The Stanley Hotel

F.O. Stanley built the hotel in 1909 after recovering from tuberculosis in the mountain air of Estes Park.

F.O. Stanley, co-inventor of the Stanley Steamer automobile, came to Estes Park in 1903 seeking relief from tuberculosis. He recovered well enough in the mountain air to build a grand hotel of his own, and the Stanley opened its doors in 1909 as one of the first fully electrified hotels in the American West.

For over a century it has hosted presidents, royalty, and — depending on who you ask — a fair number of guests who never officially left. The hotel's Colonial Revival architecture and sweeping mountain views have made it a landmark independent of its reputation, but it's the reputation that fills the rooms in October.

Stephen King's 1974 stay in Room 217 inspired The Shining, but staff attribute most reported activity to F.O. Stanley and his wife, Flora.

The Stanley's ghost stories predate its most famous connection: in 1974, Stephen King and his wife stayed in Room 217 during the hotel's last night open before the winter season. King has said the near-empty hotel, its clanking radiators, and a dream he had that night gave him the bones of The Shining.

Staff and longtime guests attribute most of the activity to F.O. Stanley and his wife Flora, said to still walk the halls and, in Flora's case, play the ballroom piano after hours. Room 217 itself is tied to a 1911 incident in which a housekeeper was injured during a gas explosion — she survived, but reportedly still tidies up rooms on the fourth floor.

Room 217

The room King stayed in, and the one guests request most. Reports center on unpacked luggage being found refolded, and a persistent sense of being watched near the closet.

The Fourth Floor

Widely described by staff as the most active area of the hotel, particularly the sounds of children running and laughing in the hallways after the floor is empty for the night.

The Concert Hall

Said to be haunted by the ghost of a former caretaker who's blamed for equipment turning on by itself and doors that won't stay latched.

Expect a working, fully modern hotel first — the haunted branding is embraced but doesn't run the place.

Current offerings include:

• Renovated rooms with contemporary bathrooms and climate control
• Original steam radiators that still clank at night, ghost or no ghost
• Nightly ghost tours, ticketed separately from your room booking and sold independently — book both at once if a guided walk of the tunnels and Concert Hall is part of the plan

Rocky Mountain National Park and downtown Estes Park are both within easy reach of the hotel.

Rocky Mountain National Park's Beaver Meadows entrance is a 10-minute drive, making the Stanley a reasonable base for day hikes as well as a haunted weekend. Downtown Estes Park's shops and lakefront path are walkable from the property.

Best for travelers who want their haunted trip bundled with an actual scenic vacation — hikers, King fans, and people who want a guided ghost tour without sacrificing a comfortable, well-run hotel. Less ideal for guests who want a stripped-down, no-frills paranormal investigation experience; the Stanley is polished.

Yes, on the strength of the hotel itself as much as the legend. The mountain views and the history would make this a recommended stay even without a single ghost story attached, which is more than can be said for a lot of "haunted" listings that lean on reputation alone.