A Retreat at the Stanley Hotel
Earlier this year, I had a business
retreat up at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. I teased and giggled and
bragged that maybe some of us would see a ghost! Of course, I didn't
think anything would really happen, or that I would be the one who
ended up with the ghostly experience.
When we checked in, my roommate and I were given room 404. Our room was not a normal hotel room, but looked more like at attic bedroom. It was shaped like an "L." One of the beds was at the far end of the room, next to a large walk-in closet. My roommate took one look at that and said "I'm NOT sleeping next to that creepy old closet." Well, her being in her 20's, I figured she was just being a bit dramatic. So, in good humor, I took the bed next to the closet.
Because we were there in January, our company pretty much had the run of the hotel. We saw very few guests. The first night, I came back to our room after a social event. My roommate was already asleep. I tried to wake her up, only to find out she'd taken a sleeping pill, and that she was totally OUT OF IT. So, I laid down in my bed and tried to turn the bedside light on next to it. It was burned out. So, I quickly changed, got into bed, and settled in for the night. At about 3 a.m., I woke up because I heard loud stomping in the hallway. It was so loud, it shook the glasses on my dresser table. I thought it was odd for someone to be pacing the halls that late, so I just laid there for a while, a bit creeped out. Well, the stomping started to sound like it was right within our room (our room was on the corner of two adjoining halls).
With my eyes still closed, I rolled over on my back and also began to hear noises of children, and the "pacing." Suddenly, I was pinned down on the bed. I felt totally helpless because I was on my back. It started with my feet, a very heavy pressure, then worked its way up my body, finally lifting off of me. I couldn't open my eyes or move at all, or scream. I just laid there because I was so utterly terrified. When I was "unfrozen," I pulled the covers over my head like a little kid and said "GO AWAY!" I was so scared I stayed that way, wide awake, until the sun began to come up. At one point, I tried to wake my roommate up, but she was still completely asleep.
Having a ghost touch you is creepy enough, but to have one lay/press on you is even weirder. I was pretty freaked out. Throughout the next day, I walked around between meetings w/my camera on breaks to take some pictures. I was kind of mad at myself for not getting a picture of it. Every time I was up on the 4th floor where we were staying, I felt sick and claustrophobic. It was a strange feeling for me. Everywhere I went, I felt uneasy, like I was being watched.
The second night, I was not feeling too great, but not really thrilled about spending time in the room. We had called the front staff to come and change the burnt out bulb by my bed. It took three bulbs before the thing would work. I came back from our second social event earlier than my roommate. She was making up for not partying the first night. I got back into bed, but this time decided there was NO WAY that bedside light was going off. I figured, like a kid, that if I left it on, nothing would happen to me. Well, wrong in that theory. I was laying there again, starting to fall asleep, when the closet door knob started to rattle, then the door shook, then I heard light kid's laughing/playing noises again. I knew what to expect at this point when I heard the pacing. This time, however, I pulled the covers over my head, but stayed far on one side of the bed, away from the spot where I got pinned the night before. This time, whatever it was, sat on the bed behind me. I felt it get very cold on my back, and I just asked it to leave and told it I was scared. It did.
Needless to say, I didn't sleep well that night either. My roommate came back in around 4 a.m.--and I didn't even tell her the story at that point. I knew I'd be checking out the next day...so I just waited for that! When we finalized everything at noon, the sense of relief and lightness I felt after I left the hotel was amazing. I don't know what was up there, but it definitely wanted me to know it was there, and it seemed like it was teasing me because I'd been poking fun to my co-workers/friends earlier on my first day. I'm definitely not psychic or anything like that--I think it was just a once in lifetime thing to happen to you. I'm really hoping that it'll only be that one time for me!
Thanks--Wendi
On December 30th 2005, my wife & I paid a visit to the Stanley Hotel and took the tour that is provided. There were about 15 people in our group. We visited the music room, the billiards room, the ball room and then went to the 2nd floor where the guide told stories about the famed room 217. I could see by the look on some of the faces of the group members they wanted to see something unusual or wanted something wierd to happen. When we got to the 4th floor, the guide pointed out the ghostly activities that have been reported. He remarked about the long hallway leading past room 418 and several of the group ventured down the hall. I was taken in by the construction of the interior and wasn't paying much attention to what was being said. As the group headed downstairs, my wife started down the end of the hall. I followed her and about two thirds of the way towards the end of the hall, I felt light headed, dizzy and as I continued, I felt a pressure build up in my temple areas. I continued walking and just before I reached the end of the hallway, all symptoms ceased. After looking out the hall windows momentarily, we proceeded back. After taking several steps, I noticed the same dizziness and pressure. I continued walking and about 30' later it subsided. I was just going to continue and join the guide who was waiting for us but I turned around and again walked towards the end of the hall. Same results. I repeated it four more times with again the same results. The center of activity I noted was along Room 418. By this time I was really tired and felt exausted. We joined our guide at the top of the stairs and he asked if we wanted to hear more stories about the hotel. I said no, I've seen enough. I wanted to tell him what I experienced but felt embarrassed and didn't want him to think I was crazy so I kept my mouth shut. The next day I worked up the courage to go back to the hotel and tell him what happened. It was just before the next tour group was to start. I entered the hotel and looked around the lobby but didn't see him. I started to get dizzy and light headed again. I backed out of the hotel and the symptoms ceased. I don't claim to be sensative but I wonder what could have caused the sensations I felt?
When we checked in, my roommate and I were given room 404. Our room was not a normal hotel room, but looked more like at attic bedroom. It was shaped like an "L." One of the beds was at the far end of the room, next to a large walk-in closet. My roommate took one look at that and said "I'm NOT sleeping next to that creepy old closet." Well, her being in her 20's, I figured she was just being a bit dramatic. So, in good humor, I took the bed next to the closet.
Because we were there in January, our company pretty much had the run of the hotel. We saw very few guests. The first night, I came back to our room after a social event. My roommate was already asleep. I tried to wake her up, only to find out she'd taken a sleeping pill, and that she was totally OUT OF IT. So, I laid down in my bed and tried to turn the bedside light on next to it. It was burned out. So, I quickly changed, got into bed, and settled in for the night. At about 3 a.m., I woke up because I heard loud stomping in the hallway. It was so loud, it shook the glasses on my dresser table. I thought it was odd for someone to be pacing the halls that late, so I just laid there for a while, a bit creeped out. Well, the stomping started to sound like it was right within our room (our room was on the corner of two adjoining halls).
With my eyes still closed, I rolled over on my back and also began to hear noises of children, and the "pacing." Suddenly, I was pinned down on the bed. I felt totally helpless because I was on my back. It started with my feet, a very heavy pressure, then worked its way up my body, finally lifting off of me. I couldn't open my eyes or move at all, or scream. I just laid there because I was so utterly terrified. When I was "unfrozen," I pulled the covers over my head like a little kid and said "GO AWAY!" I was so scared I stayed that way, wide awake, until the sun began to come up. At one point, I tried to wake my roommate up, but she was still completely asleep.
Having a ghost touch you is creepy enough, but to have one lay/press on you is even weirder. I was pretty freaked out. Throughout the next day, I walked around between meetings w/my camera on breaks to take some pictures. I was kind of mad at myself for not getting a picture of it. Every time I was up on the 4th floor where we were staying, I felt sick and claustrophobic. It was a strange feeling for me. Everywhere I went, I felt uneasy, like I was being watched.
The second night, I was not feeling too great, but not really thrilled about spending time in the room. We had called the front staff to come and change the burnt out bulb by my bed. It took three bulbs before the thing would work. I came back from our second social event earlier than my roommate. She was making up for not partying the first night. I got back into bed, but this time decided there was NO WAY that bedside light was going off. I figured, like a kid, that if I left it on, nothing would happen to me. Well, wrong in that theory. I was laying there again, starting to fall asleep, when the closet door knob started to rattle, then the door shook, then I heard light kid's laughing/playing noises again. I knew what to expect at this point when I heard the pacing. This time, however, I pulled the covers over my head, but stayed far on one side of the bed, away from the spot where I got pinned the night before. This time, whatever it was, sat on the bed behind me. I felt it get very cold on my back, and I just asked it to leave and told it I was scared. It did.
Needless to say, I didn't sleep well that night either. My roommate came back in around 4 a.m.--and I didn't even tell her the story at that point. I knew I'd be checking out the next day...so I just waited for that! When we finalized everything at noon, the sense of relief and lightness I felt after I left the hotel was amazing. I don't know what was up there, but it definitely wanted me to know it was there, and it seemed like it was teasing me because I'd been poking fun to my co-workers/friends earlier on my first day. I'm definitely not psychic or anything like that--I think it was just a once in lifetime thing to happen to you. I'm really hoping that it'll only be that one time for me!
Thanks--Wendi
Another Encounter
On December 30th 2005, my wife & I paid a visit to the Stanley Hotel and took the tour that is provided. There were about 15 people in our group. We visited the music room, the billiards room, the ball room and then went to the 2nd floor where the guide told stories about the famed room 217. I could see by the look on some of the faces of the group members they wanted to see something unusual or wanted something wierd to happen. When we got to the 4th floor, the guide pointed out the ghostly activities that have been reported. He remarked about the long hallway leading past room 418 and several of the group ventured down the hall. I was taken in by the construction of the interior and wasn't paying much attention to what was being said. As the group headed downstairs, my wife started down the end of the hall. I followed her and about two thirds of the way towards the end of the hall, I felt light headed, dizzy and as I continued, I felt a pressure build up in my temple areas. I continued walking and just before I reached the end of the hallway, all symptoms ceased. After looking out the hall windows momentarily, we proceeded back. After taking several steps, I noticed the same dizziness and pressure. I continued walking and about 30' later it subsided. I was just going to continue and join the guide who was waiting for us but I turned around and again walked towards the end of the hall. Same results. I repeated it four more times with again the same results. The center of activity I noted was along Room 418. By this time I was really tired and felt exausted. We joined our guide at the top of the stairs and he asked if we wanted to hear more stories about the hotel. I said no, I've seen enough. I wanted to tell him what I experienced but felt embarrassed and didn't want him to think I was crazy so I kept my mouth shut. The next day I worked up the courage to go back to the hotel and tell him what happened. It was just before the next tour group was to start. I entered the hotel and looked around the lobby but didn't see him. I started to get dizzy and light headed again. I backed out of the hotel and the symptoms ceased. I don't claim to be sensative but I wonder what could have caused the sensations I felt?