Stanley Hotel

hotel, Estes Park, Colorado, United States

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Last updated

July 22, 2026

Quick Summary

The Stanley Hotel is a historic hotel located in Estes Park, Colorado. Situated in the Rocky Mountains, it is known for its picturesque setting and as the inspiration for Stephen King's novel, The Shining. The hotel gained notoriety after King's stay in room 217, where he experienced a vivid dream that formed the basis of the novel's plot. The novel itself is a gothic horror story set in a remote hotel in Colorado, focusing on a family hired as winter caretakers who are terrorized by supernatural forces.1

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The Shining
Origins and background
…staying a night at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, a resort town nestled in the Rocky Mountains. In late September 1974, King and his wife, Tabitha, checked into what King described as a “grand old hotel.” Notably, the Kings stayed in room 217. King recalled that he and…
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…staying a night at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, a resort town nestled in the Rocky Mountains. In late September 1974, King and his wife, Tabitha, checked into what King described as a “grand old hotel.” Notably, the Kings stayed in room 217. King recalled that he and…
Read More