The Stanley Hotel

We were looking forward to the Shining Tour. We started out disappointed when we discovered their first lie in the parking lot. Their website and ticket confirmation says “parking is $10 for a commemorative token that can be redeemed for $5 anywhere on the property or kept as a souvenir” The parking attendant said they don’t do this anymore. That was the only reason we drove. Had they told us this before we arrived we would have used the free shuttle. The second lie was in the description “On this tour you will get the inside scoop on Colorado’s most famous dog” - our tour guide had no idea what we were talking about when we asked this. The tour was less than an hour and $30 a person. With 14 people on the tour this earned the hotel $420 per hour plus the parking fee. Not sure how much the tour guide received, but not likely much since he was begging for gratuity. This left a terrible impression. Ridiculous. It was even more irritating because he wasn’t that good. He was very theatrical and over the top. The boy bright spot is that we decided to stay the night at a different hotel. We are thrilled we didn’t give this greedy, untruthful hotel another penny. They likely rely on new tourists and not repeat business making it easier for them to screw over visitors.

This hotel is cool, historic, and obviously a must see for paranormal fans. BUT I would never choose to actually STAY here again. In the future, I'll stay in a different hotel in Estes Park and pay the $10 parking fee to visit the Stanley. The customer service for guests is extremely subpar. The younger male nighttime staff member at the front desk was straight up rude. The jaunt from your car to your actual room is A LOT, especially if you were audacious enough to bring luggage. I'm not sure what you have to do to receive 4 star service, but being a single mom with 2 kids paying $500+/night apparently doesn't make the cut. The rooms are okay, but no A/C or heating fyi. But the bathrooms are, just so lacking. The shower is downright dangerous, glass and slippery, no shelves. Definitely not renovated with women in mind, good luck shaving. The restaurant, Cascades, is extremely overpriced for what you get. The ribeye was no better than anywhere else, the mashed potatoes were dry. The staff at the restaurant was excellent though, they earned the 25% tip I gave them. Overall the Stanley is overrun by random people walking around all day (who are not guests) and they seem to get priority over the actual guests that paid hundreds of dollars to be there. The Stanley is cool and a must see, but stay somewhere else and make it a day visit, you'll be treated better that way anyway. *This review is for the main Stanley building, the original hotel*

Very disappointed with our room. I did not have a chair, so I found it very difficult to put on my shoes. We also did not have a place to hang up the clothes, as there was no closet The bathroom lighting was terrible, although it’s recently renovated, and had no good lighting to make up for it. We were also disappointed in the staff; no one was at the concierge desk most of the time. There was no signage, so finding where things were located was difficult.

Overall the stay at the Stanley was okay. The hotel is historic and beautiful, but no a/c, the beds are coming apart and not deep cleaned between guest. We found q-tips on the floor, not ours. The hotel needs more amenities for the cost. The biggest negative is, anyone can pay $10 per car and explore the hotel, it makes it very congested for the hotel guests and not a true four-star hotel. It’s not inclusive at all, and takes away from the luxury. That’s my biggest complaint. If you do stay here, I highly suggest going to the underground for a magic show. It’s amazing.

Lacey, at the front desk, went above and beyond to make sure we had an enjoyable and memorable stay! We had some issues with the appliances and overall electricity in our room, but Lacey treated us with friendliness and professionalism to resolve our concerns. The hotel grounds are gorgeous, much like the surrounding Estes Park, and we will plan on returning at some point in the future! Thank you Lacey!