Saturday, October 24, 2015

Stanley Hotel, Colorado, inspiration for movie The Shining, runs Ghost Tours

The Stanley hotel, a huge hotel built way back in 1909, inspired Stephen King's novel which in turn inspired the horror movie The Shining. If I were in America for Halloween I'd book  the hotel's three day Halloween package or, if I missed that, any other day of the year a ghost tour at this hotel which apparently runs ghost tours daily. Stephen King stayed here in 1974 with his wife and they were the only guests. The Kubrick movie did not feature this hotel, but a later TV miniseries did.

The hotel also has a spa.

Now, according to the Daily Mail, they are applying to build a museum. It seems they already have enough to attract the average tourist.

If you stay in the hotel you see an account of the hotel and its history on the hotel TV system. You can also read about Stanley in Wikipedia which refers you back to sources some of which have add odd line or paragraph or two to complete your picture of him.

The hotel was not named by him after his family name originally. He wanted to name it after the Lord from whom he bought the land. However, locals were so against the lord who was Stanley's predecessor that they petitioned Stanley to name the hotel after his own family.
More about Stanley and other people of the era encouraging respect for the landscape in:
http://www.us-parks.com/rocky-mountain-national-park/culture.html

The hotel is in the Historic Hotels of America. Also the Grand Heritage Hotel Group. It is named Stanley after the man who built it. According to their website, the Halloween package is 'Three Nights of Fright'.

But if horror fills you with horror how about something soothing, such as a spa, or sculpture, or romance.

They have a sculpture garden. The sculptures include life size local animals. If you have a few thousand dollars to spare, you can buy a sculpture. Or perhaps commission one. The sculptures for sale with the prices, and the websites of the sculptors, are on the website. There's also a sculpture competition.

Bedrooms
Bedrooms are in the main building or the lodge. Depending on your preference and budget and the numbers in your group, you can have a bedroom, a suite, a bedroom with a Jacuzzi spa, a mountain or courtyard view, a historic style room, a haunted room, a modern studio room, or several modern rooms with a kitchenette.

The Lodge also offers pet rooms, for dogs only, for a non-refundable deposit, and dogs only up to a certain size. So, I presume, unfortunately your dog will not be admitted if your dog is a contender for largest dog in the world in the Guinness Book of Records.

The romance package for a couple includes truffles and roses. Plus a massage, one for each of you, I believe. And currently 20% of sales. I am not sure if that is sales from the spa or if the hotel has a large number of shops. I'll try to check that out, for the benefit of my fellow shopaholics.

More details from:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3286487/Colorado-hotel-inspired-Stephen-King-s-Shining-talks-build-horror-museum.html

Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado.

The Stanley Hotel

333 Wonderview Avenue
Estes Park, 
Colorado
80517 
USA
800-976-1377 Toll-Free
970-586-3371 Local
For room and hotel reviews see TripAdvisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g60945-d83189-Reviews-Stanley_Hotel-Estes_Park_Colorado.html

Book direct or through Expedia.
http://www.stanleyhotel.com

https://www.expedia.co.uk/Rocky-Mountain-National-Park-Hotels-Stanley-Hotel.h11284.Hotel-Information?

More information from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stanley_Hotel

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

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