The Stanley Hotel
Hotel · Estes Park ·
Historic hotel inspiring The Shining, offers ghost tours & dining
Historic hotel inspiring The Shining, offers ghost tours & dining
"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
"I booked a room at the Stanley Hotel, which inspired Stephen King to write "The" - Elizabeth Rhodes Elizabeth Rhodes Elizabeth Rhodes is a senior editor at Travel + Leisure, covering everything from luxury hotels to theme parks to must-pack travel products. Originally from South Carolina, Elizabeth moved to New York City from London, where she started her career as a travel blogger and writer. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"For The Shining vibes, this is the Estes Park stay to book." - Jessica Puckett, Charlie Hobbs
"About a 10-minute drive from the Fall River and Beaver Meadows entrances to Rocky Mountain National Park, I find the iconic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park to be a historic property that has hosted visitors since 1909 and is famed for inspiring Stephen King’s The Shining; guests can book historic day or night tours (including spooky ones), enjoy whiskey tastings, and choose from historic rooms, renovated boutique units, or apartments while using the hotel as a base for hiking, horseback riding, fishing, snowshoeing, or driving Trail Ridge Road." - Caitlin Morton
"On my weekend stay I found this majestic white hotel with a red roof, set against a pine-covered mountain and a serene lake below, to be as steeped in pop culture and spooky atmosphere as its reputation suggests. It’s famously tied to Stephen King’s one-night stay in 1974 that sparked the idea for The Shining, and the property leans into that legacy with daily ghost tours, historic daytime tours, recreations of Victorian seances, shows by master illusionists, and regular lectures from paranormal experts; owner John Cullen says everyone leaves with a story. By day it reads as a grand, historic resort for weary travelers and diners; by night (especially during spooky season) it glows an ominous red and amplifies the eerie vibe. I stayed three nights and, aside from attending talks by paranormal investigators, didn’t witness anything overtly supernatural, but the hotel’s atmosphere, the 24-hour channel playing both film versions of The Shining, and the merch (REDRUM wine glasses, Room 217 keychains, typewriter stickers) all keep the legend vividly alive." - Julie Tremaine Julie Tremaine Julie Tremaine is a writer who’s passionate about travel, food, wellness, and road trips. She is the Disneyland editor for SFGate and has also contributed to The Boston Globe, CNN Travel, Travel + Leisure, Thrillist, and Marie Claire, among other publications. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
