America’s Haunted Hotels:The Stanley Hotel.

My love of horror movies started at a relatively young age, and not just any old movie of terror would do it had to be a movie about vampires, monsters or my favorite ghosts, you know movies with a paranormal element. However, one movie scared the living shit out of me when I watched it for the first time at the tender age of five, the film was the Stanley Kubrick masterpiece of supernatural as well as psychological terror, The Shining. I can’t really put my finger on it perhaps it was the amazing acting skills of Jack Nicholson who really showed the world that he was fully capable of going from a seemingly normal guy to losing his freaking mind in no time flat. The film was of course based on the classic novel of the same name by master of Horror, Stephen King and his funhouse of horror delights, the Overlook Hotel was based on a hotel that could quite possibly be the most haunted Hotel in, well, the history of extended stays, Colorado’s Stanley Hotel.

As far as paranormal phenomenon is concerned the Stanley has become a phenomenon in and of itself. Practically every person who has either stayed at the Stanley or anyone who has ever worked there have reported their own stories of coming into contact with beings of the otherworld and despite my initial skepticism it would appear that this lavish hotel may be indeed haunted. However, I must pose the question, what has caused this hotel to become America’s favorite haunt?

Built in 1909, by the the inventor of the Stanley Steemer a steam powered automobile, Freeland O. Stanley. Stanley was the typical nouveu riche of his day, he only wanted to rub elbows with those like him, rich and famous and the Stanley Hotel was built for that purpose to attract the rich, famous and royalty from other lands such as the emporer and empress of Japan. Today, however, the Stanley has lowered it’s prices somewhat so the little people like you and I can enjoy a well appointed hotel as well as the breath taking views that has made Colorado famous the world over. It would appear that this new clientele has made one particular soul extremely unhappy, Stanley himself.

The spirit of F.O. Stanley has been reported on numerous occassions by guest and employee alike. The billiard room is reportedly one of Stanley’s favorite haunts and he makes his presence known there in more ways than one. Many have actually witnessed the apparition of Stanley walking about the billiard room others have heard a phantom game of pool being played, when someone goes to investigate the sounds of the game stop with only the balls rolling around the table. Stanley’s spirit has also been seen in the lobby of hotel with a look of disapproval on his face. Tours are regularly conducted at the hotel for those who have an interest in the phenomenon that is reported at the hotel and on many ocassions the spirit of Stanley has been seen following the tour around.

Perhaps the second most famous ghost to haunt the Stanley is the wife of the tycoon, Flora Stanley. Flora, a classically trained concert pianist can oftentimes be heard tickiling the ivories in the music room which was built to her specifications. Many have claimed to hear the haunting melody issuing from the music room and when they go to see who is playing the tune the music stops and the sounds of footsteps can be heard walking away from the piano. Perhaps, Flora does not care for an audience in her afterlife and just wants to play.

Room 418 is perhaps the most haunted room behind the walls of the hotel. Cleaning crews report strange noises coming from the room such as the closet opening and closing of it’s own accord and the impression of what looks like a human laying on the bed have been reported on numerous occassions. Those who stay on the fourth floor near room 418 have called down to the front desk to report what sounds like rowdy children laughing and running up and down the hall. When the front desk tells the patron that no children are registered at the hotel, the patron will usually leave sometimes in the middle of the night. No is certain who these phantom rascals are, however it does not change the fact that they love to play at all hours of the night.

Guests who have stayed in room 408 have claimed to see the shimmering apparition of a cowboy standing by the window looking out at the Rocky Mountains. Those who have seen this apparition have all described him the same way, tall, thin with a handlebar mustache and a ten gallon hat. Those who have been brave enough to approach the spectral cowboy have claimed that he dissipates right before their eyes without acknowledging their presence. As with the children no one in sure who this cowboy is.

It would appear that Stephen King, when witing his novel got the inspiration for his female suicide ghost from a very real tragedy that happened in room 217. The spirit of a Mrs. Wilson is said to haunt this room and takes great pleasure in any male who would dare to lay his head down for a good night’s sleep. Mrs. Wilson, was a very real patron who stayed with the hotel numerous times in 1920s, however, Mrs. Wilson became a permenant patron when she discovered that for years her husband was having an affair with another woman. Instead of enduring the shame of the scandal, Mrs. Wilson decided to take another path, she slit her wrists and bled to death in the bathtub. No wonder this pitiful ghost hates men so much.

Perhaps the strangest paranormal event took place in 2006. A wedding guest thought it would be a funny idea to paint, redrum in red lipstick on the mirror in the room of the bride and groom. Apparently something did not like that very much shoved the wedding guest as she descended the main staircase to rejoin the reception. When the woman came to she claimed that something had shoved her behind and laughed those who witnessed the event said they saw no one as the woman came tumbling down. Perhaps the angry presence was Mr. Stanley who I’m sure did appreciate the idea of somebody defacing his property and took his revenge.

In 2006, the SciFi reality program, Ghosthunters, did a live investigation of the Stanley and came up with some pretty decent evidence to point towards the fact that the Stanley plays host to denizens of the otherside. Apart from the ghost of Mrs. Wilson, no great tradgedies have occured at the Stanley perhaps those that once stayed at the hotel loved it so much they decided to never leave.

Rick E. Hale

t_seeker@hotmail.com