
What real-world hotel was the inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining?

I’ve been to some shady hotels in my time, but none that made me so fearful for my life that I wrote one of the most iconic horror novels of all time.
As scary as the book is, the film is something else. Yes, I prefer Kubrick's version of The Shining over King’s, but it’s not because I hate reading. It’s partially because it’s just an expertly crafted movie that is packed with details and secrets, but also because of the crazy conspiracies surrounding it.
People have stitched together some truly out there theories based on this movie. Everything from it being Kubrick secretly admitting to faking the moon landing to some kind of political commentary. It’s a deep rabbit hole if you want to dive in.
As far as the hotel that inspired the book, I’ve actually stayed at this same hotel — but I never saw any creepy twins or had any urges to murder my family with an axe. I wonder if it’s actually the hotel that is haunted or if King just brings bad vibes with him?
Click START to answer.
▼
The answer is: Stanley Hotel. King didn’t intend to write The Shining until he took a trip down to Colorado and stayed at the famous Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. He and his wife took a trip there in 1974 right before it closed for the winter, meaning they were the only guests. The story goes that King had terrible nightmares that first night (in room 217 of course) which gave him the entire plot for the book.Source
Share This Trivia
Want More Nostalgia?
Check out our other quizzes and random trivia questions!
More Trivia
- What game was featured on the cover of the first Nintendo Power?
- What year was DNA discovered?
- Which animal is able to sleep with one eye open?
- What were the ancient aliens in "The Fifth Element" called?
- What’s the name of the farmer who trains Babe?
- Which legendary director voiced Unicron in "The Transformers: The Movie"?
- What planet is Discovery One traveling to in "2001: A Space Odyssey"?
- What was the first Billboard Hot 100 song?