COLORADO NEWS

Colorado hotel that inspired ‘The Shining’ plans a massive upgrade to attract more fans

Oct 9, 2025, 5:17 PM | Updated: Oct 10, 2025, 11:46 am

When you think of the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, you immediately think “The Shining,” so why wouldn’t they use that fame to attract more tourists to town?

The hotel that inspired the horror classic is making major upgrades. The new owners of the Stanley Hotel are tapping into municipal bonds to use nearly $300,000,000 to add more rooms, an event center and a horror museum curated by Blumhouse. That’s the production studio behind movies like “Halloween” and “Paranormal Activity.”

The goal is to take advantage of the Sundance Film Festival, relocating to nearby Boulder in 2027.

The Stanley Hotel is an independent 196-room hotel on 40 acres that opened in 1909, and is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places.

Colorado News

Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

The Denver Dog Fair takes over the National Western Complex on Saturday

The Denver Dog Fair returns Saturday (June 27) to the National Western Complex with 140,000 square feet of indoor, temperature-controlled space dedicated entirely to the proposition that dogs deserve their […]

1 day ago

Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

The 2026 Colorado Rockies are bad, but they’re also the most exciting team in baseball

The Colorado Rockies are 32-49, dead last in the NL West and 20 games behind the Dodgers. They own the worst ERA in Major League Baseball at 5.48 and have […]

1 day ago

Broomfield Recreation Services...

Shawn Patrick

‘Night glow swimming’ at The Bay in Broomfield: Color-changing lights, waterslides and $9 tickets

Looking for a summer activity that doesn’t involve bribing your kids with screen time? Broomfield’s Bay Aquatic Park has added something new for 2026: Family Night Glow Swimming sessions where […]

1 day ago

Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

Casa Bonita makes Yelp’s list of most outrageous restaurants in America

Of all the restaurants in America where you can eat a sopapilla while watching a man do a backflip off a cliff into a pool, only one made Yelp’s list […]

1 day ago

Greeley Stampede...

Shawn Patrick

Shawn Patrick’s top 10 things not to be missed at the 104th Greeley Stampede

A short drive north from Denver will have you in Greeley, my hometown and the home of the Greeley Stampede, one of the biggest rodeo and western celebrations in America. […]

1 day ago

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

Avalanche trade Nichushkin to Columbus, continuing roster overhaul

Another piece of the 2022 Stanley Cup championship team is gone. The Colorado Avalanche traded forward Valeri Nichushkin to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday in exchange for three draft […]

1 day ago

Colorado hotel that inspired ‘The Shining’ plans a massive upgrade to attract more fans