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"Set in Colorado’s Estes Valley near the Rocky Mountains, this historic property is where Stephen King’s terrifying stay in room 217 inspired him to write The Shining. Kubrick found it too pretty to be truly frightening and filmed his 1980 adaptation elsewhere, but the hotel’s picturesque whitewashed early-20th-century façade with its blood-red roof, homely chocolate-colored interiors, and plush spa give it a distinctive, slightly eerie charm. King later returned to shoot his three-episode TV mini-series here in 1997, and tales of paranormal activity lingering in unexpected corners have only added to its mystique. Leaning into its haunted reputation, the hotel now offers one-hour The Shining tours for horror fans making a film-themed pilgrimage." - Adam Turner