Historic El Rancho Hotel

Tagging itself as having the “Charm of Yesterday... Convenience of Tomorrow,” El Rancho sticks out in the town of Gallup. Whether you check out the traditional native crafts at the Last Trading Post or order the Ronald Reagan burger with jellybeans at The Silver Screen, you’ll notice that El Rancho is unlike other hotels in the area.

El Rancho opened in 1937, built by movie theatre developer Rupert Earl Griffith. Despite the Great Depression ongoing at the time, the hotel prospered, and many famous movie stars would make El Rancho their place to stay. John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, Lucille Ball, and many actors stayed at the hotel, along with the hotel serving as the headquarters for many Hollywood productions. Yet, with the construction of I-40 and the fading relevance of westerns, El Rancho found itself on hard times. In 1988, businessman Armand Ortega bought the hotel in a bankruptcy auction, and has spent the time ever since to restore the hotel to its former glory.

Walking into El Rancho immediately brings the Western aesthetic front and center, with a combination of vintage and Native American decorations dotted with portraits of the famous dwellers of the hotel. Even the hotel rooms are decked out in the Western feel, along with the restaurant and bar on the first floor.