Full disclosure: in the past, I have been employed as a tour guide at the historic Stanley Hotel, giving both history and ‘spirit’ (i.e. ghost) tours there. I’m very fond of the hotel, its tour staff, and not least of all, the ghosts. As with the rest of the tour guides, it’s fair to say that I’m well-versed in the haunted history of the Stanley, and I’m more than a little protective of its reputation. However, anything I say in this blog is strictly my own opinion, and is not endorsed in any way, shape, or form by the Stanley Hotel.
All of which brings us to…Most Haunted.
The episode begins with a surprisingly accurate overview of the Stanley’s inception, including owner F.O. Stanley’s bout of tuberculosis, the hotel’s construction breaking ground in 1907, its opening in 1909, and the kind of clientele that it once catered to. Narrator Yvette Fielding even dispels the myth that Stephen King actually wrote The Shining at the Stanley, and points out that Kubrick’s movie version was not actually shot there (a fact that disappoints numerous visitors to the hotel every year).
Viewers are also given a look inside the ‘Stephen King Room,’ Room 217, where the celebrated horror writer had the nightmare which would go on to inspire his bestsettling novel. We’re told that King saw the apparition of a young boy, standing in the corner of the room, ‘crying out in a distressed state.’ If that is indeed the case, then it’s the first I’ve ever heard of it. Here’s what Mr. King has to say, in his own words:
That night I dreamed of my three-year-old son running through the corridors, looking back over his shoulder, eyes wide, screaming. He was being chased by a fire-hose. I woke up with a tremendous jerk, sweating all over, within an inch of falling out of bed. I got up, lit a cigarette, sat in the chair looking out the window at the Rockies, and by the time the cigarette was done, I had the bones of the book firmly set in my mind. (From www.stephenking.com)
Because the ‘apparition of a young boy’ story is presented as having actually happened, this now leaves room for doubt when it comes to other ghost stories reported by the Most Haunted team…and we’re only 2 minutes, 28 seconds into the episode. “Now, many hotel guests have seen this thing,” Fielding tells us, “and have been absolutely frozen in terror at this alarming spectacle.” This apparition is not mentioned in Rebecca F. Pittman’s comprehensive book The History and Haunting of the Stanley Hotel, and was not referred to by the senior tour guides as far as I am aware. It may be that stories of this young boy simply pre-dated my time at the hotel, and if any readers of this blog can supply a reference, I will happily amend this review. It seems most likely to me, however, that the story of Stephen King’s nightmare involving his young son is simply getting mixed up with that of the alleged ghost boy.
The most famous ghost to haunt Room 217 is mentioned next. “The ghost of a maid seen walking across the floor” refers to our very own Miss Wilson, who was a long-term chamber maid at the Stanley for many decades. Despite being caught in a gas explosion which blew up both Room 217 and roughly 10% of the hotel, she survived and lived to a ripe old age, finally passing away peacefully in her sleep at home. Many believe that her spirit remains on duty at the Stanley Hotel to this day.
Describing the fourth floor as the place where ‘paranormal activity reaches its crescendo’ is also an accurate statement. We get a laundry list of reported phenomena, especially that of children being heard at night, running up and down the empty hallways.
For that very reason, parapsychologist Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe wisely suggests focusing their attention on the fourth floor.
The series’ medium and ‘psychic artist’ Brian begins a walk-through in the lobby, where he picks up on ‘a couple whose names begin with an F.’ This is an obvious reference to Mr. and Mrs. Freelan Oscar and Flora Stanley, founders of the hotel…information that is freely available on the Internet, posted on walls around the hotekl, or read in one of several books that could have been purchased from the hotel gift shop. “They’re here, they own the place…” Yet he can’t quite give us their names…
Next up are the tunnels, said by some to be haunted by a child. Brian claims to see her wearing a blue dress, be connected to a member of staff, and date back to the 1930s.
Then we head up to 217, Yvette Fielding’s room for the night. “Hang on, people have left this room in a hurry, haven’t they?” Brian says. Considering that Fielding has already shot a piece to camera stating that Jim Carrey checked out in the middle of the night, refusing to return (true) and has also recounted the story of the crying young boy supposedly haunting 217, it seems rather coincidental that Brian then picks up on “a child reaching out — help me.”
It is interesting to note his claim that the child passed away in the hotel. According to hotel records, no children ever died at the Stanley. Fielding asks the boy (who the medium says is called ‘Billy’) to make a noise for her. None is forthcoming, though Brian reports that his back is getting very cold. Things go from cold to hot very quickly when he ‘picks up’ on there having been an explosion in the room, “someone lighting gas, then BANG!” Yet again, another piece of information freely available online, in books, and in various locations all around the hotel…including the tours that are given regularly at the Stanley.
“A floor…collapses…a woman involved…a maid…” And so on, and so on.
“And went down…and died?” Fielding asks, in all seriousness.
“No, no, no,” replied Brian. “Injured…”.
All of this information regarding Elizabeth Wilson and the gas explosion was recounted earlier on in the show by Billy the concierge. Let’s apply Ockham’s Razor to the question: is it more likely that this information is being obtained psychically, or that Brian was made privy to it beforehand from one of literally dozens of mundane sources where it was freely available? I know where I’d put my money.
When asked about it by Ciaran, Brian ventures the opinion that the Elizabeth Wilson is able to leave Room 217 and roam the corridors, and that people have ‘probably’ seen her. (To the very best of my knowledge, there have been precisely zero reported sightings of her outside of Room 217).
“Elizabeth!” He miraculously pulls her name out of thin air just as they are leaving the room. A name that could only have been obtained from…well, you know the rest.
We get a similar performance regarding the kids on the fourth floor hallway. In Room 401, which is named after Lord Dunraven, an Irish peer of the realm who sold F.O. Stanley the land upon which the hotel is built, Brian picks up on the presence of a male figure who “stayed in this room — often.” “His room…this is MY room…” “A tired old English gentleman…50, 60, something, maybe…” This is an obvious allusion to Lord Dunraven. There is just the small matter of his having never actually visited the Stanley Hotel, let alone stayed in the room that is his namesake. He was also Irish, rather than English.
The investigation phase of the show kicks off with a seance in Room 217, which would be a good choice. Gathering around the table, the Most Haunted team try a little glass-work, attempting to contact ‘a man’ who is present. When nothing in the way of evidence presents itself, they decamp to Room 401, where they get extremely excited about mysterious noises that get progressively louder. Ciaran O’Keeffe has already pointed out the challenges of ‘investigating’ an active hotel, where guests are walking back and forth. The Stanley is a noisy hotel on a good day, with creaks and squeaks abounding throughout the structure, particularly as it cools down at night after a warm day. What Ms. Fielding is not telling the viewer, however, is that Room. 401 is just a few feet away from the elevator shaft…
The remainder of the episode is the usual collage of night vision shots, with nothing remotely approaching evidence being gathered. Historian Lesley Smith hears singing of some sort (never mind the fact that many of the hotel guests are probably watching TV, and that music is often played at events downstairs in the McGregor Ballroom and Mrs. Stanley’s Music Room, not to mention the odd sing-song from the bar). Little debunking seems to take place, despite the fact that the Most Haunted team is sitting in a creaky wooden structure full of people. Old doors in warped frames sometimes pop themselves ajar — architecture, not ghosts. While attempts are made to show that there was nobody outside 401 in the hallway, that in itself proves nothing. The closet door in Room 401 quite often opens itself, particularly when the elevator next door to it is running.
As far as an actual investigation is concerned, what takes place during this episode is basically meaningless. The episode is worth watching for those who would like a look behind the scenes at the Stanley Hotel, particularly inside Room 217 (tours do not go in there). Beyond that, it’s…well, for Most Haunted, just business as usual.
