Nick Groff Investigates… The Stanley Hotel

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Nick Groff is one of the most respected names in television and beyond when it comes to the paranormal. He has had incredible experiences in some of the most haunted locations in the world. As a friend to Arrow in the Head, we’ve shared some very exciting experiences with Nick including a couple of wild and spooky moments that we’ve managed to capture on camera. Thus, we’ve decided to work with the television host and producer extraordinaire so he can share his knowledge and insight on all things that go bump in the night. With this bi-monthly column, we plan to delve into everything from urban legends to ghostly apparitions, to his take on some of the coolest genre flicks ever. This is Nick Groff Investigates…!

THE STANLEY HOTEL

In 1980, Stanley Kubrick created one of the most iconic horror films ever made. Loosely based on the Stephen King novel – so much so that Mr. King is not a fan – THE SHINING explored the horrors of isolation and one man’s decent into darkness. Starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd and Scatman Crothers, this terrifying tale haunted my childhood. And frankly, it still haunts me. This classic still remains one of the most influential and thought provoking cinematic works ever made, one that has inspired every thing from READY PLAYER ONE to Thirty Seconds to Mars music video for “The Kill” and so much more.

Another thing that the film had an impact on is the actual hotel that inspired Stephen King during his stay way back on October 30, 1974. While The Stanley Hotel did serve as an inspiration for the book, it was not used as The Overlook in the 1980 feature. However, it was the primary shooting location for the television mini-series in 1997. The film and The Stanley have both become so iconic, that the location itself is regarded as a very popular attraction for fans of the book and movie. Yet there is one question that I’ve always pondered, is it the movie that made The Stanley Hotel a perfect place for paranormal investigations? Or is the hotel simply alive with the poor souls that have passed?

Nick Groff has spent time in some of the most active haunted locations across the globe. As a huge horror movie buff, he has of course entered the hallowed halls of The Stanley. Perhaps he could answer the above questions. Thus, I asked about his experiences and how his outlook had changed regarding the spooky hotel, and just how haunted is this popular and scary spot.

“The first time I heard about the Stanley Hotel I thought of the psychological horror movie THE SHINING. One of my favorite films that freaked me out! I had the opportunity to investigate the spirits at the Stanley Hotel and slept over a couple of times.

My first time driving up to the Stanley Hotel, I thought wow, this is beautiful. It definitely does not look like the creepy hotel in the movie, but I know they filmed the film somewhere else. Stephen King wrote the amazing novel based on his experience while sleeping over at the Stanley Hotel. There’s a room dedicated to him.

I was excited to first investigate the Stanley Hotel and learn about the history. My first night sleeping over I had a weird experience in one of the haunted rooms. I saw the chain lock hanging on the door start swinging around in a circular motion. It was crazy! I walked over to the door as it slowly stopped and I grabbed the chain lock to analyze it further. It was really strange.

A hotel typically holds positive and sometimes negative moments in time that occurred. The energy can definitely be felt at the Stanley Hotel. I had several interesting experiences that I documented. The best investigation came years later when I hosted a NICK GROFF TOUR event and invited people from all over the world to investigate with me. A ton of different people experienced all sorts of weird happenings.

The Stanley Hotel has a reputation of being extremely haunting, but the fact is the movie THE SHINING had more of an impact to create this infamous location into a more frightening place than it really is. There’s a strong energy about the entire land where the hotel rests on. It’s definitely not like the movie, but it is majestic in its own way.

My experiences were always positive and simple hauntings. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Colorado, take a trip up the steep mountain and journey into the Stanley Hotel for a good time. You never know who you might cross paths with…living and beyond.”