Across the Great Divide
“Haunted Hotels”
Most fans of horror know that the backdrop of Stephen King’s classic The Shining was prompted by the wordsmith’s stay at the famous Stanley Hotel. Contrary to popular belief, King was living in Boulder at the time and did not write the novel while staying at the hotel- unlike the character of Jack Torrance, immortalized on screen by Jack Nickolson. He had the idea after staying in room 217 of the almost-empty hotel on the night before it closed for an extended period.
The legend continues, though, and many believe it to be haunted, reporting any number of ghostly encounters- primarily in the ballroom- during their stay.
The Ghost Hunters television show was invited to investigate at the hotel, where the manager gleefully showed them the various places where these alleged activities have occurred.
To their credit, TAPS discovered some rational reasons for the various phenomena, such as wind and old pipes. However, they could not decipher incidents in the ballroom.
The Stanley Hotel was also on call for the Ghost Adventures show in October of 2010.
After hearing claims that paranormal activities at the hotel are due to the geological makeup of the location, Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society (RMP) contacted the USDA for information on the site. The scientists’ conclusion, based on a satellite survey of Colorado, showed “nothing unusual about the aeromagnetic data in the area of Estes Park as compared to that general area of the Rockies.”
The Skeptical Inquirer’s Naked Skeptic column, by Karen Stollznow, discussed RMP’s investigation: “During the investigation, The RMP researched popular beliefs and claims; they solved some mysteries, they performed valuable outreach, and they maintained the historical integrity of the Stanley Hotel. However, they didn’t discover any anomalous phenomena. They found a leak in the ceiling but no ghosts.”
It would seem that the science doesn’t back up the fantasy, as most of the activity is dismissed.
Nevertheless, the legend has helped keep The Stanley in business as a result and they perpetuate the excitement (or feed the imagination/sensitivities of guests) by showing the uncut R-rated version of Kubrick’s The Shining on a continuous loop on Channel 42 of guest room televisions.
In the movie 1408 John Cusack plays an author who travels to supposedly haunted hotels and then writes about the paranormal activity, providing both the hotel’s guest list and his book sales a boost in the process.
Hollywood continues to affect reality as haunted hotel investigations and tours have seen a dramatic increase in recent years.
It’s big business for all involved- paranormal groups get to come in and do their thing, guests are intrigued by the promise of a spooky encounter, and the hotels get free marketing out of it all, no matter what the results may be.
Entire packages are sold to groups, or individuals, who can come stay at a reportedly haunted hotel and go on “haunted” tours. Try typing in “ghost tours” into a search engine sometime. I did and instantly received 6.3 MILLION results. Big numbers; big business; and folks naïve enough to shell out cash for a thrill- a recipe for success.
Here in Detroit we have the famous Whitney mansion, now a posh restaurant, which has an exclusive agreement with a specific paranormal group. Isn’t that advantageous for both parties? The Whitney gets to perpetuate their “haunted” history, the group gets to claim bragging rights, and no one can come in to back up or refute the claims. That’s a brilliant marketing strategy that the public eats up- literally and figuratively. That helps explain why the Whitney can charge so much for their dinners and desserts.
The USA Today posted an article last year highlighting Travelocity’s Top 10 Haunted Hotels and part of my web search landed me on the steps of the Crescent Hotel in Arkansas that reports to be haunted.
Staff members receive regular reports from guests revolving around Room 424 and Room 202. The most famous haunted spot is Room 218, where several guests and employees have encountered strange sounds and sensations in the room such as doors slamming shut and some people have claimed to be shaken awake at night.
In a clichéd tourist attraction of “guests who checked out but never left,” the Crescent holds ghost tours nightly at 8 p.m. Ticket prices at $18 for adults and $7 for children 12 or under.
If you’re in a professional ghost hunting group, or just a traveler that wants a fun adventure, make sure you thoroughly investigate a location before spending your hard-earned money.
Places like the Marbella Hotel have received terrible reviews by former guests about the less-than-stellar conditions including AC leaks, nasty, old furniture, dirty floors, wall tears, and debris throughout the hotel; not to mention rare cases of any actual paranormal experiences. One might have to consider that the haunting stories are just a ruse to gain business.
The 16th Century British poet and farmer, Thomas Tusser, was quite correct when he penned the famous line, “A fool and his money are soon parted.”
Sources: Wikipedia, IMDB, USA Today, tripadvisor.com
© 2012 R. Wolf Baldassarro/Deep Forest Productions