The Stanley Hotel: The Truth behind the Shinning

The Stanley Hotel can credit the majority of its fame in the paranormal world to author Stephen King who wrote his bestselling novel The Shinning after an overnight stay that changed his life. King and his wife were driving in a snow storm in Colorado. The roads had become impassible with heavy snowfall and the couple decided that their best option was to find someplace to stay for the night. They came across a rather rundown old hotel. The massive structure was essentially a mansion. With proper care and upkeep it had the potential to be a glorious example of luxury and privilege. In time the hotel would be restored in a fashion that did just that.  Today the Stanley Hotel is one of the most beautiful and elegant places to stay. However on this cold, October night in 1973, it was quite dilapidated and Stephen King wasn't even sure that it was open. However the severity of the storm and the exponential decrease in temperature was enough to send him inside to see if they could stay the night.  The hotel was open and they were happy to accommodate the couple, however there were no other guests that evening.  Perhaps being the only patrons added to the eerie feelings of the hotel. King reported that although the hotel was open and fully staffed, most things were put away in the absence of customers. An example he gave was that the chairs were up on all of the tables except for the one where they were seated. It seems that the sheer emptiness of the place could have created a creepy vibe. However this is not to lessen the possibility of ghosts in the famous hotel. I simply extenuate the likelihood that the feel of the hotel itself probably added to the atmosphere that King portrayed in his book. Since they were the only patrons, the hotel gave them the Presidential Suite, room 217. That night Stephen King and his wife witnessed several paranormal events. Some reports claim that King heard voices coming from the hallway. Others say his bed was shaken in the middle of the night. Some say that Stephen King saw the ghost of a child and that this was the main inspiration for the story. It may be that Mr. King witnessed these types of paranormal activity or he may have simply enjoyed the atmosphere of the place so much that he decided to write about it. As an author myself I can certainly relate to that. In any case the Stanley Hotel is well known for its paranormal activity. People have reported seeing the ghosts of the original proprietors and of several children on both the second and fourth floors. Some people who have stayed at the hotel report strange activity such as flickering lights, doors that open and close on their own and bedclothes being removed as people are asleep. Another common claim is that several guests have reported that their rooms were cleaned when the housekeepers had not visited. This often happens in the middle of the night, when guest are asleep. If any of these things are true, it is no wonder why Stephen King felt such inspiration that night. Now today we can all enjoy the book and the movie and maybe even spend a night in the hotel that started it all.