Stephen King’s Hotel of Horrors Part 2

By Lindsey Galloway

 

Forget the film

Though a classic in its own right, the film adaptation of The Shining – directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Jack Nicholson – has long been disparaged by King for not being true to his story’s characters.

The film does not feature any scenes from the Stanley; there was not enough snow in Estes Park at the time to recreate the snowed-in Overlook. The exterior shots instead show the Timberline Lodge in Mt Hood, Oregon. Even so, the Stanley plays the original movie on a constant loop for guests on its own channel 42. 

In 1997, King adapted his book into a mini-series. He shot it on-site at the Stanley Hotel as a tribute to his original muse.

True tragedy

In September 2013, King’ published Doctor Sleep, the long-awaited sequel to The Shining, which follows Jack Torrance’s son Danny, now in his 40s – all the way back to the site of the Overlook. The Stanley Hotel found itself in the spotlight once again.

But the excitement was overshadowed by the devastating floods that struck Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park that same September. The region received more rainfall over two days than it usually sees in an entire year; 11,000 people were evacuated and more than 1,500 homes destroyed. 

Thanks to its elevated location above the valley, the hotel itself suffered relatively minor damage. However, much of the US Highway 36, the main road between Boulder and Estes Park, was washed away, and with it went much of the tourism the town depends during its elk-showcasing fall months, when hundreds of elk descend from the mountains and make their mating calls near prime viewing areas (one of which is the Estes Park golf course).

The town of Estes Park has mostly recovered; most businesses have re-opened, though some have closed completely while others are still working to repair property damage. US Highway 36 also reopened in late November 2013, but construction is expected to continue throughout 2014, causing regular delays until its completion in 2015. The Colorado Department of Transportation has construction updates for those making the drive, and suggests visitors take the more northern US 

Highway 34 or Colorado Highway 7 entrances if possible.

Meanwhile, the Stanley, which is open year-round, has continued to draw visitors from around the country. As part of its effort to attract even more guests, the hotel is offering a special “Doctor Sleep Package” through the end of 2015, including copies of both The Shining and Doctor Sleep and possible upgrades to room 217 by request. Ghost sightings are not guaranteed – but in this hotel, and with one of King’s books in hand, a few scares certainly are.