The Stanley Hotel
Arianna Christiansen
Arianna Christiansen is the Tour Department Manager at the Historic Stanley Hotel. With over four years of experience at this iconic location, she began her journey as a tour guide—sharing the hotel’s rich and haunted history with guests for two and a half years—before stepping into her current leadership role.
Arianna’s fascination with the Stanley Hotel began at just nine years old, when a Girl Scout trip to Estes Park ignited a deep passion for the property. For the next 15 years, she immersed herself in its lore, researching its history, legends, and paranormal legacy. In March 2021, that lifelong dream became reality when she joined the team as a tour guide.
Her connection to the supernatural is both professional and deeply personal. As a child, Arianna shared her bedroom with a spirit she named Charlie and was raised by three women who proudly identified as “Christian Witches.” This upbringing fostered a lifelong curiosity for spiritualism and mysticism. Today, Arianna walks her own path in spiritual and pagan practice, while guiding thousands through one of the most famously haunted hotels in America.
The Historic Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, Colorado
Perched in the Rocky Mountains of Estes Park, Colorado, the Historic Stanley Hotel is a legendary icon of American hospitality and supernatural lore. Built in 1909 by inventor Freelan Oscar Stanley, the Colonial Revival-style hotel was envisioned as a luxury retreat for the wealthy elite seeking the healing mountain air. Over time, however, the Stanley Hotel became equally known for something far less tangible—its chilling reputation for paranormal activity.
The hotel’s haunted history has been well documented, with guests and staff reporting unexplained footsteps, flickering lights, shadowy apparitions, and eerie piano music echoing through empty halls. Room 217, in particular, is infamous for supernatural encounters, including those experienced by horror author Stephen King, who stayed there in 1974. His unsettling night at the Stanley inspired his bestselling novel The Shining, cementing the hotel’s place in pop culture and paranormal history.
Today, the Stanley Hotel stands as one of the most haunted and celebrated destinations in the world for supernatural tourism. It offers historical tours, spirited experiences, and a powerful connection to the unexplained. Whether you’re a ghost hunter, historian, or curious traveler, the Stanley invites you to explore the thin veil between past and present.
