In 1903 Freelan came down with tuberculosis and was given less than a year to live. He and his wife Flora came to Colorado to try to improve his health. The couple fell in love with Estes Park, Colorado. Stanley's health began to improve and in 1906 he began building a large hotel. The site had spectacular views of Rocky Mountain National Park. He opened his hotel in 1909. It had luxuries (for that time) of telephones, electricity and indoor plumbing. He had a fleet of Stanley Steamers to bring guests to his hotel, named The Stanley Hotel. The Stanley Hotel was the inspiration behind Stephen King's book "The Shining". King wrote much of the book while he was a guest in room 217. Other famous guests of the hotel include Theodore Roosevelt, Molly Brown and the Emperor of Japan.