GRAND STANLEY
Boomers find their way home to this gracious resort—ideal for mulligan marriages or their children’s weddings—this year celebrating 30 years since “The Shining”
By Danielle Yuthas
On a bright January Saturday in Estes Park, Colo., Pachelbel Canon in D rises up from the grand piano into the topmost reaches of the place, accompanying the very-soon-to-be Mrs. Cathy June down the aisle. The piano is one of the original pieces in the Stanley Hotel, belonging to pianist Flora Stanley, wife of owner Freelan O. Stanley who opened the historic hotel on July 4, 1909. The primary purpose in building the Stanley was the eponymous couple’s desire to construct a venue for their lavish parties where they entertained friends.
The hotel is said to be haunted, but happily so. The distinction between a tragic haunting and a happy haunting is in the motivation. These are not ghost stories of coming back from the grave to seek revenge or frighten guests; they are simply former visitors who enjoyed themselves so much at the Stanley that they like to return to this day. No Mr. Gradys here.
The hotel has a sense of being untouched by time, which was the inspiration for the Overlook Hotel in Stephen King’s novel “The Shining.” It was also the scene of the Hotel Danbury in “Dumb and Dumber.” All fiction aside, the revelers at the 138-room Georgian hotel have included the Unsinkable Molly Brown, John Philip Sousa, President Teddy Roosevelt and the Emperor and Empress of Japan. Not too shabby.
Room 217, the suite popularized by Stephen King in his book-turned-film-hit exactly 30 years ago this May, is the most famous of the haunted rooms. It’s not the only quarters with frequent reports of paranormal activity, albeit not every room has been discovered to be haunted…yet. The palatial junior suites with their sumptuous king-size beds and Jacuzzi bathtubs allow guests to settle in to the modern comforts of the Stanley.
The music room is a natural site for stately weddings, accommodating up to 80 guests. Posing in front of arched Palladian windows overlooking a panoramic view of the outdoors, couples say their I Dos. This was the original room used by the Stanleys to entertain and when their concerts outgrew the music room, they added a concert hall to the property.
But the music room is just the perfect size for this June-Mrs. June wedding. As boomers plan children’s weddings and mulligan marriages, it’s important to factor in the ambiance and size of each place before deciding the space with the right personality. More and more brides are choosing this old-world charm with a modern twist of elegance that the Stanley has to offer. This year, 2010, marks the most marriages ever booked at this hotel: 172 and counting.
One of the many grand staircases Flora Stanley insisted on in incorporating into the original design of the place dominates this lobby. An original Stanley Motor Carriage (the steam engine known as a Stanley Steamer and produced by F.O. Stanley and his twin brother Francis E. Stanley) wholly captures incoming guests’ attention. The new Mrs. June’s reception was held in the MacGregor ballroom, just across the hotel’s grand entrance. The MacGregor is a romantic ballroom with detained woodwork, just the right stage for cutting cake or live music.
The Stanleys were renowned for entrepreneurial prowess including the photographic dry plate business, which they sold to Eastman Kodak. But they took genuine pride in their hotel. For them and their guests it was truly an oasis. Today, friends and family of Mrs. Cathy June and her groom gather here. Rumor has it that whenever there is a truly special party or event held at the Stanley that is reminiscent of the caliber soirees the original owners were fond of hosting, that the friendly ghosts have been known to return to the scene.
And on this special January evening, their presence was felt.
