The Stanley Hotel

We stayed at the lodge right next to the main hotel. When we drove into the property, we told the attendant we were guest and we were allowed on property for free, no proof was required. Parking was a nightmare, with visitors and guests, there wasn’t any parking spots. My room had a portable AC unit that did a poor job in cooling, plus the loud sound. The lodge has no security to enter the building and the only item between you and someone with bad intentions is a loose door locking mechanism. On our way to our room we walked thru a big living room that was being used as storage. Tables and chairs were piled up with no time or reason but simply just storage. I have provided a picture of this eye sore. In addition to all the other issues, the elevator is also broke. There is construction happing behind the building and fire escapes are not clearly marked. I would not recommend this hotel because the lack of security and guest safety.

There are some positives - it's an iconic building in a spectacular setting, no denying it has character and a fascinating history. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, it seems to have forgotten it's supposed to be a hotel. We paid around $500 a night for a Friday–Monday stay, and for that sort of money expect a certain standard. Instead, it felt like nobody involved in designing or running the place has actually stayed in a decent hotel. A few room highlights (or lowlights): No fridge, no complimentary water, no snacks or drinks beyond coffee, not even glasses (I had to fetch some from the bar), an awkward assortment of antique furniture, ugly portable air-conditioning unit, poor soundproofing, various illumunated wall panels that turn the room into something resembling a plane cockpit when you turn the lights out. Then there's housekeeping - there isn't any (unless you specifically request it). Beds aren't made, the one bin isn't emptied, towels aren't refreshed. Communal areas weren't much better - the grand staircase and hallway carpets hadn't seen a vacuum cleaner in some time. The biggest issue is the Stanley seems far more interested in being a tourist attraction than looking after its paying guests. Hundreds of day visitors swamp the property, filling the bars, restaurant, terrace, communal areas, car park... and some can't resist attempting to access resident only floors for 'The Shining experience'. It makes for a good atmosphere but incredibly frustrating (and unfair) that there's no meaningful distinction between someone paying hundreds of dollars to stay overnight and someone who has just wandered in for an hour. Throw in major construction works, largely indifferent service, and a wildly overpriced meal at Cascades, and it all starts to feel like guests are funding the Stanley's tourist attraction ambitions while being treated as an inconvenience. What really puts it into perspective is just a week earlier, we stayed at the Bellagio (Vegas) over the July 4th weekend for less money. We had a fountain-view room, immaculate facilities, impeccable service, and were treated like royalty. The Stanley needs to start getting the basics right and treat its paying residents as its primary concern - not an inconvenient by-product.

I really wanted to believe this was well preserved, upscale, historical hotel. It is not! This is a tourist trap. We stayed in the Lodge two nights and had dinner & drinks at The Cascade Restaurant. If you go to dinner/drinks, check your bill for a 3% Historic Preservation charge that was not disclosed. Also, an undisclosed 2% Historic Preservation fee on your room total! We felt unsafe due to multiple tour groups moving through many spaces of the hotel and people wandering in to all floors, despite the signs prohibiting entrance to hotel guests. Parking is very limited. The lot was filled with tour participants & gawkers leaving no room for paying guests. We had to park in a gravel lot a long way from the hotel. Don’t bother stating your concerns to the staff. We were told, “everything went down hill when the State of Colorado became involved in the ownership. Not sure if that is valid, but it does make some sense. If you are staying in Estes Park, find another hotel.

While the Stanley is a historic hotel worth seeing, it's current condition leaves much to be desired. First, if you are planning to stay there, be sure you are in the main building as there is an adjacent building called the lodge. I was not aware of that and currently, the elevator at the lodge is not working necessitating a hike up many stairs. The entry is also not handicapped accessable. Continuous tours of both buildings occur on the hour or more throughout the day which is somewhat disruptive as well as a huge construction project on the grounds with huge piles of dirt. The parking is unsufficient requiring parking in a dirt overflow parking lot which entrance is a test of your cars suspension system.

I’d review this stay as a mixed experience: the historic charm, location, and food and beverage were positives, but serious accessibility and value issues kept it at a 3 out of 5 overall. Overall rating One star goes to its status as a historic landmark property, which gives the stay a unique sense of place and character. The second star is for its convenient location near everything in Estes Park, making it easy to explore the area. The final star reflects the quality and variety of the on‑site food and beverage options, which were a highlight of the visit. Room and accessibility issues The major downside of my stay was accessibility. My room was on the third floor of the Lodge building, and the elevator was out of service for my entire visit, with no mention of this at check‑in. After discovering the issue, I requested a room change, but the hotel was unable to accommodate it. With two surgically repaired knees, climbing three levels of stairs multiple times a day was far from comfortable and significantly impacted my experience. The room itself did not live up to expectations for the price paid. It was extremely small, with barely enough space to move around, and did not offer the level of comfort or value I anticipated from this hotel. Overall, I expected much more from the accommodations and accessibility than what was delivered. Staff and service On a positive note, most of the staff I encountered were extremely friendly. They made genuine efforts to help and to make my stay more comfortable despite the limitations they were working with. Their attitude and service helped soften an experience that was otherwise disappointing from an accessibility and room‑value standpoint.