It was such a surreal experience for me during my stay at The Stanley Hotel, the singular secluded location that inspired Stephen King to write his novel, The Shining. King's book was turned into a classic movie by director Stanley Kubrick and despite being shot at another location, somehow Kubrick managed to capture the absolute 'feeling' it is to be inside of that Stanley - which is uncanny. Even the drive up the canyon to find The Stanley felt like I was in the B-roll footage of the actual film's opening sequence...
I re-watched the movie after my stay (a stay that had to be cut short to 3 days due to the endless accumulating snow!) and felt like I was inside of The Stanley the ENTIRE time I watched the terrifying movie. The book, and the movie, are brilliant distinct works of art birthed from a mysterious spark of inspiration caused by this hidden place founded in 1909 for the vacationing elite.
The story of the Stanley Hotel itself began in 1903 when Yankee inventor Freelan Oscar Stanley arrived in the valley, weak and underweight from the symptoms of consumption. To his amazement, just one season here was enough to restore his health to better than before! Overjoyed, he vowed to return each summer for the rest of his life. However, he and his wife Flora were used to the sophistication of East Coast society, and the little community of Estes Park offered little to stimulate and challenge this multi-talented genius. Together, they resolved to build a beautiful grand hotel – and when the Stanley Hotel opened in 1909, the first guests who pulled up in stylish Stanley-designed steam cars were astonished at what they saw. Here in this mountain wilderness, surrounded by the rustic haunts of the hunter and homesteader, was an edifice that withstood comparison to the posh hotels “back east.” Electric lights, telephones, en suite bathrooms, a staff of uniformed servants and a fleet of automobiles were at their disposal. Naturally, Stanley had also done much to develop the burgeoning town. By 1917, it was an official municipality with water-works, a power plant and civic organizations that were all, in some way, thanks to Stanley. By the 1970s the hotel’s splendor had faded due to lack of care and investment. It might have eventually have succumbed to the wrecking ball, if not for a fortuitous visit by author Stephen King. A stay of one night was enough to inspire his third major work and first hardcover bestseller The Shining, which remains a landmark masterpiece in a long and well-known list of novels. The hotel stands today as a beautifully restored testament to its glory days, when it served as a holiday retreat for wealthy urbanites.
