The Spooky Scary Stanley

 Author: GrimDank

One would think, when looking at this image, that they were looking at a normal, historic, high-class hotel or mountain resort. Well, in some ways, that person is right. This is the Stanley Hotel, located in the beautiful Estes Park in the foothills of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. According to Kathy Weiser-Alexander in her article "The Haunted Stanley Park Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado”  the Stanley Hotel was built and named after Freelan Oscar Stanley after he stayed a summer in Estes Park. For you see, Mister Stanley suffered from a painful diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, which at the time could only be treated with rest in a warm, dry environment. Upon his recovery, he had the hotel built in 1909, where it remains operational to this day.

However, not all is as it seems, for the hotel houses many otherworldly guests as well as the living. Indeed, many guests over the years have claimed to have had their own paranormal experiences while enjoying their stay at the Stanley. In fact, one of the most influential horror writers of all time, Stephen King, was apparently moved to write the plot of “The Shining” due to a nightmare he had during his stay.  The writer and owner of the blog Amy’s Crypt, who goes by the simple pen name of Amy, recounts the imagery present in King’s dream in her article entitled “Ghosts of the Stanley Hotel and a Night in Room 217.” King claims that after retiring from a night of  exploring, he dreamt that the fire hose in hallway came to life and strangled his young son. Upon waking in a cold sweat, he got up for a cigarette, and when said cigarette was naught but ashes, the beginnings of the plot for one of the greatest horror stories of all time had rooted itself in his mind.

Of course, spooky happenings are not exclusive to horror novelists. According to a Fox News Report  by Sky McCarthy, a hotel guest managed to capture a frighteningly clear image of what appears to be a woman standing at the top of the stairs.

The man also claimed he felt strangely ill for the rest of the night. An interview with the man in question, named Henry Yau, can be found here.

While it certainly doesn’t hold a candle to Luigi’s Mansion, it is evident enough that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to the Stanley hotel. And there are plenty of spooks to be had, be they ghost maids who do your laundry, incorporeal cowboys who watch you sleep, or even the faint scent of baked goods as you wander the old employee tunnels beneath the hotel itself (Amy).

Works Cited:

Amy. “Ghosts of the Stanley Hotel and a Night in Room 217.” Amy’s Crypt. 20 Oct 2022. https://amyscrypt.com/stanley-hotel-room-217/

McCarthy, Sky. “Stanley Hotel Guest Captures Creepy Figure in Lobby.” Fox News. 20 Oct 2022. https://www.foxnews.com/travel/stanley-hotel-guest-captures-creepy-figure-in-lobby.amp

“Q&A With Man Who Took Viral Stanley Hotel ‘Ghost’ Photo.” YouTube, uploaded by 9NEWS, 18 Apr 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aflFMkFi4TQ accessed 24 Oct 2022

Weiser-Alexander, Kathy. “The Haunted Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.” Legends of America. 17 Oct 2022. https://www.legendsofamerica.com/stanley-hotel-colorado/

Links for Further Research: 

“The Stanley Hotel’s Haunted History.” Uncover Colorado.  https://www.uncovercolorado.com/stanley-hotel-haunted-history/ This article written by Patrick McGuire, a freelance writer who posts informative articles of some of the most popular locations in Colorado, gives the reader a general overview of the history of the hotel and examples of some of the paranormal activity that occurs within the hotel’s many rooms.

“6 Things I Saw During My Stay at the ‘Haunted’ Stanley Hotel.” The Points Guy. https://thepointsguy.com/news/haunted-stanley-hotel-stay/amp/ In this article Ashley Kosciolek, a travel blogger with ten years of writing experience with travel, recounts her overwhelmingly normal stay at the Stanley Hotel.

“Welcome to the Stanley Hotel.” The Stanley. https://www.stanleyhotel.com/ The official website of the Hotel contains an ‘About’ page with some history of the hotel, as well as listings for booking a room and touring the hotel.