The Stanley Hotel

We were a little apprehensive about our stay at the Stanley because when we called to confirm we spoke to a very short toned woman on the phone. When we arrived to the hotel registration was hard to find, we ended up at the "lodge" and when we tried to open the door it was locked there was a woman sitting at the welcome desk who would not open the door, so we had to ask thru the door where check in was. She pointed to the building next door. So we trudged up to the next building and after walking thru a restaraunt to find the reception desk. We were greeted by a welcoming receptionist we stayed in the new Aspire Suites in the king studio suite, it was very nice we had a king room, living room and small kitchen. It was very clean and welcoming however it seemed to be missing a few decorations and "homey" decorations. Our first night was quiet and we ate at a steakhouse in town, however our bed was VERY firm and was hard to get comfortable as was our pillows. We like to sleep with the TV on with a timer the remote offered no such option. The next day we walked around town and then had lunch at the restaraunt in the hotel the Cascades. When we got to the front of the restaurant there was no hostess so we walked in and asked the bartender if it was seat yourself or ? He said the section we were in was seat yourself so we sat down at a high top, the restaraunt was busy and it took about 10 minutes to get our drinks and order put in, after that it took another 35 minutes to get our two starter salads and then another 15 minutes to get our actual meals (two hot sandwhiches) this is definitely not an eat and run place. That night we made dinner in, there is a grocery store in town and right below the Stanley so it is convenient, however the kitchen was not as stocked as I would hope it would be. For example there were only paper towels no dish towels so to wipe down dishes or pots/pans had to use a towel from bathroom. There was also no hot pads/mitts, we had made the break off cookies and to get the tray out of the oven I had to use the towel from the bathroom. Overall we had a wonderful time please be advised Estes is fun but can be a bit on the quiet side

I would LOVE to stay here longer and definitely intend to come back! We were on the 4th floor in a queen room with exquisite windows and an amazing view. The room was smaller than most luxury hotel rooms but it is in keeping with the architecture of the time period which I love. My favorite thing of all was we actually had a paranormal experience. Right after we checked in our room door slowly opened and closed by itself. My daughter insists it was the wind but whatever, lol. It was weird and fun (my husband and I were actually standing right beside the door and didn't feel any breeze). We stayed in August, even with no air conditioning, the breeze from the open window was lovely. The staff was very courteous. We were a last minute stay so all 3 of us fit into one room very easily despite the smaller scale of the architecture mentioned earlier. A cot was made up for my daughter in an alcove. We didn't take the haunted tour but roamed freely through the hotel with our complimentary ghost detecting equipment, it was a blast. Hauntings aside, the hotel is beautiful, steeped in history, comfortable with helpful and courteous staff. This is a great location if you are visiting Rocky Mountain National Park.

My wife I live in Loveland and with the recent snow storm that did a little coverage of the ground we decided to drive to Estes Park to see more snow, she is a southern girl. Lovely trip up Rt 36. She has been to Estes several times and has done the tour at The Stanley. During a late lunch we decided to stay the night, booked a room on TripAdvisor with a great price, about $100 cheaper. A quick trip to Safeway to pick up supplies then just up the hill to The Stanley to check in. It truly is a beautiful hotel, rich in history. The snow added to our excitement. We were looking forward to a romantic afternoon/evening. Check in was a little confusing due to my wife mistakenly putting our last name as "Walgreens" on the smart phone. The young lady at the front desk whose English was limited had a little difficulty initially. While waiting we noticed a flier for Aiden Sinclair, Master Illusionist, who was performing that night, my wife and I agreed, let's do it. We went downstairs to the tour desk, were well taken care of and got VIP seats. Off to the room which was located in a separate building named The Aspire which was recently constructed. Beautiful, clean, elegant and comfortable. We called room service to get a bottle of champagne. We waited an hour and after multiple unanswered calls we went back to the Safeway where there is a liquor store next door and secured our own. Drank champagne in the tub of the classy bathroom. The show was at 8pm so we got to the lobby bar about 7 for drinks and hors d'oeuvres, excellent. The bartenders were attentive and friendly. A++++ The show was outstanding. Aiden Sinclair is very good, glued to our chairs for two hours. A++++ When we returned to our room, on the door handle was a gift bag with apologies from Hollie, one of the managers A++++. Our stay was last minute and brief. The bed was luxurious and we slept well. Had to leave by 7am so I could get to work. Next time will be a minimum of 3 nights. Overall rating.... you guessed it A++++

As you are driving down into Este Park that's when you get your first look of the Stanley Hotel sitting over the town. It's a beautiful vintage hotel, when you walk through the front door into the lobby it's like walking into the early 1900's. It looks as new now as it did then. From the time we checked in till we checked out we were treated great. We stayed in room 407 our room over looked the court yard, we had a king bed, big closet and a large renovated bathroom with walk in shower. We ate breakfast at the Cascades restaurant in the hotel, their food is very good and large portions too, we were so full we didn't eat lunch. We went back for supper we had the filet mignon it was great after dinner we went to the Whiskey Bar for a couple drinks. You have to go on the tours there. We were treated extremely well by all the staff.

An incredible experience to stay at the hotel where one of my favorite films was inspired. The hotel's history is present in every elegant detail yet updated to provide a comfortable stay. We joined the night tour which was very interesting and though I was too tired to stay up and watch for any paranormal activity, it was definitely worth the experience. Gorgeous scenery, friendly staff, and a killer "Redrum" cocktail made this a hotel I will definitely return to when I am back in Colorado. Highly recommended!