Information about Stanley Hotel Estes Park Colorado

[izziecat]

My family and I are planning a trip to Estes Park, Colorado for the third week of March. We have reservations to stay at the Stanley Hotel. If anyone has any personal info about this area I would really appreciate it. I have requested the Colorado Travelers Guide, and some local literature as well. Thanks!

 

[Tina]

I've never personally stayed there, but Ghost Hunters did!

 

[izziecat]

We watched the ghost hunters video from there last night, and can't believe they have talked me into going. This is where my son wants to celebrate his 21st birthday. lol what does that say about him! We are booked for room #407 which is supposed to be a really big deal on the 4th floor. I think I have lost my marbles!

 

[just4today]

Sounds fun! I can't wait to hear all about it.

 

[Squirlz]

Say hi to the twins!

 

[pipersmom]

The Stanley is also the hotel Stephen King used as a "basis" for The Shining. I believe the outer shots of the hotel in The Shining (movie) were also taped there

 

[perdidobay]

It's been a few years since I've been in Estes Park and though I've never stayed at the Stanley Hotel, DH and I have gone there to walk around and see the place. They were giving a ghost tour when we were there. if they still do that, you might want to do the tour.
It's a beautiful hotel in a beautiful town.

 

[WDWBarb]

I've never been inside The Stanley, but I've been to Estes Park. Breathtaking!!! The view is amazing, the people are wonderful... I loved my short time there!!

I'm hoping to return and stay at The Stanley next year.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I've never stayed at the hotel either, but Estes Park is beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mrssmee]

I've been planning a trip to Estes Park for months. We were supposed to leave tomorrow, but my son has the flu so we had to cancel.

Anyway, I did tons of research on places to stay, including The Stanley because I thought it looked like a really cool place to stay. You might want to check out the reviews on tripadvisor.com before deciding. There were many negative reviews. Now granted...you will be able to find negative reviews on ANY hotel....however, there was a very high number of negative ones for The Stanley.

But the things that alot of people complained about might not be a big deal for you. For my family, the negatives that were reported were things that would have greatly bothered me. But, some people love it there...so go ahead and read the reviews and see what you think.

The forum is not letting me post links until my post count reaches 10, so you will have to search for it on tripadvisor! Sorry!

I hope you find a place that you are happy with! Estes Park seems like a great destination, and I am hoping we can reschedule our trip for next summer.

In case you are curious, we had decided to stay at Creekside Suites and Condos. There are tons of condos and cabins along Fall River that look nice....you can find them under "Specialty Lodging" on the Estes Park accommodations page on tripadvisor.com

 

[jsmith]

not to be a kill joy-but why the third week of March? the weather here in the spring can be-unstable to say the least and thats the time of year we get the most snow. Colorado is a beautiful state-i love it here-and i actually love the weather-but be prepared to need both spring and winter clothes.
Ive never stayed in the Stanley-its beautiful tho-and the whole area is wonderful-drive down the peak to peak highway to Boulder and you will see some really unforgettable scenery.

 

[izziecat]

Thanks to everyone for the info. I too have read all the posts on many diff sites and found good and bad. My family is really interested in the old classic, "haunted" hotels. We have stayed at the Menger, and the St. Anthony in San Antonio. Also, there is one in Phoenix, but can't think of the name. We like the classic-period feel of the old hotels. I personally love the antiques, and all the woodwork and details that most of these old places have. I think the facilities will be acceptable for a few nights. We are also going over to Winter Park Ski Resort for a few days too. I just know that many treasures not to be missed are overlooked by tourists. Hoping to get a leg up on places to eat, trails to hike, etc.

 

[izziecat]

not to be a kill joy-but why the third week of March? the weather here in the spring can be-unstable to say the least and thats the time of year we get the most snow. Colorado is a beautiful state-i love it here-and i actually love the weather-but be prepared to need both spring and winter clothes.
Ive never stayed in the Stanley-its beautiful tho-and the whole area is wonderful-drive down the peak to peak highway to Boulder and you will see some really unforgettable scenery.

I teach, and both my son and fiance are in college so we are all out of school for spring break. This is where my son would like to celebrate his 21st birthday. Honestly, living in central TX, the snow is a big draw for us. DS has only seen snow once, and his fiance never has. This will be quite an experience for all of us.

 

[perdidobay]

Here are some of our favorite places to eat in Estes Park..

Ed's Cantina and Grill
http://edscantina.com/

Dunraven Inn
http://www.dunraveninn.com/

Estes Park Brewery
http://www.epbrewery.com/

Twin Owls Steak House
http://www.twinowls.net/

 

[izziecat]

perdidobay, thanks for the info. I love planning trips!

 

[Diva of Dragons]

Hi!

We did a group investigation there with the TAPS guys. We stayed for the weekend and loved it there. It was snowing a lot our first night there. It added to the atmosphere. LOL! You said you like old hotels, so I don't think you'll have any problems with it.

There area is beautiful but I don't know that there is whole lot to do. I could be wrong though since we were focused on the investigations. We only left the hotel, to see the area the day we left.


Like someone mentioned, and probably knew, Steven King was inspired to write The Shining while staying there. It was not used in the 1980s film but it was used in Steven King's remake made for TV movie.

Have fun!!!

 

[izziecat]

Hello Diva of Dragons! How exciting to investigate with TAPS. Which group are you with? We are booked in room 407, and hoping to have some really cool experiences. We asked about 401 and the room was double priced to stay there due to the Ghost Hunters experience in that room. We have had a few interactions in other hotels. This one looks awesome. Did you have any experiences in this room or on the 4th floor.

 

[cristit14]

I will 2nd Ed's Cantina for a place to eat. I haven't been up in years, but we used to do breakfast there.

I stayed at The Stanley one night a few years ago. We had our Girl Scout Leader retreat up there. We spent the night, had a murder mystery dinner and then the following morning went into Rocky Mountain National Park and went snowshoeing. It was lots of fun.

 

[Diva of Dragons]

Hello Diva of Dragons! How exciting to investigate with TAPS. Which group are you with? We are booked in room 407, and hoping to have some really cool experiences. We asked about 401 and the room was double priced to stay there due to the Ghost Hunters experience in that room. We have had a few interactions in other hotels. This one looks awesome. Did you have any experiences in this room or on the 4th floor.

I was with a group here in Orange County called PRI (Paranormal Research Investigations) for a while. My DH and struck out on our own a while ago and are planning to start a new group.

There were a lot of things that happened over the weekend we were at the Stanley. One girl was even knocked flat on her back. A guy we were hanging out with part of the time went back to the spot where it happened and got a really loud, clear EVP. We got to investigate all the hot spots. The dance hall, that is separate from the hotel, was the most active!

We have also done the Queen Mary with a big group, including TAPS. We also spent the night on Alcatraz in Nov. 2007 with about 25 people. That was fun!!

What have you had happen at other hotels?

 

[Macca1111]

The Stanley is also the hotel Stephen King used as a "basis" for The Shining.

And I think he stayed in room 217, which he uses in the book and movie.

I teach, and both my son and fiance are in college so we are all out of school for spring break. This is where my son would like to celebrate his 21st birthday. Honestly, living in central TX, the snow is a big draw for us. DS has only seen snow once, and his fiance never has. This will be quite an experience for all of us.

Just so you know, when jsmith said snow we're talking potential blizzards...or sunshine and 70 degrees. Possibly in the same week. I missed a flight during my spring break 2003 when it snowed about 7 feet in two days. March is traditionally our snowiest month. However, it's also entirely possible you'll only see snow up on the tops of the mountain peaks. Pack for all possibilities.

I think from your description you'll really enjoy the Stanley. I think it gets poor reviews because people are expecting a 5 star hotel by today's standards, and not 1909. The main building has pretty small rooms and it's definitely old, but it sounds like you're going for the experience, which is great and can't be replicated elsewhere.

I think a lot of people overlook Estes Park itself - it's so cute, just a little mountain town. Downtown is kinda touristy, but really pretty and fun to wander through. Depending on the weather, you can go up to Rocky Mountain National Park too as it's right by Estes Park.

Winter Park is a lot of fun too - careful driving in the mountains with the snow!