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The Stanley Hotel is famous for its old world charm. Multiple renovations have restored this 140-room hotel to its original grandeur while offering over 14,000 square feet of sophisticated meeting and event space equipped with modern amenities.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Luxury
Classic
Languages Spoken
English
Location
333 East Wonderview Avenue, Estes Park, CO 80517
Stanley Hotel
3,908 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
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The Stanley Hotel, despite its historical allure and eclectic atmosphere that intrigues some with its rumored ghostly presences, struggles to meet guests' expectations according to numerous travelers. Reviewers often highlight the disappointing rooms, citing problems with size, noise, and cleanliness, alongside a lack of amenities that don't align with the hotel's high prices.
Criticisms also extend to the hotel's service, which is frequently described as disorganized and unresponsive. Additionally, issues with parking and noise dampen the charm of its otherwise excellent bar, leading many to question the value of their stay.
Location
Inconvenient
Atmosphere
Eclectic
Rooms
Uncomfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Disorganized
Amenities
Underwhelming
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As others have noted, some of the (extremely) negative reviews here brought up trepidation in our minds as we hiked directly to the Stanley as part of a weeklong Rocky Mountain Park trek. We were prepared for this historic hotel to have small rooms and to display signs of aging (both of these things were true), but what overcame all of that was the attentiveness of each staff member that we encountered during our one-night stay. Arriving tired, hot, and dusty, Brandi displayed professionalism and poise as she checked us in and retrieved our (heavy) luggage even though she was at the very end of her shift. Her demeanor was a harbinger of all of our staff encounters at the Stanley. Our room was small, but spotless and charming. The bed was extremely comfortable, the linens and towels plush and the shower tiny, but refreshing. Too tired to walk into town after the day’s long hike, we chose to dine on site. However, our unique dietary needs seemed to preclude finding menu items at the restaurant. Calling down to Meredith (the hostess) was key as she told us that there was a “special” that would meet our needs. We had a pre-dinner drink at the lovely outside patio while awaiting our reservation, then were informed that the “special” was no longer available. Heather (our great waitress) and Meredith both came to the rescue and the “special” was rediscovered leading to a lovely outdoor (Covid safe) dining experience. The next morning at an early 7:00 AM breakfast (prior to another hiking day), we were greeted by Robert. Even though he had set up an inside table with a view for us, he was the epitome of graciousness when we requested an outdoor table due to Covid concerns. He quickly and professionally set us up on the front patio while also handling the influx of other arriving diners. His wonderful persona was a great way to wake up as was the tremendous and healthful food which was presented beautifully as well. At the very end of our meal, Georgia (the restaurant’s namesake) stopped by our table and chatted about her unique story as well the great food that this restaurant produces. All in all, our stay here will remain in our memories for quite some time, with the people that we met even outweighing the historic hotel itself.
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Date of stay: August 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I’ve always wanted to stay here and I was finally able to check it off my bucket list. Things I loved: Of course the history and beauty of the hotel. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The grounds are beautiful. The room we stayed in was #406. Nice room and comfortable bed with a super large closet. Not so great: The elevator was not working so hauling two giant suitcases up to the fourth floor was awful! No bellhops either. Gift store was closed so you had to look through glass to try to point out what you wanted. Ceiling fan didn’t work in our room and the portable a/c struggled to cool. The next morning, I went out to the front porch. I was disappointed to see the patio furniture all pushed around and cushions hanging off obviously from the night before. Also, leftover pizza box and beer bottles on a table. That should be hospitality 101 When guest pay almost $300 a night, someone should be cleaning and arranging the furniture every morning. I would return but disappointed in the lack of attention to details.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shannon DeBus, Sales at Stanley Hotel
Responded 12 Aug 2020
Thank you for your review. Your concerns have been addressed with the appropriate departments to make sure this does not happen in the future.
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I will start by saying that I read reviews and decided to stay here for two nights anyway. I had an open mind, thinking, can the hotel really be that bad as some reviews state, especially for the price? We stayed in the main hotel. It is quite lovely. There is a gift shop, a small coffee shop with yummy pastries on the lower level, and the gorgeous Cascades restaurant which I would have liked to try had we been there longer. We did not spend any time outside, it’s just as beautiful, because there was a snow the prior day and temps were quite cool. Check in was at 4, room not ready so we hung out by the fireplace until5, still not ready. Front desk offered to take our cell and text when room was ready (they never did). We went on with our plans to go to RMNP for wildlife viewing, got back to the hotel around 9pm and checked in. One bar of soap, no other toiletries, no washcloths, and one roll of toilet paper that was on the holder. They do not do housekeeping every day. There was about a quarter of an inch of dust on the ceiling fan blades on the side. The room was cold. After 6 calls to the front desk someone answered and in about 30 minutes a portable heater was brought to be put in the center of the room, apparently the radiators in the hall we were in were not working. No housekeeping or staff came to to give us items we needed and were assured would be given that evening. Middle of the night our room became a sauna and we had to fiddle with the space heater off and on to get it to a comfortable temp. The sink faucet...well, one handle spun around and did not seem to affect the water at all and the other side handle seemed to control both hot and cold water as well as the amount. In the morning I found a housekeeping room open and got supplies myself. My travel companion did speak with a manager as we were checking out and we did get a small credit to our bill. I was disappointed though, this could be such a fabulous place if they could just get their act together. PS elevator worked fine and hot water was also fine, problems mentioned in other reviews.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
While the view and historic value earn a 5 star, the overall maintenance, housekeeping, and price do not match the absorbent price worth the expense. Beware when booking! Obscurely hidden is the fact that the minute you confirm your reservation your credit card is charged immediately for one whole nights stay, regardless of how far out you book. When I emailed reservations regarding the charge on my card, I was informed my confirmation email indicated these charges, it di not. I forwarded the confirmation email back asking them to indicate where in the email this was stated and I never received a reply. Upon checking in an additional $100 hold is put on your card for incidentals (smoking in the room, trashing it, or fire). I checked into my room, and again appreciate the historical content, but do not believe the hotel description regarding the "latest of modern amenities". Do not expect USB jacks, alarm clock, lamps with knobs for turning on/off (you have to plug in/out), HOT water, or wifi that works consistently. The first room they put me in had NO hot water and the room was dirty. The mirrors appeared to have not been cleaned in years and the blanket had dirt stains all over it. Upon being downgraded to a smaller room the temperature in the room was 63 degrees (outside temp 17 degrees) with no ability to adjust. Engineering was sent up to no avail, so they had to put a space heater in the room. When I went to shower the water was not ice cold as in the previous room, but you can barely call it warm. The event I was attending was especially nice but my overall experience was miserable.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from ShannonDeBus, Manager at Stanley Hotel
Responded 14 Jan 2020
I truly apologize for your less than exceptional experience at The Stanley Hotel. We pride ourselves on exceeding our guests expectations and it is apparent we fell short. Please call me at 970-577-4031 at your earliest convenience as we would like the opportunity to discuss your experience. Thank you, Kevin Roman Revenue Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
One of, if not the worst experience, I’ve ever had at a property. I understand the impact of Covid and I believe I am very reasonable. The short of it is it appears they are booking to full capacity but staffing far below the level needed to care for their guests. Dozens of calls with. I answers or call backs, restaurant online reservations system down but told us they would not take reservations by phone or in person, because they are to busy, couldn’t get bedding for our kids, even though I walked from the Aspire up to the main hotel and spoke to a lady directly. No one staffs after 6 pm at Aspire. The room looked as if it had not been cleaned. We found burned bacon in the microwave and can’t describe what was under the pullout. Air conditioning did not work and after a 5 am promise that all our concerns would be addressed we returned to the hotel at 3:30 pm to have nothing taken care of and after pushing to get engineering in ASAP to look at the unit we were told they could not fix it. We were offered another unit but they couldn’t tell us if the AC worked in it so we checked and it would also not turn on. Some of the staff were apologetic and felt bad that everything was so difficult and that they did. It have the staff to help while others, Bell specifically, was very defensive and no help. We are still waiting for the call from the hotel manager. Imagine that is not coming either...I could keep going but will simply say it’s probably best to find another place to stay until staffing and management issues have been taken care of.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The best thing about the Stanley is its location - walking distance to Estes Park and short drive to Rocky Mountain National Park. We rented one of their condos that was very spacious, and that was nice for our teens. Beyond that, we were on our own for anything we needed including housekeeping, toilet paper, soap, towels, etc. We had to go to the store to purchase supplies after repeated requests were unmet. The master shower was filthy upon check-in. We were asked to place our trash outside in the driveway for pick up. They did not pick it up on a timely basis, and trash blew around the yard and the street. Speaking of check in, the computers were down and we were turned away for check in at 5 PM on a Friday. We were told they would call us when the computers were up so we could check in. We left for dinner and we’re gone two hours and never received a phone call. The hotel sells tours to the public so the lobby, grounds and parking lot are mobbed with tourists who, we were told, were not guests of the hotel. Only ever saw two employees in the our 6 day stay. There’s more but you get the idea by now. Choose another option.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shannon DeBus, Sales at Stanley Hotel
Responded 20 Jul 2020
Thank you for your review. It is unfortunate we did experience a loss of internet and power during check in on Friday. We are working diligently to adhere to all of the COVID guidelines and in doing so, have had to adjust how we service rooms and provide additional services as we are not entering rooms during guest stays. I apologize on behalf of the Stanley as our goal is to exceed our guest's expectations and in this case we fell short.
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Yes this hotel is old and full of history and character. That is where the positive attributes come to a screeching halt. My first impressions were right when I called the hotel before we checked in to ask about the timed entrances to Rocky Mountain National Park. Calls went into a black hole and were never returned. When I did call to speak to the front desk in hopes to get a live human being, I was told they did not have a concierge and they did not know the answer my questions.
There is no concierge, no bell staff, and parking is a nightmare.
They profess to reduce the risk of covid by not providing housekeeping. However, they do allow hordes of outsiders into the place at all hours. Some ‘limiting guest interaction due to covid’ as they state in a placard left in the non air-conditioned rooms. Requests for basics such as toilet paper, washcloths, and emptying trash were either snail-like or not answered at all. A call to the manager was full of empty promises and defensive, illogical excuses. There is no reason not to provide housekeeping during the day when guests are out in the park for extended periods. Again, they allow THRONGS of outsiders in with no problem, clogging hallways and public areas. They should be ashamed and embarrassed.
As stated above, parking is a nightmare due to the outsiders. There is no drop-off area for luggage and no bell staff.
This was an expensive $1400 mistake. I have had better experiences at Holiday Inn Express. At least you get a free cinnamon roll there.
I usually let small things slide but this was one blatant example of poor service (and total lack of service and totally illogical covid policies NOT in favor of hotel guests!) after another with a high price tag. The ‘general manager’ never got in touch with me after promising ‘to see what she could do’.
All this is really a shame because if this place were managed well it would stand out. It is painfully poorly managed. Save your money and go elsewhere.
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Date of stay: June 2021
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:The best rooms are at other hotels.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Seems like a beautiful hotel. Check went smoothly. Pretty room. Until we noticed a sticker from a previous occupants clothing stuck to the bedside table and it full of dust. If the bedside tables have been wiped/sanitized properly, would housekeeping have missed it? Which made us worry about the rest of the room in this pandemic. When I called the front desk to voice my concern, the person asked me “what I wanted them to do”. I said I don’t know. And he asked me again, what would you like us to do for you, mam?”. I replied that i would like to change rooms if there is availability. He said there was but those rooms hadn’t been cleaned yet so it would be several hours before that could happen. Very frustrating. Trying to decide if we should leave the hotel, and try and get another reservation somewhere. Update: we decided to stay, because my daughter really wanted to do the evening ghost tour, and spend the night in a haunted hotel. I’m glad we did, because the ghost tour was awesome. You get to explore some areas not accessible to the general public. Very creepy feeling in certain areas, but the guide, who is very connected the the spirit world, made us feel very safe, while giving us a taste of communicating with the spirit world. Of course I woke up this morning to no coffee cups in our room, even though we had a Keurig and coffee. When I tried to call housekeeping the line didn’t ring through so once again had to deal with the front desk. Also, lovely round glad vintage window in our bathroom. Would be amazing except for the cracks and duck tape on it....To sum up, this hotel has some lovely feature. The history of it is wonderful. The upkeep however leaves something to be described and the housekeeping and attention to those kinds of details were kind of appalling. And how the front desk treated our concerns was the reason they received such a low rating.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shannon DeBus, Sales at Stanley Hotel
Responded 12 Aug 2020
Thank you for your review. We have addressed your concerns with the appropriate departments to ensure this does not happen in the future.
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Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Let me start by saying that I'm not a hotel snob. All I really need is clean, comfortable, and safe. And I don't even mind the things I'm going to complain about. The problem is that I mind paying $250 and getting the things I'm going to complain about. First of all, the room was run down: scratched up furniture, heating unit falling apart, lukewarm water, two-inch bolts holding the toilet down, lousy caulking job in the bathroom. The room was pretty noisy as well and the fire alarm went off a few different times for no apparent reason, and teenagers were running around the hallways. The bed was surprisingly comfortable and there was a Kuerig in the room. We had drinks, dinner, and breakfast the following morning in the bar/restaurant. The service was very, very slow and the food was barely better than average but very expensive. I had the $45 filet for dinner. It came with fries (!) and a small salad. It was fairly tasteless and not very tender. I could get a better piece of meat from Outback for half the price! Same problem with breakfast (service and price). The Eggs Benedict was pretty bland and expensive for what it was. It was also hard to get a coffee refill. We did attend the Illusions of the Passed show in the evening and enjoyed that. We only interacted with the front desk staff and she was friendly. The hotel is absolutely beautiful from the outside and from a distance. Once you get up close, you can see the problems like the handrail to the front door loose and wobbly and chipped up and broken areas on the sidewalk and stairs out front. The stay at the hotel was really disappointing and expensive. I agree with someone else who said visit the hotel, take some pictures, then eat and stay somewhere else. It was disappointing and I was so excited, too. I won't stay there again and I would not recommend it to a friend or family member.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from ShannonDeBus, Director of Sales at Stanley Hotel
Responded 13 Feb 2020
Thank you for your review. We appreciate you providing your complete experience so we can improve our service. We work diligently to exceed our customers expectations and in this case it seems we fell short. We would like the opportunity to discuss your experience further, please call, Kevin Roman, at 970-577-4031 at you convenience.
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We have been staying at The Stanley a couple times each year since 2009 and we always enjoy the experience while at the same time finding it a little frustrating. We like the investments being made in the property but find some of the little things slipping like cleanliness of the room and amenities like glassware in the room. This is supposed to be a luxury hotel but we get plastic cups like a Motel 6. Seems like they’ve recently added Keurig coffee makers but then the coffee shop downstairs wasn’t open at 8:30a on a Saturday. It’s the details that make for a perfect experience. Shout out to Maurice who welcomed us and helped us with our luggage while giving us some good suggestions for our stay.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from ShannonDeBus, Director of Sales at Stanley Hotel
Responded 4 Mar 2020
Thank you for your review. We appreciate our guests taking the time to review The Stanley and we share all of your feedback with our staff to continually improve our guest experience. Thank you.
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I don't know about the names of the rooms. The info sheet the hotel gives just lists the rooms by number. From that sheet:
401 - male ghost
407 - strange happenings (i.e. no visuals)
413 - man in "old-fashioned" clothing hanging around
418 - child ghost
428 - cowboy ghost
217 - Stephen King's room, strange shadows, other happenings
1302 - male ghost, moving objects
There are more places to choose from in the Estes Park area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
stanley estes park, stanley hotel colorado, stanley hotel estes park colorado
LOCATION
United StatesColoradoEstes Park
NUMBER OF ROOMS
230
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Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.
