The Stanley Hotel

McGregor hall gone, ballroom is being turned into a steak house restaurant, the waterfall gone, gardens gone, payed for a room woth a balcony (balcony sealed shut) and woken up at midnight because some oil truck had to be filled OUTSIDE the room and I couldn't use the bathroom, the decor lacks in what it used to be the veiw is construction, parking is TEN dollars and its in a dirt path there's NOTHING but construction and trash outside. The tour guide was wonderfully amazing.

My husband and I stayed here years ago ago and it was a wonderful quaint experience. I had been a huge Stephen King fan and always wanted to go back and stay in room 401. He surprised me with booking that room this past weekend. Unfortunately it was one of the WORST hotel experiences we have ever had. First this is outlined as the Lord Dunraven “Suite”. It had the bronze plaque mentioned in previous reviews but honestly, I have stayed in larger room in a Motel 6! There was barely a walk way around the king size bed and the odd credenza under the tv. The Tv had the wires hanging out. The door to the room doesn’t fit the door frame so there is a distinct light coming into the room from the hall. The only bright spot was the shower. And that’s only if you don’t look at the bathroom vanity that is falling apart and the broken blinds. Do not plan to use a closet. It had a small hanging rod, no hangers and was filled by a spare ac unit. We were barely able to shove our suitcase in there to keep it out of the way. Additionally , this appears to be the only room in the 4th floor without window coverings so do not plan on sleeping past 5 am. There is a balcony on this room but who knows the last time it was cleaned. There were clumps of old spider webs all over the balcony, the plexiglass haven’t been cleaned in a long time and there was what I hope was a spilled drink down the wall. And don’t get me started on the beautiful scenery, overlooking a construction pit. This room is under the bell tower. Not a big deal given that it does not chime between 7 pm and 9 am. However, construction started at 7:50 am Monday morning. There is no parking differentiation between those coming for the theme park atmosphere and those spend hundreds of dollars a night to stay. Simple fix- provide valet for hotel guests. They tout the Cascade Whiskey Bar. However, this is just the bar area in the existing hotel. While there is a wall of various whiskeys behind the bar, the drink menu has a single whiskey drink and does NOT highlight the variety of whiskeys for sale. If you are going to do a money grab, this is one of the easiest ways to do it. The 217 Wine Bar was ok, if you were able to get into it. We had to wait do 20 minutes to be seated. Not because the were busy, but because they were understaffed. On Saturday at 4 pm in the summer. At the end of the day, the did offer a bit of a refund for the crap we had to deal with but I will never come back here again and will share my experience with others so they aren’t ripped off like we were. If this room were $100/ night or less, I would have been willing to accept these issues. But definitely NOT at the price we paid!!!

Worst place I have ever stayed would’ve been much happier at a motel six no AC. The room is 90° the whole site around the hotel is under construction, listening to loud banging construction noise all day unable to rest 90° unable to sleep because of the heat paid over $500 for a tiny little room. The doors won’t stay closed only three pillows on a king bed had to beg for a pillow. I can’t say enough about how miserable this place was don’t waste your time.

Beautiful and haunted. The Stanley has been consistently wonderful each time I've stayed here. Estes Park and RMNP are so fun no matter how many people you're traveling with. The Post on the grounds is a 5 or 5 as well. Oh and the whiskey bar is awesome. Loved exploring the basement and the grounds. The hotel service is fantastic. The location and view from the front deck, or from the Post, at sunset is unbeatable.

Some of the property was under construction, ruining some views, but the property overall is beautiful. I was disappointed to find that despite paying nearly $500, I was placed in a building off to the side, before the guard station, in a very plain small two queen bed room. The Stanley itself is beautiful, but the value is really lost if you're placed in the "overflow" building as you're really not immersed in what I think most people stay at the Stanley for.