Breaking Down the Fourth Wall: A Visit to The Stanley Hotel from ‘The Shining’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

It’s funny how a single memory will sometimes send your mind into overdrive and I make mention of that simply because a blog I wrote the other day, one where I was able to geek out with you fine folks about my first ever visit to a movie location, by way of the Barringer Meteor Crater from Starman, really got me thinking. Because in reality, that was quite the formative moment for me as both a writer and a fan and going to that place not only helped me appreciate what a location can do for a story and its audience, but that these kinds of places can in fact hold special personal meaning to those that visit them.
 
Because these places helped bring to life incredible moments for fans, and seeing them in person, somehow allows for us to be closer to the stories we love, and feel as though we are part of them, depending on how much one loves for the story in question and for me…there are really only two places that have ever called to me in that fashion. One of them is the Monroeville Mall that was featured in the 1978 film Dawn of the Dead, which is a place and a visit we will talk about another time. Because today’s story, is going to revolve around a very personal moment for me as both a writer and a fan; my first overnight visit to The Stanley Hotel.
 
Now for those unfamiliar with this hotel, it’s nestled in Estes Park, Colorado, and it just so happened to serve as the inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining and awesomely enough, it was the filming location for several segments of the 1997 made-for-TV movie iteration of that story and well, it’s a place that I honestly didn’t visit until I was well into adulthood. Which quite frankly, is my bad, because it’s in my backyard, it’s a place where Stephen King still hangs from time to time, so I should have moved my buns up there sooner, and what finally motivated me to spend time up there, was the fact that I was looking for a little creative stimulation since I  had just started writing my first novel and well, what started out as an attempt at inspiration ended up being quite the special moment in my life.
 
Granted, it took a little while to get to that point. Because I was hell bent on writing that novel, and I was going to lock myself in my room and just hammer as many words as I could out and well, that simply didn’t happen at first. I sat there, staring at the screen, so I ordered some room service thinking maybe I needed to eat, and that just made me sleepy. Which meant it was time for a walk, a clearing of the head if you will and that’s when the magic arrived. For as I stepped through the halls of this hotel and soaked up the atmosphere and let my mind wander, I came to realize that this was quite the special place. After all, one of modern America’s most prolific writers stayed here, ate here, likely wrote here and for a writer, that creates a bit of a kindred moment, one that humbles you when you realize that you’re in a place where creation thrives and honestly, that realization eventually removed my little bout of Writer’s Block.
 
However, what matters more is that I came to realize just what an iconic place The Stanley Hotel has become over the years. Because as I roamed and people watched, I saw the pictures people were taking of various parts of the hotel, something you don’t normally see happen at a hotel, and I heard conversations about Jack Nicholson and the remake and what they loved the most about The Shining and that’s when it hit me. I was in essence standing in a place of storytelling and motion picture history. Where Stephen King’s visual representation of The Overlook Hotel came to life and that was equally as humbling. Because The Shining is one of my favorite novels and having never been to The Stanley Hotel before, seeing the majesty and eeriness of the place, especially at night, and seeing the respect and regard that people paid to it, really helped me to understand what an honor it was to be there.
 
However, for a movie location that people flock to, it’s also quite peaceful, and the views help one’s mind relax as you get lost in the wonder of nature and perhaps what makes this place so special to me is that it has become a fixture in my life. Whenever I need to clear my head and feel inspired, I swing by there, and I’ve stayed there numerous times now with Scotty and Shae and, I’ve written plenty there and every single time I go up there it’s a wonderful experience. But nothing will ever top that first time I stepped through those doors and saw The Overlook Hotel with my own eyes, because seeing that iconic and fictional and evil hotel come to life really is the stuff of magic and as I write this, I’m reminded of the fact that I’m overdue for another voyage to The Stanley Hotel, and I’m thankful that a living legend in both print and T.V. just so happens to be in my backyard. 

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