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“Any big hotels have got scandals… Just like every big hotel has got a ghost. Why? Hell, people come and go. Sometimes one of them will pop off in his room, heart attack or stroke or something like that. Hotels are superstitious places.”
— Stephen King, The Shining (1977)
You must have been to many tourist places, which are exceptionally beautiful and worth revisiting.
People always speak about adventure and unique tourist destinations in the world but there are some places that have different opinions and experiences depending on person to person.
THE STANLEY HOTEL ESTES PARK, COLORADO is one of those places in the United States which is historic, beautiful & unique but mainly known for its “Paranormal Activities”. Stanley Hotel consists of a wide variety of rooms but most requested rooms are room no. 217 –Stephen King Suites, 401 – Ghost Hunters, 407 & 428, although availability is limited for these rooms.
In 1903, Tuberculosis was a life-threatening disease and for that fresh & dry air with lots of sunlight was recommended to treat it.
At the age of 54 Freelan Oscar Stanley an entrepreneur was suffering from the same disease and so to cure it he decided to spend some time at Estes Park – the Rocky Mountains Colorado with his wife.
After spending a few months at Estes Park, Stanley’s health improved drastically, therefore, he decided to visit Estes Park every year.
These yearly visits gave him an idea to have his own hotel at this beautiful and healing place. In 1907, Stanley started constructing Hotel Stanley at Estes Park which was completed in 1909.
In 1911, a gas explosion happened in rooms 215 and room 217. A guest named Elizabeth Wilson was walking back to her suite with a lit candle.
When she opened the door of her room, immediately it caused the explosion and she was sent through the floor.
In 1974, when hotel Stanley was getting closed for the winter season, a well-known horror writer Stephen King and his wife arrived at the Stanley hotel and spent one night in room no. 217.
During his stay in this room, at night, he saw claw feet in the bathroom. Then he dreamed that his three-year-old son is running through the corridors, he was looking back over his shoulder, eyes wide and screaming.
In 1977, Stephen King published the horror novel “The Shinning” which was based on the Stanley Hotel but he used a different name for the hotel in the novel.
As the years passed away, many owners changed and Stanley hotel consistently improved and became one of the famous tourist destinations located in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado.
At present Stanley offers different Estes Park accommodation including:
- THE STANLEY Classic Historic Rooms
- THE LODGE Offering Boutique Rooms
- ASPIRE THE STANLEY Apartment for Long Stay
- RESIDENCES AT THE STANLEY Condominiums
If you are looking for delicious mouth-watering food, then Stanley hotel offers many cuisines with a wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Following are the food and beverage outlets which are beautifully constructed:
- CASCADES RESTAURANT & LOUNGE
- THE WHISKEY BAR AT CASCADES RESTAURANT
- THE PATIO AT THE STANLEY – AN OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE
- COLORADO CHERRY CO. – PASTRIES, JAMS, AND JUICES, ALONG WITH DELICIOUSLY CRAFTED COFFEE BEVERAGES.
THE HISTORIC STANLEY NIGHT TOUR – If you have arrived at Hotel Stanley then don’t miss the 75 minutes walking Night Tour which shows Hotel’s history, architecture, and pop culture. Opinions on the spirit are very subjective and mean different things to different people, while no one could ever prove or disprove the presence of the supernatural, there are many years of history within the walls of the Hotel Stanley. The hotel covers some spirit folklore and stories associated with the hotel, the place is not a theme park or haunted house. Tour guides do not prank, frighten, or re-enact scary scenes.
THINGS TO DO OUTSIDE STANLEY HOTEL – Estes Park is in one of the world’s most beautiful locations, surrounded on all sides by the Rocky Mountains.
ATTRACTIONS SHOPPING
Trails Longs Peak Made in Estes
Museums & History Art Galleries
Lake Estes Candy & Sweet Treats
Amusement Parks Jewellery
Performance Park Sporting Goods
Aerial Tramway Souvenirs
Alpine Visitors Centre
OUTDOOR ADVENTURES EVENTS
Hiking & Walking Wine & Chocolate Fest
White-water Rafting Whiskey Warm-Up
Horseback Riding Duck Race Festival
Wildlife Watching Scandinavian Midsummer Festival
Skiing & Snowshoeing Free Summer Concert Series
Climbing Riverwalk Estes Park Races
Biking Pumpkins and Pilsners Festival
Golfing Wool Market Fest
Fishing Autumn Gold Festival
Nightlife, Spas and Fitness, Rocky Mountain National Park, Weddings & Honeymoons
How to reach Stanley Hotel Estes Park, Colorado – Denver International Airport is just 75.5 miles (121.50 KM) from Estes Park. From the airport, many transport services are available like bus, taxi and shuttle service.
International travelers who are planning to visit Estes Park will need a United States valid tourist visa (B-2 Tourist). If you are a citizen or national of VWP (Visa Waiver Program) Countries, then you have to get USA ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) approval prior to boarding a U.S. bound air or sea carrier. USA ESTA is a web-based system operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to determine eligibility to travel under the VWP to the United States for tourism & business purposes. There are 39 countries that are part of the Visa Waiver Program. Citizens from these countries can travel to the United States for business & tourism for a maximum of 90 days without a visa but USA ESTA is Compulsory. The same process is applicable for U.S citizens and nationals to travel these 39 countries for business & tourism purposes.
There are three types of ESTA application Status:
a) Authorization Approved: Applicants who receive approval are authorized to travel to the United States under the VWP.
b) Authorization Pending: Applicants who receive an Authorization Pending response will need to check the website for updates within 72 hours to receive a final response.
c) Travel Not Authorized: Applicants whose ESTA applications are denied will be referred to the Travel Information website for information on how to apply for a visa to travel to the United States.
Bon Voyage!!!