For many years, Stephen King's infamously scary novel The Shining has given horror lovers sleepless nights, as has the terrifyingly tense 1980 film adaptation.
Readers may not know however that the haunted Overlook Hotel was in fact inspired by an actual hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, US, where King himself was left shaken after his stay.
In fact, the 'King of horror' was left so struck by the eeriness of The Stanley Hotel, that it inspired him to pick up his pen and write what was to become one of the best-known and most horrifying novels of his career.
King is far from the only person to have been spooked by alleged supernatural goings on at The Stanley Hotel, which has become a bit of a hotspot for fans of the paranormal.
Guests throughout the hotel's long history have made reports of ghostly apparitions, from rooms haunted by the supposed apparitions of children to alleged animal ghost sightings in the nearby pet cemetery.
Some visitors have been left so petrified that they've left before even checking in, while those who dare stay longer can sign up for a tour of the most reportedly haunted rooms, if they're feeling brave enough.
As per the hotel's website, The Stanley Hotel was first opened by inventor Freelan Oscar Stanley and his wife Flora Stanley back in 1909, intended as a home where they could host friends and guests.
Mr Stanley had first visited the valley of Estes Park a few years before in 1903, and discovered that the clear mountain air helped alleviate his tuberculosis symptoms.
There are those who believe the ghost of Stanley himself still lingers, with sightings reported most frequently at the hotel bar. Others claim to have encountered the spirit of his wife, still playing her piano in the grand ballroom.
Staff and guests alike have previously claimed to have heard her piano music, with some even reporting seeing the keys moving beneath unseen hands.
Room 407 is believed by some to be haunted by Lord Dunraven, the man who owned the land before the Stanleys came along. There have been reports of guests claiming to see his face in the window, even when the room is vacant.
Over in room 418, the ghostly laughter of children can be heard, while the apparition of a young boy is said to appear outside of room 217.
King himself stayed in this room and reportedly saw and heard the child, who he says had been calling out for his nanny.
A number of unexplained or strange accidents have occurred over the course of the hotel's history, adding to its notoriety.
On June 25, 1911, head chambermaid Elizabeth Wilson entered room 217 with a lit candle, not realising there was a leak in the hotel's gas lanterns.
Elizabeth's candle ignited the gas, causing an explosion that destroyed around one-tenth of the hotel. Elizabeth ended up in a coma but miraculously survived, remaining employed at the hotel right up until 1950.
Some guests who've stayed in room 2017 claim to have seen the ghost of the long-term employee, straightening things up and nearly organising their suitcases.
One person who almost checked in but changed their mind shuddered: "We made it to the parking lot of the Stanley Hotel while in Estes Park, got weird vibes, and left! Quickly!"
Another said: "Y'all should check out The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, and stay in the room Jim Carrey stayed in which is 217.
"Weird stuff was happening to the point where he wanted a different room and left the hotel to stay somewhere else. There's also a floor that is haunted by a child."
A third frightened visitor revealed: "Spent the night at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO. Supposedly it is haunted. Weird stuff happened - I slept with the tv on all night!"
A fourth reported: "We took a ghost tour at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Co. Everyone in my family had something weird happen to them during the tour except me. I was so bummed."
Do you have a spooky story to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
