Stanley Hotel: Last Visit

Modern Suites at the Stanley are a series of luxury condos built on the hill behind the old hotel.

The Staff said that most people are disappointed if they can't stay in the Old Hotel, and have to stay in these rooms.







But the harsh mountain winters are hard on century old wood frame buildings. Repairs are a constant undertaking.

Around the Grounds at the Stanley

A seat on the Veranda............












The Gazebo Floor..........

Stanley Pool And Front Views

Continuing our tour of the Stanley Hotel with the pool and Pool House, both idle during the winter months as the Hotel itself used to be until the 1990's.









The Peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park can be seen in the background. The tallest is Long's Peak, a Fourteener which is a prominent feature of the northern Front Range.

Stanley Hotel: Historic Hotels of America

On the list of Historic Hotels of America, which includes resort and luxury hotels from the Turn of the last Century.........

Next week we will resume with a tour of the grounds.















You can search for other Historic Hotels at there website.

Stanley Hotel......Room Without a View

Our room overlooked the parking lot and out buildings. The Bath had what I call a Spider Web Window. Does anyone know the official architectural name?

In color because I had run out of B&W film. But below I converted the image to B&W in Photoshop. I think that you will see that the rock formations in the background really pop out in B&W. I think the red roofs distract from the rocks in color..... Enlarge the pictures to see the rocks better.......

Guest Rooms at the Stanley: What Would You Pay?

Here is our room, quite nice and comfy, but not haunted. The basic un-haunted rooms are $375 per night. We weren't paying because Donald's research group was having their semi-annual retreat.












Haunted rooms, mostly located on the floor above us start at $500 per night......What would you pay for the "Shining" Experience?










They also have a special annual Halloween Ball if you find yourself in the Area next October 31st. It is fully booked 6 months in advance.......

I'm not showing all of the angles to avoid the horrid flat screen television!

Night Moves at The Stanley Hotel

So Here we are finally at the Stanley Hotel @ night.I hope it was worth waiting for?

Imagine 100 years ago being driven up to the Portico in your chauffered Stanley Steamer, an invited Guest paying $5.00 per day for the standard lodging (plus extra if you brought your children and servants). The Stanley's never made a profit and didn't care. It was there personal 100 room guest house.




Later the Stanley's added an addition for single men, who could not be housed with families and single ladies for obvious reasons!

The Hotel was closed each winter, having no heat and intended only for Summer guests. The 1990's renovations added heat.

More from the Stanley tomorrow and next week. You will see our guest room and tour the grounds.

What I was doing today………………

I spent an overnight at the famously haunted and historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. This hotel was the Inspiration for Stephen King’s 'The Shining’. After learning the full story behind his stay there, one wonders if he really saw the Hotel Ghost Guests, or was merely having drunken hallucinations. But it was a great story (although not the same story that Stanley Kubrick filmed). Of course I photographed the Hotel in B&W film, but you’ll have to wait for me to develop it before I can share the images.

King almost single handedly saved this historic building by filming his version of The Shining at the Stanley in a 1997 mini-series. The Network paid for a major renovation of the nearly derelict hotel. Today a financially stable private owner has let the Hotel be what it is….a famously haunted vintage Georgian Hotel at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.

So what does any of this have to do with Photography? Quite a bit…….read this entry from Infoplease.com , regarding the Stanley Brothers' contribution to our photographic art……

"Francis and his twin brother Freelan formed the Stanley Dry Plate Company in 1883 to manufacture dry plates for the photographic process invented by Francis. They sold the company to Eastman Kodak in 1905, as their interest had turned to steam-powered automobiles. They had invented the “Stanley Steamer” in 1896, the first steam motorcar in New England, and formed the Stanley Motor Company to manufacture them. Francis served as president of the firm. The pair actively competed in auto races, pitting their steam power against gasoline-fueled engines and often winning. Using one of their steam cars, they set a world record in 1906 for fastest mile, 28.2 seconds (or 127 mph [205 kph). The brothers sold the business in 1918, having manufactured more than 10,000 “Steamers.” Francis died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident that same year."

So George Eastman did NOT invent the dry plate process regardless of what you might have been told. The Stanley Brothers are more famous for their steam car, but selling their patent to Eastman Kodak made them millionaires (billionaires in today's money). F.O. Stanley built the hotel so his wife could entertain their East Coast friends during their summers in Colorado. Visits were by invitation only! He was influential in getting Rocky Mountain National Park formed; and he repopulated the wildlife that had been slaughtered by a British Aristocrat of less than sterling reputation in the U.S.