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The Stanley Hotel Expansion

Estes Park, Colorado

Expanding an Icon While Preserving Its Soul

Perched high above Estes Park, the Stanley Hotel has stood as a symbol of innovation, luxury, and mountain grandeur since 1909. Today, MOA ARCHITECTURE is helping write the next chapter in its storied legacy with the design of the Stanley Hotel and Manor House Expansion, a project that honors its historic past while reimagining its future.

This thoughtful expansion adds 65 new guest rooms, a north grand lobby, and a two-story connecting link that reunites the Stanley Hotel and the adjacent Manor House. The link restores an element that was part of the original design, allowing guests once again to move between the two buildings while remaining out of the weather. Designed within the framework of the Stanley Historic District Master Plan, the addition respects the scale, massing, and proportions of the original architecture while introducing a refined, contemporary interpretation of its classic character.

Carefully integrated into the hillside to preserve the Stanley’s iconic presence, the expansion completes F. O. Stanley’s long-held vision for a central courtyard and a fully connected guest experience that unites history, hospitality, and the mountain landscape.

Size

79,530 GSF

Scope

Renovation
Addition

Christian Ladefoged

Project Architect

MOA ARCHITECTURE

“During my time at MOA, I have been fortunate to work on one of my favorite projects of my career: The Stanley Hotel Expansion. I’ve had the opportunity to study the historic building in detail and, alongside a great team, help preserve its character throughout the expansion. The project requires close coordination to maintain the hotel’s historic charm while accommodating the needs of the modern world, which is what I enjoy most about the work.”

Honoring the Inventive Spirit That Started It All

The Stanley Hotel’s story began with Freelan Oscar Stanley, the inventive mind behind the Stanley Steamer automobile, who found healing in the crisp mountain air of Estes Park in 1903. Inspired by his recovery, he and his wife Flora built a grand hotel that brought East Coast elegance to the heart of the Rockies, complete with electric lights, telephones, and the sophistication of a turn-of-the-century resort.

More than a century later, MOA ARCHITECTURE’s design draws from Stanley’s same spirit of innovation and his enduring vision of refined comfort within a rugged mountain setting. The new expansion reflects the proportions, rooflines, and craftsmanship of the original 1909 landmark, reinterpreted through modern detailing and materials.

Key architectural features, including the return of the porte cochère and a grand north staircase with custom spindles representing the four seasons, pay homage to the hotel’s early character. Importantly, the design restores an original feature of F. O. Stanley’s vision: a connecting link between the Hotel and the Manor House that once allowed guests to walk between the buildings, out of the weather. This connection no longer exists today, but the expansion reintroduces it as a defining part of the guest experience.

Renewing an Icon That Draws Visitors Again and Again

The Stanley Hotel and Manor House Expansion is a revitalization of one of Colorado’s most cherished landmarks. By seamlessly connecting the historic buildings and modernizing key infrastructure, the expansion enhances the guest experience while preserving the essence of the Stanley’s historic charm.

The project improves life-safety systems, consolidates hotel operations, and relocates unsightly infrastructure out of view to protect the site’s visual integrity. The design received formal approval from the Colorado Historical Foundation, the historic easement holder for the property, confirming that it aligns with preservation standards established for the Stanley Historic District.

This expansion restores the sense of luxury, connection, and wonder that first defined the Stanley Hotel. It reaffirms the legacy of a place that has inspired visitors for more than a century and ensures that its story continues to grow for generations to come.