I'd always wanted to stay at this historic hotel, but it exceeded my expectations. I thought it would be fun but not as comfortable as we found it. We stayed upstairs in the main lodge, and had a balcony shared with a couple other rooms. Our room was very large and had everything a person could need. The bed was comfortable, the towels plentiful and fluffy, and the shower spacious. The Here's-Looking-at-You burger in the restaurant was exceptional, and the post-dinner patio sweet. We loved the nostalgic cowboy/early-20th-Century movie ambiance. We had a delightful stay and will be back. If you are driving the I-40 and need a place to stay near Gallup, don't pass this hotel up. Kiss the piano player for me.

I have no complaints whatsoever.

The lobby is the best attraction in town. The staff are more than willing to discuss the history of the hotel. The restaurant and bars are great! The hotel is old, but that's why I was there. Despite the age, the A/C worked great. I appreciated the hotel keeping original hardware and windows. If you aren't ok with patina and wear and tear, you might want to get a room in their Motel.

Our suite had access to a balcony that wasn't clean. There were alcohol bottles left on it. The balcony had a public entrance from the hall. We moved a table in front of the balcony access in our room just in case.

Love this hotel, the style, decor, story and vibe. Clean and nice, too. Have stayed here before and will definitely be back if passing by again. My favorite hotel for sure!

The only reason I give an 8 and not a 10 (as I LOVE this hotel) is because we had some things stolen from the back of our truck during the night. It was parked right in front of the entry doors but didn't help much and even if it might be on camera we didn't have time for the hassle. The hotel personnel were super kind but couldn't do much. Unfortunately there are some drifters hanging around there that will use the opportunity to grab smaller things. A guarded/enclosed parking lot would be great in an area like this. Be careful not to leave anything out that's easy to grab!

This amazing property was built in the 30s. Many celebrities visited. In the 60s it was going to be bulldozed when someone came forward and bought it and renovated it. It was recently renovated once again but the style and the ambience of the 30s hotel remains so it has a very western theme. With handmade curved wooden staircases to the mezzanine floor and cowboy decor all over the hotel as well as numerous black-and-white celebrity photograph. Celebrities who apparently visited this hotel back in the day. It’s really a unique and interesting place!

Liked it all!

Loved the look and history and feel of the place, with the kooky and nostalgic blend of ranch and Native American and Western American film history glam! What a memorable place. They do a great job.

The floor of the exercise room was very dirty. Construction was going on right outside that room (for the pool), and there were thick, muddy boot tracks on the workout mats. Also, the water pressure was extremely low. Understandable as it was the middle of the desert. Bathrooms were very small, and the fact that the toilets did not have lids (because the sink blocked the opening and closing) made me nervous that I would drop something into the toilet that wasn't supposed to go there.

El Rancho is a very unique experiencee. It evokes mid-20th century western atmosphere as interpreted by the Hollywood folks who were making movies in the area. Each room has a vibe and named after golden age Hollywood actors and players who made pictures in and around Gallup. The common areas have kept the look and feel of the time, and one can imagine Hedy Lamar elegantly entering the lobby down the gorgeous double staircase in 1949. The beds are comfy, everything has been updated without losing the vibe of the last century so mostly the room is great for a couple night stay. I warn any guest who may expect the modern comfort of a large bathroom: you won;t get it! The bathroom in some of the rooms, (dictatedby the tiny 200 sq ft or so size of each room) are so tiney you can hardly use the toilet without bumping your knees against the sink. Small price to pay for such a special hotel. Also, the staff is super helpful, very welcoming and kind. The restaurant had great service, and though we didn;t eat much from the menue, what we got was delicious.

See above re bathroom size.

Very cool interesting place, Beds were very comfortable, staff very friendly, room and hotel were very clean.

When I booked the room I assumed we were in the big main hotel, but when we arrived we were told we had booked for a room in the little motel beside the main one. Good thing for us the motel was. Under construction so they gave us a room in the main building. This was more an issue of the booking site I used not being clear, but be aware. Also the area where the hotel is was a little bit shady at night, I wanted to go for a walk after being in the car for 9 hours but soon realized I should wait till morning.

El Rancho is an amazing piece of history. The building is gorgeous. Something awesome to look at around every corner. Loved the lobby area especially. The room was clean, bed fairly comfortable, pretty small room, loved the shared balcony. The bathroom is TINY. The shower is great, but the toilet and sink are inches apart; hardly room to turn around. I know it's an old hotel and they probably can't change any of that. There's no mini fridge or microwave which we definitely missed. The restaurant was good, staff was a little inexperienced and scattered, but nice. Not sure I'd stay there again but the ambience was delightful. Definitely something one should try at least once.

Our cross country travels almost always include a stop in Gallup, NM and a stay at El Rancho. They accept small pets and that is a real plus for us as well. With an excellent restaurant and bar on site all with a friendly staff, it is a perfect place to recuperate after visiting the local sites or coming off the interstate. Just as it was built to support many of the movie stars and staff that used the beautiful backdrops for may an Old Western ... it is an excellent hub to enjoy the sites. My wife loves it because there is an excellent gift shop stocked with many native American items as well as each access to the numerous shops/antique stores in Gallup. Recommend booking a room in the older section if you want to really immerse yourself in the history of the place.

That we could not stay longer ...

This hotel exceeds our expectations in every way. Before I booked this hotel I read comments from other customers and it was all good. The hotel itself is like a museum. It is full of characters and history. Many Hollywood movie stars stayed there during the cowboy movie making era. The murals, the movie star pictures,the decorations and displays are so unique and historical. Even the room has cowboy hat on the wall, old leather chair and heavy wood furniture, an iron bottle opener mounted on the wall. On the door of each room it shows the name of movie star who stayed in before. We stayed in #300 William Holden’s room who was my favorite movie star.

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