Inside America’s Most Haunted Hotel That Inspired The Shining

Hidden away in acres of remote Colorado land, the Stanley Hotel has earned itself an ominous reputation over the past 100 years. In fact, it’s supposedly the most haunted hotel in America. And even if you don’t believe in the paranormal, the Stanley has enough unnerving history to make even the most skeptical out there sleep with the lights on! And the remote location's mysterious history may explain why so many guests have reported eerie and unexplainable happenings. With a storied past littered with odd — and spooky — moments, only the bravest thrill-seekers dare to book a room.

The hotel’s haunting history began in 1903 when inventor Freelan Oscar Stanley was plagued by a severe case of tuberculosis. Following medical advice, he and his wife Flora ventured out to Colorado in search of its therapeutic fresh air. The slow pace of rustic rural living didn't agree with the couple, however, and they quickly hatched a plan to build a resort in the secluded silence of the vast Colorado wilds.

After just a few weeks of calm, the Freelans had given up on the lull of life in the mountains. So, the wealthy husband and wife pored over designs for a sprawling 48-room Georgian mansion on 160 acres of land. As well as seemingly endless hallways boasting room after room, the hotel would be complete with lavish luxuries to attract high-paying guests. And so, the couple went on to open the Stanley Hotel in 1909 — and, supposedly, they never left.

With their vision complete and interest in the dazzling resort booming, snagging a room came to be seen as a sign of wealth. Everyone with cash to flash wanted to be spotted in one of the Stanley's luxurious recreation rooms. And one of the most impressive spaces was arguably the hotel's cavernous concert hall — allegedly a gift for Flora, who liked to tinkle away on the grand piano. Business at the Stanley Hotel was booming right from the start, though not too long after its grand opening, guests began reporting unusual things happening.

Patrons of the hotel frequently heard strange noises echoing through the winding halls and empty corridors. Many left with an eerie feeling, but it wasn't until a popular author stayed overnight in the '70s that the hotel truly developed its frightening reputation. And in fact, the century-old hotel proved so spine-chilling, that it inspired a critically-acclaimed film.

Although reports of paranormal activity at the Stanley date back nearly as far as the hotel's first occupants, its notoriety reached a peak when it hosted horror maestro Stephen King in 1974. King and his wife Tabitha sought refuge in the hotel one wintry evening in the off-season, and it didn't take long for things to turn sinister. The couple were the only guests when they checked into room 217, but as darkness fell, it felt as though they weren't alone at all.

With the night drawing in, King's mind started to play tricks on him. The author was terrorized by a nightmarish presence that he dreamed was chasing his son down the hotel hallways. When King woke up, he couldn't shake the unsettling feeling. And if you're a horror fan, then you'll already have guessed that his eerie experience inspired what would become one of the most iconic horror stories of all time.

King’s stay at the Stanley Hotel was so spooky that it served as the basis for his best-selling book, The Shining — and, of course, the bloodcurdling blockbuster movie that followed. The author, in fact, called the historic hotel “the perfect — maybe the archetypical — setting for a ghost story.” With facts and fiction morphing, it becomes harder and harder to tell the real Stanley from the harrowing building in King's novel.

King’s fictional Overlook Hotel, with its endless corridors and isolation, bears uncanny resemblances to the real-life Stanley Hotel. And his protagonist — also a writer — faces a similar bone-chilling ordeal in the same room: number 217. Although the room was switched to 237 in Stanley Kubrick's movie adaptation, the tragic story of what really happened inside back in the early 1900s can't be so easily smoothed over.

It's believed that the real room 217 hides a sinister secret that could explain King's other-worldly experience. But to understand reports of the bizarre goings-on inside the four walls of the infamous room, we have to rewind back to one summer evening in 1911. The hotel's head housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson, would have been doing her usual rounds before tragedy struck.

Mrs. Wilson headed into the then-unassuming room on the second floor to light a candle. Unaware that there was a gas leak, her flame caused a catastrophic explosion that blew off the front of the hotel. Although she survived the blast, her eventual death almost forty years to the day of the accident supposedly happened in that very room. And rumor has it, her spirit hasn't left since. Or so the story goes...

Just ask the guests whose clothes have been mysteriously unpacked and folded, or those who’ve found themselves frozen in fear as their lights flickered on and off. But perhaps most chilling are the accounts from unmarried occupants who've dared stay overnight in room 217. Reports from holiday-makers describe a strange feeling of energy pushing them and their partners apart at night. After all, according to hotel staff, Mrs. Wilson was a somewhat traditional woman.

Room 217 isn’t the only one in the Stanley that’s reputed to be haunted, though. Guests in room 401, for instance, have reported sounds of children giggling and running down the halls. And to make things even creepier, if we take a look back at the history of the hotel, it seems the reports of eerie laughter make complete sense. According to the hotel's original design, that same floor was used to house children and their nannies. Some of them, it appears, may have stuck around.

Another spooky spot, according to several visitors, is Flora Stanley’s beloved concert hall. It’s said to be a favorite haunt of Mrs. Stanley’s, who many say can still be heard playing her piano from time to time — decades after she died from a stroke. And some even claim to have seen the old keys mysteriously moving of their own accord.

But the hall is apparently home to another ghostly presence, and this one has a stark warning for human residents who find themselves in the immense room after hours. Known as Paul, the apparition apparently is an employee back from the hotel’s early days. He was allegedly tasked with making sure guests stuck to the strict 11:00 p.m. curfew. Perhaps that explains why some people say they’ve heard the words “get out” murmured in the hall after dark.

Venture down below the music room, though, and reports get even more unsettling. Specifically, guests have recounted spying a young girl wandering alone through the dark basement. One visitor, Stephanie Reidl, even captured on camera what appears to be a little, dark-haired girl, who she claims wasn’t on her tour. So if no child was present, who could the figure in the pink dress be?

Well, staff members are sure that it’s Lucy, a 13-year-old girl who was reportedly found hiding in the basement decades ago. Apparently, the young child had run away from home and sought refuge. But unfortunately, the maintenance staff didn't budge when it came to the rules. Lucy was thrown out into the cold, and when temperatures dropped, she met her grim fate. Her body was later discovered, frozen and lifeless. Skeptics may claim image doctoring or a poor-quality camera, but Reidl claims what she saw and felt was 100 percent real.

According to Reidl, the image wasn't the only proof that something other-worldly took place during her time on the Stanley's nightly ghost tour. “I doubt if anyone would believe me, but there was only ONE time throughout the tour where I felt any strange energy or feeling, and it was right here, heading down to the basement of the concert hall,” she explained.

But Reidl’s isn’t the only suspicious snap to have been taken at the Stanley. The Mauslings, a family from Aurora, CO, also experienced something peculiar after a trip to the hotel in September 2017. Just like Reidl, the Mauslings captured a mysterious figure of a young girl who wasn't present at the time they were taking photos. John Mausling and his partner Jessica Martinez-Mausling are certain that the numbers on their 11-person tour didn’t include a young girl. “At first we tried to be logical and think we somehow missed her, so we asked our kids, their girlfriends, and our friend if they remembered seeing a little girl,” they disclosed to the Huffington Post.

Aside from room 217, the whole fourth floor, and the concert hall, there are still plenty more haunted corners of the Stanley. The Grand Staircase is said to be a hotspot for paranormal activity and has even been described as a 'passageway' for all of the spirits that roam the hotel's halls. And it seems there's proof. In 2016, one traveler captured yet another eerie image that simply couldn't be explained.

It's clear as day — there's a woman wearing a long black dress at the top of the famed staircase. And some have even claimed a second figure of a child, too. Seems fairly likely it was another guest headed for dinner in their finery, right? Well not quite. The Houston resident Henry Yau claims that there wasn't another soul around when he snapped the hotel's famous set of steps.

It's little wonder so many people feel creeped out inside the hotel: the staff claims that the hotel's original owners “continue to go about the business of running their beloved establishment as though they were still alive.” We may never know whether such sightings are proof of paranormal forces at play, but The Stanley has embraced its ghostly reputation just like a whole host of other supposedly haunted hotels.

From sharing a room with Marilyn Monroe's ghost to fetching ice alongside Anne Boelyn, paranormal tourism continues to entice holidaymakers looking for a scare. But would you dare book a room in one of the world's most haunted hotels knowing what lies in wait? Along with the Overlook's inspiration, in the world's creepiest accommodations, the spirits aren’t only limited to the bar...

Take the impressive Fairmont Banff Springs in Alberta, Canada, for example. The sprawling complex was unveiled in 1888 as a railway hotel. Over the years, though, it has apparently acquired the spirit of a newlywed who died here in a fall on her wedding day. Some people say she still likes to dance in the ballroom. Well, those people are free to dance with her — we'll skip this dance, thanks.

Tinseltown titans Marylin Monroe, Clark Gable, and Charlie Chaplin all stayed at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Roosevelt, and it seems that Monroe is still a guest to this day. Indeed, guests have claimed to have spotted the icon’s ghostly reflection in one of the hotel’s mirrors!

In 2014 members of the English cricket team were ridiculed in the press for saying that ghosts had kept them awake during their stay at London’s Langham Hotel. However, the hotel is said to have at least seven spirits, with room 333 being a particular hot spot for hauntings. Maybe those cricket players were telling the truth...

In 1953 the poet Dylan Thomas passed away in New York’s Hotel Chelsea, and in 1978 Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious was accused of murdering Nancy Spungen in the hotel’s room 100. And apparently, both Thomas and Vicious are still checked in to the hotel... as permanent guests. Neither man, it seems, went "gentle into that good night" after all.

It has been said that guests of Dragsholm Slot – or Dragsholm Castle – must share the accommodation with up to 100 ghosts. The most famous of these specters is the White Lady, who was reputedly imprisoned below the castle for loving a peasant. It's safe to say that the crime really didn't fit the punishment. Perhaps her unfinished business was to scare the pants off of everyone else in the castle...

Taiwan’s Grand Hyatt Hotel was constructed on the site of what used to be a political prison, and it’s thought to be haunted by the tormented souls of those detainees who lost their lives while in residence. Hotel management has, apparently, made efforts to ward off these otherworldly guests... but we wouldn't want to risk accidentally spending the night with an angry prisoner.

The Skirrid Inn in Monmouthshire, Wales has apparently been around for nearly a century and was previously used as a courthouse and execution arena. In fact, its “hanging beam” is still in place today, and, unsurprisingly, guests have reported being visited by hanging victims during their stays. That's downright eerie.

Ghostly activity at The Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon seems to be limited to rooms 703, 803, and 1003. This is allegedly because somebody leapt off the building to their death and is now plaguing the rooms they passed before they hit the ground. Talk about tragic. If you ask us, there must be some significance to the fact that each of the rooms is separated by an even 100 or 200...

The Mermaid Inn is so overbooked with spooks that it even featured on an episode of Most Haunted, a British paranormal investigation show. Among the ghouls said to be present are a man who can walk through walls and the spirit of a maid. We hope that the ghostly maid finds peace soon — no one should spend eternity folding linens!

The Russell Hotel sits in an area of Sydney, Australia, known as The Rocks and is allegedly home to the ghost of an old sailor. This deckhand is said to haunt room 8, where he frightens guests by appearing to watch over them. Yeah, the last thing we'd want to see in the middle of the night is a grizzled old sailor staring back at us.

Louisiana’s Bourbon Orleans used to be an orphanage, and guests have reported seeing a ghostly girl racing after a ball along one of its hallways. Plus, the ghost of a dancer has been spotted in the ballroom, and the specter of a soldier apparently stalks the corridors. The place is simply hoppin' with haunts!

At Latvia’s Karosta Prison Hotel — sounds cheerful, no? — lodgers are treated just like the real prisoners of war who were detained here during World War II. They’ll also reportedly have to share the cells with the spirits of those who died while incarcerated. We can barely share the bed with our dog, let alone a vengeful spirit!

The Baker Hotel is currently undergoing renovations, meaning guests will soon once again be able to stay in this imposing, celebrated hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas. They might also encounter its resident ghost: the spirit of a spurned female who committed suicide. And she may not be alone, as Earl Baker himself, one of the hotel's former managers, also died in one of its suites.

Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII’s second spouse, is said to haunt her previous residence of Hever Castle in the U.K. With all those ancient, drafty halls, it's the perfect place to spend eternity as a ghost! She supposedly likes to make her presence felt the day before Christmas — the ghost of Christmas past, indeed.

Arkansas’ 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa practically thrives on its reputation as “America’s Most Haunted Hotel” and even offers ghost tours to curious visitors. Its haunters are many, including a female in Victorian underwear in room 3500 and a 19th-century laborer in room 218. With such a diverse group of ghosts roaming the halls, we can see why people want to visit!

The 17th-century Ballygally Castle in Ireland was once home to Lady Isobel Shaw, who allegedly suffered a fatal fall from one of the castle’s windows. These days, she is known to knock on guests’ doors, and some ghostly children have also been heard in the rooms. Mysterious knocks and disembodied giggles? We'll meet you at the Airbnb.

Cecil Hotel’s truly horrifying past is almost as fascinating as its stories of ghosts. It has previously been home to two serial killers, and at least five others have been found dead in or around the hotel, and in gruesome ways, too. In 2013, for example, a woman was found floating in a water tank on the roof of the hotel, with no explanation as to how she got there. Naturally, the hotel — now an affordable housing complex — is believed to be haunted and cursed.

Spooky occurrences inside the Hotel Burchianti in Italy include the sighting of a pink wraith — AKA, the specter of a person just before their death — in the Fresco Room. Some guests have also reported feeling like they’re being crushed under an inexplicable weight. That doesn't sound pleasant. Perhaps this is down to the hotel’s building dating back to the 1600s?

The Queen Mary has long been called “one of the most haunted places in the world” and is believed to hold up to 150 ghosts on its imperious deck. That's a whole fleet of ghosts! One of these ghouls allegedly died in 1966 and now wanders the ship on approach to room 13. Room 13 — how fitting.

Married couple Elizabeth and Donald Fraser managed the Riccarton Racecourse Hotel in Christchurch New Zealand. In 1933 Donald was murdered at the hotel, killed by two blasts from a double-barreled shotgun. Elizabeth had found out weeks before that her husband had been having an affair and became a suspect in the slaying. But she was never charged. Even so, Donald’s ghost is said to roam the hotel — searching for his wife. 

Outwardly, the residence at Fall River’s 230 Second Street looks like an everyday 19th-century clapboard house. But it’s been known as the Borden House since 1892 because it was the scene of a hideous axe murder. At the age of 32 Lizzie Borden brutally butchered her own father and stepmother. Today, it operates as a bed and breakfast, so you can book in and indulge your inner ghoul.  

The truth is that there’s no real evidence to show that Bram Stoker was thinking about this particular castle when he wrote his Gothic masterpiece Dracula, published in 1897. Even so, Bran Castle has become known as “Dracula’s Castle.” Pay a visit to the 14th-century stronghold and you’ll see why. If you had to pick a home for the evil Count Dracula, you could hardly do better than this sinister pile. 

The Mizpah commenced business in the Nevadan city of Tonopah back in 1907 when it was one of the state’s first truly upmarket hotels. If you fancy the possibility of a ghostly encounter check into the Lady in Red Suite. It’s named after an unfortunate woman who died at the hotel and reportedly haunts guests, especially men, by whispering sweet nothings to them. 

The timbered walls of the Ancient Ram Inn have scarcely a single straight line between them. That’s hardly surprising, since the building this former pub occupies in the English village of Wotton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire dates back to medieval times. The Ancient Ram’s reputation for ghostly presences means it’s been featured on TV shows such as Ghost Adventures. Claimed spectral manifestations include monks, a shepherd with his dogs, and a cavalier.

Washington Irving’s 1820 short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow made the town of that name famous. Irving’s sinister tale deals with a fearsome apparition, a headless horseman who haunts Sleepy Hollow. Visitors flock to the township today, hoping to experience some of the horror Irving described. Just to add to the frisson of terror, Irving chose to be buried in the Sleepy Hollow cemetery.

First built in 1419 on top of an ancient Roman road, the Treasurer’s House is in the northern English city of York. One man, Harry Martindale, claimed to have come face-to-face with that Roman link from centuries ago. He was just 18 when he was working in the basement of the Treasurer’s House when the sound of a trumpet caught his attention. Then in true ghostly style a platoon of Roman soldiers reportedly marched straight out of a wall, led by a spectral trumpeter. A terrified Martindale fled.

The Driskill, an imposing hotel in the Texan city of Austin, first opened its doors to guests in 1886 and it continues today as a popular tourist haunt. But there are others who, it’s claimed, also haunt the property — a bevy of ghostly presences. Notable among those is the ghost of the hotel’s founder, Jesse Driskill. It’s said he never got over losing his pride and joy with an ill-judged bet on a poker hand. So his ghost apparently returns to inhabit the hotel he lost at the gaming table.

The splendid Chateau de Brissac dates back to the 11th century, although it was entirely rebuilt in the Renaissance style in the 15th. Occupied by the current Duke of Brissac, the magnificent castle is apparently haunted by La Dame Verte, “The Green Lady.” This specter is said to be connected to a pair of murders from the 15th century. But what’s really terrifying is the Green Lady’s face, which allegedly entirely lacks nose and eyes. Instead, there are ominous black holes.

Sarah Pardee married William Winchester in 1881. This Winchester was fabulously rich thanks to the success of his armaments business, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. When he died in 1881 Sarah inherited some $20 million, a colossal sum at the time. She spent huge sums on the Mystery House over 40 years, constantly making changes which often seemed pointless. It’s said she was trying to appease the spirits of the dead killed by Winchester firearms by building a home for them.