Historic El Rancho Hotel

Pros: This place is super cute and really fun to walk around in. The decor is log cabin vibes and nostalgic. It was so interesting to see all the photos that famous people who have been there have signed. The diner was ok as far as dinner and breakfast. The gift shop has a lot of neat things and souvenirs so be sure to check that out. Cons: My biggest complaint was the booking. We thought we booked the Marx brothers family suite, but it turned out we booked a ‘family suite’ in the motel building next door to the main hotel. It still had the same accommodations with the king bed in one room and two queens in an adjoining room. I am positive there was no indication of where your room is located when booking. I even went back and did it all over again (to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind) using several different travel sites and they all came out the same. The only way that I saw to actually book rooms INSIDE the hotel (that have celebrity names) is through the official website online. Though the room we ended up with was really cute with its decor and whatnot, the motel is RIGHT next to the main road and the door seals are lacking; so you can hear ALL the cars, ALL the trains (there were so many through the night) and people talking outside. My suggestion is to call them or use their website to book a room inside the hotel so your door doesn’t face the outside. Other than that, it was a good stay.

This was one of the most interesting hotel stays I’ve had. The staff is SO kind and helpful. The hotel is gorgeous. There is private security that walks the grounds until 4 a.m. The secret room behind the book case was out of order as of Dec. 2025 (I hope this saves you some time). The windows have no screens on them and do not lock automatically, so make sure they are locked. The rooms are not soundproof at all. The history and atmosphere is very charming. Try the Marble Brewery Cerveza in the hotel restaurant! Gallup itself, on the other hand, is NOT safe!

The good: beautiful rooms (we got the motel suite, and they were the nicest "motel" rooms we were ever in). Beautiful main lodge/hotel. Nice gift shops. Good food. The bad: On Rt 66, so obnoxious drivers (especially motorcycles) all times of night. Heat just kept on heating to 80+, so I had to turn off the fan completely and open windows with it freezing outside. An alarm going off next door all night further interrupted our sleep. While breakfast was good (we got the B&B and did not pay extra), service was super slow, despite not being very busy. Breakfast took an hour, mostly waiting. I think I left my blue hoodie here somewhere, which is not their fault, but annoying! Conclusion: Come for the history and a pretty place, but know what you're getting into. It's loud at night, and it's old, and it's laid back.

The Marx Brothers suite was perfect for our one night stay and we greatly enjoyed the Hollywood mementos and the beauty of the lobby. We enjoyed the small nostalgic touches throughout the hotel and had fun buying souvenirs from the gift shop. Brunch was great although we would have appreciated having a bartender available in the restaurant for that meal as a Bloody Mary would have added.

I have been here before while traveling the Mother Road but this was the first time that I stayed. I'm so glad that I made the choice. It is just so historic and even if you don't stay, they are very open to letting you take pictures of the lobby and enjoy the gift shop. The rooms are awesome but though the bathroom is very cool and themed, it is small. Toilet, sink and shower are all within a 6x6 sq. at best. Party of 1 for sure! Restaurant is very good. Bar was great for catching the football game but the female bartender that night we would have traded in 95 year old Jimmy G. I don't even know who Jimmy G. is but I know he is faster and more attentive ;-) Definitely will stay here again! They have security that does a good job with the homeless but you should still take most of your stuff inside or put it in your trunk.

You can tell alot of work has gone into this beautiful hotel in the past couple of years. If feels fresh & welcoming but also savors it's past. The staff was excellent, front desk, gift shop, restraunt, all top notch. Would stay here again & again & again. P.S. the hidden roon a nice surprise!

This hotel gave me a warm sense of nostalgia — it reminded me of the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone. The room was clean, cozy, and charmingly vintage without feeling outdated, like stepping into an old movie scene. The best surprise was the working record player in the room — you can actually play music on it! Sitting down and listening to vinyl spin made time slow down, and the atmosphere felt truly special. The lobby has great character, the staff were welcoming and friendly, and the location is convenient. It’s definitely a memorable place to stay. Highly recommended for travelers who love history, ambiance, and a unique experience.

Beautiful maintained vintage hotel that was built for movie stars to stay at (1939) during filming. There is a sitting area around a large walk-in fireplace. There are 2 gift shops, restaurant and bar also in the hotel. The mezzanine has additional seating with books, puzzles and autographed photos of the stars. We stayed in room 318. The bed was comfortable as was the chair in the room. Pillows were hard. The bathroom is tiny, but even so, the shower was very nice. Each room in the hotel is labeled with the star who stayed in it. Our room was spotless and very quiet. The staff was helpful and kind.

Stayed here on a trip east. The hotel is right off the 40 and while there is a decent parking lot it is pretty popular. Even with that there should be some parking. It looks as though there is the main hotel and restaurant and then a second hotel on the side. Maybe an addition. It is not connected. The staff were very friendly and check in was quick. They give you an actual key like back in the day. The lobby is pretty cool and is kept up nicely. To get to the room you could use the stairs or take the elevator. The elevator is one of the real old ones where you open and close the door and the gate. Pretty cool. The room is small but well done. The bathroom is tiny but again nicely done. I'm sure when this hotel was built having any bathroom in the room was luxurious. The only thing was there was a really weird smell. It wasn't like an old room smell it was more like some kind of food or something. Couldn't put our finger on it. I would give 3.5 due to that smell but since no half stars allowed and the cool factor of the place I will go 4 stars instead of 3.

Cool old hotel. The lobby is beautiful. The rooms are okay. I've stayed here a few times and the rooms vary. Don't get a room near the lobby no matter how convenient because it can get very noisy. The food is average diner food but the restaurant so bright its annoying. The front desk clerk recommended a Mexican restaurant across the road and it was so disgusting we figured he must get paid to send people there because we couldn't eat any of the food we ordered! Do not ask them for recommendations and the options are very limited.

This is an extremely hotel that you should stay in for nothing other than the fact that you won't find anything like it elsewhere. We were doing the route 66 thing and even though I'm a chain hotel bitch, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to stay here. I'm also not sure if they have a chain hotel in this town, but that really isn't the main reason. They have both a hotel and a motel and if you're bougie like me when you drive up and see the sign for the motel and you say "oh...." don't worry, there is a hotel portion as well. As the person checking me in informed me, it isn't clear when you book online which side you are booking and, unbeknownst to me, I had actually booked the motel side. Fortunately, it was a quick fix for the concierge to move me over. The motel side, I was told, is bigger and has a fridge and shit so it's all about priorities. The place is decorated in such a way that it is quite the sight to behold. Tons of history here. The room we received in the hotel was extremely small. It was a challenge to maneuver around the room with our suitcases out. The bathroom was equally small, just a place to stand both in front of the toilet and taking a shower. If you are showering and nature is calling for your roommate, you'll be standing in the shower for a little bit longer. They did provide a bunch of towels that were soft and large. There was a balcony but it was off limits per the sign on the door. It is possible that I am cognitively impaired with hotel thermostats but I couldn't figure out how to turn it on so that COLD air would come out. For a while, the room was like 76-77 degrees and super hot, despite the air being on. It was hard to sleep until I figured out how to get the ceiling fan on. We opened the door to the balcony out of desperation. I did try another setting on the AC which did the trick and a few hours later, it was nice and cool in the room. Very interesting hotel with a few quirks.

I enjoyed the ambiance of the hotel. The restaurant that is connected to the hotel was good and the waitress was friendly. The mattress needs to be updated, it is women out and has indents where people have slept. Staying in an old place makes you appreciate the modern. It has the old smell in the room and the bathroom is very small. You can sit on the toilet and wash your hands at the same time. The history is amazing and the pictures around the place told you who was there. If you looked over the railing on the top I could picture the hustle and bustle of the people in the past and the stars that came through. I would come back again for the history and hope for a room that has a better bed.

This historic hotel is fantastic! The bar was redone just 2 years ago with beautiful stained glass scenarios along every wall. The hotel rooms are nicely decorated but quite small. The newer motel wing rooms are spacious and nothing was spared in the 50's decor. From the bedroom to the shower, the victrola to the wall phone, the room was a fun place to stay. Restaurant was great- attentive service, good food. The bar was fun. Loved it all!

Such a beautiful lobby . Incredible Unique and definitely memorable. You just have to See it .If you love "OLD HOLLYWOOD " you may likely swoon ....

Wonderful classic old Route 66 hotel that has been around for like 100 years or so and family owned. All of the old movie stars have stayed here, Kirk Douglas, Katherine Hepburn, on and on. John Wayne was said to have ridden his horse inside the bar. Beautiful old school lobby that takes you back in time. A must see when driving through Gallup, NM. Love the signs as well.

I love this place: Classic Western Movies and the stars that appeared in them. Lots of photos with autographs. Restaurant is equally fabulous. Great atmosphere with theme music, excellent service, and ample, tasty servings.

Our overall experience at this property as a quaint historical hotel was wonderful. The staff at the hotel and Evelyn at the restaurant was most gracious like everyone at El Rancho! I would recommend staying a night or two! The themed rooms of Hollywood stars of the past who stayed here is awesome. My next stay will be in the John Wayne room. My Dad's favorite actor.

A must stop along Highway 40 - old route 66. Gallup is a nice town to explore and seems to be more 'authentic' than Santa Fe. El Rancho Hotel is a 1930's classic hotel in fine shape and if not spending the night, a great place to visit, check out the gift shop and eat at the restaurant or have a drink at the bar. Reminds me of the Yosemite Lodge in atmosphere, but a bit more down to earth.

Beautiful, historic hotel. A must please to see if you're in town / on route 66. Guest services at the check in was great, super friendly, and easy to talk to. And was able to change our room as we needed and had one less guest so needed to change from a double bed to a single king. Since it was just myself and my fiance. They even texted me the morning of our check in.. was very nice and super friendly. Hotel is full of old actor photos, and alot of historic things throughout the hotel. Very cool. Ok, now for the nitty gritty. Sure it's a cool hotel if you like historic things or rustic , but its super small. The bathroom especially was super small... So if you don't like small spaces I would recommend another place, but it was cool just for a night passing through. The restaurant is very nice, has a fountain with rock formation, it's very cool. Nice atmosphere. *However, the service is super slow, and food was just ok. The drinks were really good, tho. My fiance got a Dukes old fashion, and I got a nice cocktail, forget the Name now. But if you want a good drink at the bar with some food / appetizers, I would recommend it. Might get better service at the bar too !?

THEY WILL GIVE YOUR ROOM AWAY. We booked months in advance a suite for a group of 6. Only to be told that they already gave that room away when we arrived to check in. The hotel was not remorseful one bit as it may be something that is common here. Be leery.

The El Rancho may have been a good hotel 100 years ago - but not so much now. The staff (including the Front Desk manager and the General Manager) were non-helpful and rude. All of this was triggered by my asking for a room receipt when I was checking out. No matter that I had paid in advance and made requests that they did not honor, they would not give me a receipt showing my charges. They kept repeating that I had paid a third-party payer " Bookings" and that they were the ones who issued all receipts. I mentioned that it was their hotel, and that El Rancho set the room prices. All I wanted was a paper that showed the price I was charged and the fees and taxes they charged. I also wanted to see if they had given me the military discount I had requested. They would not give me a receipt. The hotel itself is showing it's age but if' it's worth it to you to look at photos of dead movie stars then go ahead and pay well over $140/night. There are several newer, and in my opinion, nicer motels nearby

We'd come back! The pros: History & decor!! Second floor has awesome signed photographs of past celebrities; artwork, historical items and the colors throughout hotel were beautifully unique; bed & linens were super comfortable; quirky room decor, artifacts & bathroom; fireplace was cozy on a winter's evening; reasonable cost for a room; fun gift shop for all ages! The cons: Not a ton of sound insulation between rooms; the feel in the restaurant didn't entice us, compounded by never actually being able to confirm what time breakfast starts before we headed out early AM (informed 6am by front desk, 7am on website, 8am from hostess desk); parking definitely filled up throughout the evening.

If you're thinking about making a reservation for a stay at the El Rancho Hotel and Motel in Gallup New Mexico, then think twice! What in the world has happened to the El Rancho? Unfortunately we have been watching over the last few years this once beautiful historic western institution circle the drain. The hotel apparently changed ownership and the new "management" and I use this term loosely, could care less about answering their front desk telephone let alone, providing any quality customer service. We have been booking overnight stays at the El Rancho Hotel usually 3-4 times a year for over 20 years. Making a reservation in advance and requesting a ground floor easy access room means nothing. Why even bother to make a reservation? This is the second time this year we have called 3 WEEKS in advance and requested an easy access ground floor room 105. We were assured it was available. We provided our CC as deposit and when we arrived... We're once again told to climb the stairs to the 3rd floor. Their elevator is out of service and when it works? It's a joke. You have to pull the doors open, then pull hard to open the cage bars, and then squeeze into the tiny space. But that is another story. It was hard enough to get someone even answer the phone when we originally made the reservation. No one answers the telephone at the front desk? So I called the gift shop. No answer? Then called "group reservations" and success. My call was answered and transferred to the restaurant? The lady who answered in the restaurant said she would find someone at the front desk to help? We had to make 3 calls to finally reach the hotel's reservation desk. It is VERY IMPORTANT to note here that our last visit to the El Rancho Hotel was booked easily through a "third party" reservation site however- when we arrived at the El Rancho on that occasion we were once again routed upstairs and informed by the "very rude front desk girl" that they can't guarantee any specific room reservations made through a "third party" reservation site? Okay lady, so that is exactly why I so very persistent and kept calling "3 times" all over your hotel to make the room reservation directly through your front desk! So when we arrived we told the "front desk girl" we had made our reservation 3 weeks in advance to specifically reserve a ground floor room with an easy access bathroom. We are both in our 70's with serious health issues like a pacemaker, defibrillator and cancer. The girl at the front desk couldn't care less! She said "we don't have any reserved rooms. That is not our policy and we don't cater to disabilities? Terrible and very rude customer service and the new El Rancho Hotel management now very apparently means- absolutely no management! Sadly we give up. This will be our last stay at "the new El Rancho Hotel and Motel in Gallup New Mexico. Life is too short to put up with this nonsense and be treated so badly. Very disappointed, John Smith Beekman party

Location says pet friendly when you book online, but when we went to check in they actually don't accept cats or dogs over 35 pounds. They also state they have free breakfast, but it's actually only coffee and you have to pay to eat food for the "free breakfast ". We also heard the security guard running around looking frantically for someone in the hotel. Needless to say we turned our butts around and left. Would not recommend staying here, felt u safe.

We booked our room just a couple hours before we arrived and the girl checking us in was so nice. However the room was TINY and we could barely move in there. You could literally hit your head on the bathroom sink when you sit down on the toilet, and there wasn't even room to stand in the bathroom to brush your teeth. We have stayed in a tiny room in NYC and this was even smaller and more cramped. The restaurant was good and the rest of the hotel was nice, but it's frustrating that the "deluxe king" room on the website varies SO greatly. I wouldn't stay there again unless we were guaranteed one of the larger rooms.

Hey Yelpers! So my daughter and I stopped in here on our way to Chicago for dinner and to check the building out. This place has a history of being pretty haunted, as well as a home base for celebrities in the heyday of cowboy movies. I've always wanted to visit here, so I made it a stop on our trip. Unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations. The signage and interior of the building itself are very cool. The interior is rustic western with a TON of memorabilia and autographed photos of the many celebrities who have stayed here over the years. If we'd had more time, we would have looked around more. We ate at the restaurant and the food is good. The green chile stew with chicken was spicy and had good flavor, but was a little watery for a stew, in my opinion. We shared a combination plate, and the food was delicious. We ordered chips and salsa to go with the meal, but they never got brought out. The server said she would take it off, but I still got charged for them. They issued a refund. Afterward, we went to the hotel front desk to buy stamps for the couple of postcards we bought at their gift shop. We were told the stamps were for guests only. I guess spending money in the gift shop and restaurant doesn't count. I find it interesting that they couldn't sell me 2 stamps. Their management team should really watch the "give them the pickle" customer service videos. Anyway. Stop here if you want. It's pretty cool to check out the history. Now that I've seen it, I won't be back.

The history here is a must. If you're an old Hollywood buff to walk the halls and drink in the same bar as greats like John Wayne, Mae West, Henry Fonda and Errol Flynn is such a thrill. It is sooooo worth the extra few dollars to stay in the John Wayne suite. This is where The Duke relaxed and slept! Gallup as a whole does not offer much unless you're looking for pricey Native American jewelry, but this historic Route 66 spot is a traveler's paradise.

Two words: BED BUGS! To be fair, they did refund our money, gave us plastic bags for all of our things that might have been exposed, and booked us a room at another hotel at 1:00 am. I was too traumatized to take pictures.

I've only stayed here once and they tell you the truth. This is not a hotel I would normally stay at, but it's a really cool place to visit. Even if you don't want to stay the night you should go in and walk around the hotel, and even think about eating at the restaurant. This hotel is over 100 years old and for me I wish the walls could talk because I could only imagine what this place was like 100 years ago. If you have any plans to travel either east or west on interstate 40 or if you're exploring route 66 I really think it would be a good idea to stay at least one night at this particular hotel because it is truly a piece of history.

We didn't stay at the hotel but ate at their restaurant. The food was very good I was not expecting much but was surprised. We had a wonderful waitress Araceli she was very nice. I had a salad and it was delicious. My husband had the tacos with rice and beans and he really liked it. I felt like it was all fresh ingredients well done. It was nice siting down to enjoy some good food, we were on a road all we've had was just fast food so far. I would fully recommend this place for a good meal. They also have a gift shop next to the restaurant with a lot of cute stuff.

This place was so cute and everybody that works here is so unbelievably kind. Stopped by for a quick night on a road trip and I'm very happy we came across this place. By the way, Edmond is a super sweetheart! I would definitely stay here again :)

What an incredible discovery in the midst of a remote area! The hotel is brimming with western movie memorabilia, and we truly enjoyed the authentic western-themed décor. The staff were exceptionally helpful and friendly. The building itself, steeped in history, fascinated us. While the rooms are on the smaller side, their charm is undeniable. The vintage cage elevator adds an iconic touch that perfectly captures the era this thriving hotel represents. There is a bar and restaurant inside as well as a gift shop. We actually ate breakfast at Garcia's down the street. Best breakfast in town.

Repeat visit to Hotel El Rancho: larger room (two king beds) that were comfortable. Just a couple of things that need to be looked into, though. Two of the four lamps in the room were missing the little knob that is used to turn the light on, so unless you have a pair of needle-nose pliers, you're not getting either of those two lamps turned on. (Notified front desk about this.) The television is wall-mounted on a swivel. Unfortunately, either some people don't understand that you're not supposed to pull DOWN on the swivel that is designed to move the TV side-to-side, or someone was using this in an intoxicated state to swing around the room, as there are no chandeliers in the ceiling to hang and swing from: as a result, the television doesn't really swivel much from side to side, so it's not really pointed at EITHER bed in the room. (Notified the front desk about this.) There's this quaint-looking old dial telephone (for those of you who didn't grow up with rotary phones, you won't have any idea of what I'm referring to) that has push buttons where the number up used to be painted on the phones. Nice touch, only the phone makes electronic noises all night that not only is distracting, but annoying after the first few hours. (Notified the front desk about this, too.) I was just getting out of the shower when the maid unlocked my door to come in: needless to say, I wasn't dressed. She was nice enough about it, and very apologetic. Thirty seconds later, the weird random-sound generating telephone actually rang, and a manager wanted to know who I was. "I'm the guest staying in room 2xx, which you just called." "Oh, we don't show that the room is occupied. Who are you?" I gave him my name, and the fact that I'd checked in the evening before." Mistakes happen, yanno? It might seem to the casual reader that I'm very picky and hard-to-please. I'm not. After a 46-year career flying professionally, I've stayed in hotels over 10,000 nights... and I'm happy to have a clean room that doesn't smell bad, and doesn't have insect predators that want to drain my blood or burrow into my skin. But this all started after I became aware of a very dangerous aspect of the bathroom. Most of Hotel El Rancho's bathroom are very, very small, guessing that they were installed in a small room closet. The room that I've stayed in, your legs have to straddle the sink pedestal while you're sitting on the toilet, or there are other compromises. In this case, there is only about six inches of space between the sink and the "entry" side of the very small shower: in other words, you have to squeeze by the sink to get into or out of the shower. Add to this the fact that some brilliant member of the hotel construction crew put a towel (or clothing) hook on the wall AT EYE LEVEL that you need to squeeze by to get into the shower (see the photos that follow). While that hook could have been out in the wall to the left of the sink and NOT pose a danger to some on one getting out of the shower as you squeeze between the wall and the sink. That clothing or towel hook was not on my mind when I exited the shower, tearing a four-inch gash in my neck and scalp. II wanted to let the hotel desk clerk know that they have some degree of liability and risk to their guests posed by the clothing hook, as a result of squeezing between the sink and shower wall. The desk clerk's response: "Most of our guests are thinner than you," However personally insulting that is, it smells of "I don't care, I don't have to" -- and it's NOT AT ALL APPROPRIATE. Pure BRAVO SIERRA. As a result of this comment, rather than get in they face with regard to their rude insult, I let them know about what else was wrong with the room. Frankly, I don't care what's wrong with their rooms as I'm not returning.

Grab some history here and en the past. Place's like this will probably be gone in 20 years. Great lobby fire place. Tons of pictures from 30's and 40's I'm glad we took advantage of staying here. Don't pass it by!

This is a cool hotel. Truly lives up to its motto of "the charm of yesterday with the convenience of tomorrow. " The staff is super friendly and helpful. The hotel is beautiful, charming and clean. My husband and I had fun just sitting, sipping our coffee in their upstairs balcony area. There are comfy chairs to sit on, so much memorabilia to view and beautiful decor to look at. Rooms were clean and beds were comfy. This is Gallups best place to stay at when traveling.

One of the most legendary hotels on Route 66 is the El Rancho in Gallup - mostly because several Hollywood movie stars have stayed here. Ronald Reagan, Doris Day, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, the list goes on and on. On a very interesting level, pioneer film director D.W. Griffith's brother built the place. See, several Westerns (at the height of the genre's popularity) were filmed around that region during the 1930s to 60s. You can almost feel the ghosts of the place while staying here. Desk service was very great and they constantly texted me before and after my stay, making sure things were fine. Wish I would have hung out more in the lobby but I had to wear a mask when I was not in my room or outside. They have an old-school elevator (think Titanic) that operates during certain hours. One thing about old hotels, as opposed to typical chains, is everything is small - be it your room especially the bathroom - which was hard to get used to. But I still had a great night's sleep. Another thing to add: each room has a balcony! First time experiencing such thing. You get a great view of the mountains while standing atop the balcony. Place has a gift shop, restaurant and a bar. Will write a review for the restaurant soon, but I didn't spend any time at the bar like I shoulda. Oh well.

The hotel itself was fine. The lobby/stairs area seems rather dark and tired. I'm a sucker for Hollywood memorabilia, so I was all into that, but schtick can only take you so far. The old-timey elevator was rather fun -- you have to close the outer door, then the inner expansion door yourself. I remember elevator operaters from my childhood. If you are younger than I am, you may have seen such elevators in old movies. Fun, until the person on the second floor did not close the door so that the elevator could return to another floor. Our bed was very comfortable, and the room was fine. The bathroom is TINY, though remodeled quite well. Just know there is no room to put your toiletries --- just a tiny glass shelf above the sink. The black and white motif looked fresh and fashionable, and I enjoyed the Jane Russell shower curtain. The telephone is an old-fashioned model as well. We stayed in the Jan Sterling room -- each room is associated with a movie star who filmed in the area and stayed at the El Rancho. We did not eat at the restaurant -- we did not see many people doing so, and the reviews weren't terrific. Plus, we had extremely negative experiences at the bar.

Ordered a Patty Page burger comes with caramelized onions. At the top of the burger section it says all burgers come with lettuce and tomato. Mine came without. I asked the server for lettuce and tomato as it was supposed to come with it. He argued with me saying all burgers don't come with it but brought the toppings. Bit into my medium burger and it was medium rare. Told the server to bring my check. Manager came over and said well that's the only burger that doesn't come with lettuce and tomato and I looked at your burger and that's was actually over cooked for medium. Paid my bill (didn't eat my burger as I already got food poisoning from a restaurant in Gallup) and left. I won't be back. Update: I did in fact get food poisoning and spent Sunday suffering with diarrhea and vomiting! Avoid this place.

I couldn't help giving El Rancho 5 stars because the vintage vibe is legit!! The lobby is amazing. It is decorated in a southwest style with photos of actors and information about them. We arrived the day after Christmas. All the decorations were still up, including a 12 ft Christmas ttee and a fire in the rock fireplace. A large double staircase completes the cozy atmosphere. Our room was clean and the bed was comfortable. The bathroom was small, but it had been remodeled. The shower worked well, and there was plenty of hot water. We had margaritas in the bar. They were $9.00- 15.00. They were tasty, and we ordered chips and salsa for $5.50. The service in the bar was good. We decided to eat in the restaurant. The service was great, eventhough there was only 1 waitress and a host who had 12 tables, plus bar orders! Chips and guacamole were complimentary. Too bad we ordered chips in the bar! We both got the WC Field green chile cheese burgers. The burgers were delicious They come with either a salad or fries. After dinner my husband went to the room, but I spent spent time by the fireplace reading. The 30 inch TV had enough cable channels to keep us entertained. You might want to check out the gift shop There is a nice selection of El Rancho an NM gifts. There are also cases of turquoise and silver jewelry for sale. We really enjoyed ourselves and the hotel details that are gone with the 20th century. If you had kids it would be fun to show them a manual closing elevator and a 1930s wired phone! It even has a dial tone!! I've read other reviews and there are a couple of criticisms I agree with. One is the lack plugs in the room to charge devices. Also, the walls are thin, so you will be able to hear your neighbors! So if any of the above bother you, or you want 21st century amenities like a microwave, fridge, safe, iron, or a free hot breakfast; DO NOT STAY HERE. This is a hotel for people who like nostalgia or history buffs. If you stay at El Rancho with the appropriate expectations, you'll have a delightful experience. I know we did!!

All that we tried was good. The servers were attentive. The only thing I did not enjoy was the wait time outside. But good for them for being so popular

CLEAN and charming. When u hear that a motel is "renovated historic ", it could mean many things. We booked with high hopes and cautious anticipation. El Rancho did not disappoint! A must stop and stay. Check out my images. The bathroom fixtures could be used as a mirror they were so spotless. The entire place followed suit. Comfortable bed, small space but expected for a historic building. The attention to detail was evident everywhere. These owners excel in hospitality. If I had any criticism, there was only 1 employee during check in hours. It was a bit of a wait but well worth it. Didn't bother us but I felt bad for the clerk trying to get everyone checked in. We ate at the restaurant. Hint..... walk thru the restaurant, to discover a hidden gem. A quaint bar big enough to be a cozier dining room with lovely booths. Full menu offered there and it's much more of a lovely dining experience than the cafe style main dining room. Food was good. Thanks el rancho. We will be back soon.

This Route 66 landmark is one of New Mexico's finest attractions, and I'd consider it a must-see, if only for the history and the charming preservation. Once you open the front door to this historic Gallup hotel, it's like stepping into a time machine to the heyday of yesteryear. Hollywood stars in the 1930s and 1940s would stay here while in the area filming Westerns! The El Rancho has hosted Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Errol Flynn, Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, and Humphrey Bogart when they were still making movies. It's free to look around inside, so plan to spend about 30 minutes to peruse all the vintage photos that line the walls. Sometimes the person behind the desk doesn't take kindly to looky-loos, but just ignore them. The architecture is photo worthy, as is the grand lobby. It's decorated with tons of Southwestern items and random things you'd never assume would go together like stuffed deer heads, pottery, turquoise, antlers, dark red carpet, stained glass, and Navajo rugs. Somehow, the style pulls the room together. It's gorgeous in its own way. The cinder block hallways (where the rooms are located) also have adorable art painted on them. Feel free to wander if you're able. The hotel has a restaurant that looks really depressing, but it was packed with locals the day we visited. Pro tip: They also HATE when road trippers pop in to use the bathroom, so just be sneaky and quick about it. The women's room is located on the left of the staircase when you walk inside the lobby. Although there were lots of angry signs warning that restrooms are for registered guests ONLY, I just pretended to be looking at some of the artifacts and then ran inside and immediately left. Always go to the restroom right before you are ready to leave!

Sometimes I need a new adventure and ghost hunting at the haunted El Rancho Hotel. Inside there is an Old Hollywood walk of fame on the second floor. There are nostalgia machines and Native American artwork. It was great to see past celebrities who made western movies. Walking around the hotel can hear the floor creaking, and I heard unexplained sounds. I took pictures, but there are no orbs appeared. For a fun experience is to ride the old elevator. Inside the elevator, you have to close it with an accordion gate, and it's red inside the elevator. It felt claustrophobic inside, and my imagination was going wild! There are many visuals inside the hotel and a small gift shop by the lobby. The hotel is a place to experience the metaphysical.

This was one of the coolest hotels I've ever stayed at! I was only there for one night but would love to come back. Pro tip: they sell their vintage room key keychains at the front desk for $5. An awesome souvenir.

Great experience staying here! Each day the staff were so friendly and the maid service was excellent, we were able to get fresh towels on the days requested. AC was a huge relief to have as the weather was particularly warm during our visit. So why the four stars?! As much as we enjoyed our stay the little amenities are what we were missing. We didn't have a small fridge/microwave so we couldn't keep any leftovers, there was no fan in the bathroom so every time we took a shower it was very stuffy. There was also no place in our room to store valuables, it was suggested that any valuables be checked in with the front desk to be stored in their vault. Aside from that it was a pleasant experience

I give this lovely old hotel a five star rating for its old Hollywood charm and ambiance. The minute you walk in you are thrown back to the 1940's-50's. I'm not sure it has changed one bit since. We were greeted with a roaring fire in the huge stone fireplace. Oodles of southwest ranch accents and warm wood beams. Glancing up toward the second story balcony you could see the walls covered with black and white autograph pictures of all the celebrities who stayed here. Brother of Hollywood Director, D.W. Griffith built this place to house the celebrities while they were filming mostly westerns in the area. I choose to stay in the Presidential Suite as I had heard Paul McCartney stayed in that room and my husband is a huge fan. Along with the star studded ambiance comes dated rooms. But that's part of the whole experience.

This place is one of my favorite places to stay. The staff is incredible and accommodating . Kimberly at the front desk is THE BEST!!!! The rooms are fantastic for the price (they allow dogs in the Hotel). And the restaurant gives you monstrous portions of food. The gift shop is wonderful and in hindsight want to go back and buy more. If you want to get away from it all and enjoy a step back in time steeped in history stay here.

They have kept all of the nostalgia and updated quite nicely. The rooms were clean and the hotel is a work of art from a bygone Era. Service was above anything I have EVER seen. I forgot my keys and they sent them to us to Texas on their dollar. Can't recommend them enough.

Recently stayed here 5/5/23-5/8/23. Nice place, rates were reasonable. Free parking however they have a restaurant that seems to be popular and open everyday so they have limited parking and as a guest coming back to the hotel and not being able to find parking was a bit annoying. Their bathrooms are small. I read about them prior to staying there and I'll say small but not manageable or acceptable. As for the comments regarding no toilet seats. They do have toilet seats they don't have lids however they are commercial grade toilets that flush wonderful. The WiFi is free, not sure if the bottled water in the room is. They leave you two. The beds are comfortable and clean rooms. I enjoyed the stay. Had drinks at the bar at 3:30 that technically didn't open until 4 but the bartender was nice enough to serve us. She was great: I do wonder why both bars are closed while the restaurant is open? Who makes drinks prior? There is a gift shop but it's extremely overpriced. For being in Gallup and having some of the cheapest gas and food it was shocking to see their prices are on shirts and souvenirs. They have security guards who don't seem friendly at all. I'm glad they want to protect the guests but made me feel like they were police.

This place is super cool! I loved all the old western movie memorabilia! Rooms are pretty nice, bed was very comfortable. Bathroom is super small, though. The staff is super friendly and accommodating. Found out our room was supposed to be haunted, but did not notice anything, thank goodness!

Hands down one of the coolest places we've been to over the years! With it's rich and famous history along with the excellent hospitality, it makes us go out of our way to stop here whenever we're passing through or near the area. We travel throughout the southwest often and more often than not, the conversation and roads lead us back to the El Rancho! When it's time to leave we do so wishing we had stayed longer. Great place and great experience!

Dog friendly is number one reason I chose this place, but love the old school charm and history of the whole hotel. The room was comfortable, clean, just enough space. The only negative is the size of the bathroom, BUT it is a historic hotel so that can't really be helped--remodeling isn't an option--if they want to keep the integrity of the place. The shower was a good size and the toiletries were nice. The employees were nice and the food from the restaurant was better than I expected.

Air conditioning was not working. Beautiful lobby. We will never return. Miserable night in incredible heat.

Cool historical place to stay! The double queen beds were super comfy and laid out with headboards on opposite ends of the room and spacious. The shower was super small, felt like I was in the movie elf! Getting in and out was a tight squeeze too. They had a security guy that was far too serious, other than those two it was great!

We were going to stay here on our way back from the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, a member of our party suffered a stroke, and we ended up in Flagstaff, at a hospital, on the day we were to stay here (the night of June 15.) We never actually had the opportunity to stay at the hotel. I called the hotel and was told that "due to policy," there was nothing they could do to waive the charges for the night. I then sent emails and was told they would look into the situation. Today, I got a message saying: "Thank you for staying at our hotel." Not only did these people not actually look into the situation, nobody is even paying attention to the messages they send. I would not stay at this property if they PAID me. The customer service is abysmal.

Zero stars, thumbs down .....rented the RONALD REGAN SUITE for my husbands birthday 6/16/22 for 2 nights. When we checked in the room door was open, carpenter working on the walk in closet, so "NO" closet for us! Outside pool, not available! Restaurant took over 1&1/2 hours to bring 2 plates, because 19 person table that came in after us, plus an additional 2 to 3 couples get seated and served before us. Oh, and the next morning the shower does not work, the water flowing into the bathtub was chocolate. Do u think Ronald Regan bathed in chocolate shit water? But here's the best part, we requested housekeeping services and the housekeeper comes in to straighten the sheets. Does not throw the trash or replenish the towels or the shampoo, lotion etc...but she sure took the tip money. THIS PLACE LITERALLY SUCKS, DO NOT SPEND YOUR MONEY HERE. U WILL B TRULY DISAPPOINTED. RENEE CASIAS

Passing through Gallup where my mommy was born many moons ago . We decided to stay the night. Found this historic motel with maximum positive reviews on BOOKING site. One of the perks was full breakfast included which sold it for me. I reserved in advance. Upon arrival I was informed the price I paid does NOT include the breakfast. I went back to BOOKING site and because i bought the last room at that price it no longer showed the deal I was informed I would get. BUYER BEWARE. The motel itself was perfect. We stayed in the Fred McMurray suite which we found cozy and the bed was a perfect dream.

Easily the most comfy bed I've slept in during the past week of my cross country road trip. We were stuck on i-40 due to road closures until 1am and the customer service was great! They were offered to give us a full refund if we didn't make it in because of these circumstances. Luckily, we eventually did get in. Cool hotel, comfy room! It's important to note, the room is small. It didn't bother me at all but if you are someone who needs space and a spacious bathroom...just know that it's small. I'd stay here again especially because it was just a COOL motel.