge and soaked in the ambiance. Afterward, we headed back to the restaurant for dessert. We couldn't resist another order of pork belly (yes, really), and then dove into the Blueberry Bread Pudding and it was next-level good. My son went with the tiramisu and gave it two thumbs up. Even if you're not staying overnight, this place is 100% worth a visit. The hotel is packed with history, mystery, and allegedly--ghosts. We did some snooping of our own after dessert, sneaking through a few off-limits areas and snapping some pics. Definitely one for the books. #StanleyHotel #EstesPark #HauntedHotels #TheShining #StephenKingInspired #ColoradoTravel #HistoricHotels #FoodieAdventure #PorkBelly #TravelEats #BucketListTravel #CascadesRestaurant #RockyMountains #Wanderlust #HauntedPlaces #TravelVibes #FamilyTravel #HiddenGems #MountainGetaway #GhostTour Follow me on IG @hungry_dude_usa read more

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So let me start by saying, this whole place was cool, I kinda wish we took the ghost tour instead of the history tour, BUT it was very cool to hear how this hotel was built and also how it influenced the shining. I will see as someone from sea level and also being a bigger guy, this was a lot of altitude. Also some of the areas you tour are a bit dusty. I couldn't get the frog in my throat out and I felt like I was disrupting the tour but as soon as we left the dusty building it was all good. Our tour guide eren? (From turkey) Was great and answered lots of questions. I couldn't believe he was new, with his skill it seemed like he had been doing this forever. What a natural! Anyway, next time we will have to stay the night, but for now I was glad to get to a lower level where it was easier to breathe read more

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The Stanley Hotel is this perfect mix of eerie and elegant -- like if ghosts had taste, they'd definitely haunt here. I stayed while filming a YouTube video where I tried to get into all the haunted rooms in about one hour... and somehow made it into the Stephen King Suite and more. It was surreal. The history in this place is thick -- you feel it in the creaky floors and the quiet moments in the halls. But also? It's stunning. Mountain views and the cutest little wine bar downstairs (which I loved, btw). 10/10, and yes, I'll be back for another video! I've been coming here since I was a child and love the ambience of the place. * Bonus Secret: there's treasure at the top of the attic stairs on the 4th floor (most the time!) read more

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Didn't book a room/stay overnight, but simply stopped by this hotel for a quick tour on way back from the Rocky Mountains. Beautiful, historic place. Breath-taking view. Note, there are also tours related to "paranormal activity." :o) I have decided though, that when back in the area, we will book a room for the experience. We will see! read more

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My review was for a day visit, and not an overnight stay. We came to the Stanley Hotel because it was a nice historic hotel in Estes with a great position overlooking the town, but also because it was apparently the inspiration for the hotel in "The Shining." According to hotel lore, they have their share of haunted rooms. It is at the same time the stuff of Americana dreams and of childhood nightmares. The grounds and the shared spaces in the hotel are well appointed and historic, and "The Shining" connection adds that extra element of spooky. The bar (historic, wood paneled with a Victorian pressed metal ceiling) and the wine bar are worth a visit to sit out on their Fourth of July decorated porch and to experience a Rocky Mountain sunset. Unfortunately the wine bar was out of so many wines --it was almost comedy-skit level: they had one of every ten wines listed on their menu, by the glass. Eventually I got wise & asked the server for the options they actually had. If you are coming for the bar, and not a guest of the hotel, they will charge $10 to park. (I believe the fee may be waived if you have a reservation at the hotel restaurant.) read more

This is a beautifully restored hotel, it has that Victorian vibe and charm. From the look of the rooms that were open to the public we noticed they continue with the Victorian style. It's a huge estate with beautiful grounds. read more

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This rating is entirely for the staff and vibes of the hotel. Every single person we encountered was beyond pleasant, helpful and accommodating. And you just can't beat the vibes here. But seriously? For what they charge for a room here, you would think the rooms would be cleaner than an hourly motel. I was disgusted when I got into my shower and the bottom of the shower curtain was absolutely riddled with mold. Not included was a picture of the socks I wore around my room because you could see how filthy the carpet was-the socks were disgusting (we only stayed one night and spent barely any time in our room). Estes Park is beautiful and we will be back, but I will not stay here again for these rates unless they do some major cleaning. It's not worth it. Stay somewhere else and just come here for drinks, dinner, breakfast, the whiskey vault and/or a tour. read more

The Stanley Hotel - $300/night and I can't even get a shower curtain not riddled with mold?? - Hotels Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Great scenery. Tour way overpriced... if it was $15.00 tour i would say it's worth it... all the tour is they tell you nothing is original and nothing is from the movie. Just the shining is based on a stay Stephen had in the 70s. read more

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Very sad, but bear with me. I love the Stanley. I had my wedding reception there 8 years ago and I know it's and old and historic hotel. However, the room was not clean. I found hair in the shower drain and in the room, The furniture is worn and not historic. This King Suite i booked was a total of $511.00 for 1 night. The fact the room was really not clean and worn took away from our experience. This was room 303 in the main building. I love the hotel for it's history and the staff was super-nice but there is where our experience ended. read more

We took the one hour history tour. Our tour guide Shawn was very knowledgeable, funny and energetic. Well worth the trip and price paid. I would consider a ghost tour in the future. read more

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What a cool hotel with lots to do! Haven't stayed overnight in a room, but have visited for tours, food, and experiences at least 5+ times over the last ten or so years. From the first time I visited to now, it has grown exponentially while still keeping its charm! I'm one of the people who is drawn to the oddities, but the entire property is absolutely gorgeous and has more to offer than just the spooky side. I've done the ghost tour three separate times, and each tour was slightly different but fun all around. They take you through at least most of the "iconic" sites (if you've watched any ghost shows or YouTube videos centered on the hotel, places you'd recognize!). They also moved the "frozen dead guy" from Nederland to the Stanley- I got to see this on the second ghost tour, but looks like they're dedicating a whole separate tour to him now. Also recently did the séance experience with Hannibal, and it was such a fun time. He sure has some tricks up his sleeve! Convincing theatrics and storytelling that play heavily into the history of the house, and he's mastered the art of eliciting emotions. Lots of tears shed by the group we shared the experience with! He was also very tactful when turning away a couple who were clearly intoxicated that tried to join at the very start of the experience- hopefully they can enjoy it next time around! Other highlights I particularly enjoy are the hedge maze, the rose garden, the coffee shop in the basement, and the Post Chicken & Beer next-door to the hotel and lodge. Haven't tried the Underground magic show just yet that's located under the Post, but I certainly will at some point! read more

A stay at the Stanley is definitely a bucket list experience for Stephen King or Steven Weber fans. King conceptualised "The Shining" here, and the 1997 miniseries starring Weber as Jack Torrance was filmed here. (The Kubrick film was shot at a hotel in Oregon.) The hotel and restaurant inside, Cascades, were also featured in "Dumb & Dumber" as the Aspen hotel and bar. (The "We landed on the moon!" newspaper page still hangs in the bar.) My five-star review is for the experience as a whole. I'll get the minor nitpicking out of the way first: our actual room at the hotel was unremarkable. A bit cramped. Nondescript furnishings and décor. The complimentary shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were in pump containers nailed to the shower wall, which vexed me. I hadn't brought any of those items and we were continuing on to Denver for another few days, so I'd planned on taking/using the small bottles I'd expected to find in the bathroom. Oh, and I think the room was haunted.* Outside the room, however, the hotel is just as grand and exciting as I expected - Rocky Mountain upscale lodge. Room 217 is the "Stephen King Suite". The grounds are gorgeous - we loved the hedge maze. Walk down to the Safeway and Bart's Liquor store to stock up on booze and snacks, and get picturesque views of the hotel, the mountains, and the entrance sign. The little paths leading around to the back of the hotel are worth exploring as well. The restaurants are phenomenal - Cascades in the hotel and Brunch & Co next door. While prices are a bit high, as expected for a tourist area, the quality of the food and cocktails are also high and worth what you pay. Speaking of high, the altitude here might affect you. I have a high tolerance for pain and I never get sick, so I thought I'd be fine, but I felt woozy and fatigued shortly after arrival. Be sure to rest, pace yourself, and stay hydrated. We took the nighttime ghost tour, which was fun. While it was spooky creeping around closed-off parts of the hotel in the dark, we didn't see or experience any supernatural activity. I guess the ghosts wanted to wait to entertain us in our room.** The tour guide for the ghost tour (Ashton? Aston? forgive me for forgetting the name) was fun and obviously experienced. The lobby clerks and waitstaff were reminiscent of those in Los Angeles: quiet, efficient, and mindful of high-profile patrons. There's a little café downstairs in the main building that's open in the mornings and afternoons. Coffee, pastries, and local goods - preserves, honey - may be purchased here. Finally, to explain all my ***hinting*** about the paranormal activity: well, two years after staying here, I still have no explanation. We were on the fourth floor, which apparently is "the most haunted" floor. The room felt fine, nothing off or unusual, until we turned off the lights and went to bed. There was something about the closet I couldn't explain - I kept staring at the door in the dark expecting it to slowly creak open or something. I could not sleep. I don't believe in ghosts or spirits or anything supernatural. But whatever it was, I will never stay here again. Despite the "haunting", our stay at the Stanley was a five-star experience and satisfactory achievement of a lifetime goal. read more

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There isn't much to do in Estes Park if you aren't the type who likes recreational activities. So if you have some time and money to spend, one of your choices is the Stanley Hotel. First of all, it's $10 to park, whether or not you choose to take the tour. The person at the gate will trade your money for a $5 token which you can spend or keep as a souvenir. (I kept it. It has Stephen King's likeness on it.) Now everyone is quick to point out (and rightfully so) that the miniseries and NOT the movie was filmed there. Stephen King was merely INSPIRED by the hotel to write The Shining. There are several tours to choose from, each of which costs $30, and I chose to do none of them. I was more interested in the Stephen King angle than the history of the hotel. I read reviews and overheard the patrons leaving who were grumbling about how it was a waste of time and money, so my wife and I wandered in to see that we could experience for FREE. (See pics.) There are several buildings on the property, and the Stanley Hotel is the biggest one on the left. Well, no one stops you at the door. There's access to a few artifacts and a few features on the grounds. (See pics.) You are prevented (and rightfully so) from accessing the rooms above. There's a whiskey tasting room! (I don't drink whiskey.) There's an ice cream counter too. The ice cream served on a cone looked good. I compare it to the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, except Sarah Winchester was quite the eccentric and built a naturally spooky house. The owners of the Stanley Hotel apparently try to create a haunted hotel where there is nothing haunting about it. Go for the historical tour, and you won't be disappointed. Go for the Stephen King tour, and you may be walking out grumbling about a waste of time and money. read more

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Construction was absolutely NOT DISCLOSED to us at booking. Or we would have chosen elsewhere. We are a large family of 6 and paid 600$ for a night....only for my 2yr old to be rudely awakened at the butt Crack of dawn! Which in turn ment my 4yr old 9yr old and 13yr old was all awake so to say it ruined the experience is an understatement. Sighned a tired mom with now cranky/moody toddlers and teens. And RiP my overpriced experience if I was properly informed I would not have driven out of our way and stayed. read more