El Rancho Hotel & Motel Facts for Kids

Significant dates

El Rancho Hotel
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

El Rancho Hotel at night
Location in New Mexico Show map of New Mexico Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	100 E. 66th Ave., Gallup, New Mexico
Area	1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built	1936 (1936)
Architect	Joe Massagalia
Architectural style	Rustic
MPS	Downtown Gallup MRA
NRHP reference No.	87002222
Added to NRHP	January 14, 1988

El Rancho Hotel, Gallup, New Mexico, is a historic hotel built by R.E. “Griff” Griffith, the brother of film director D.W. Griffith. The pair encouraged early film production in the surrounding area. It is located on old U.S. Route 66 and became the temporary home for many Hollywood movie stars.The rambling, three-story hotel building has a large portico with a central balcony reminiscent of the Southern Plantation style. The National Park Service describes it as having a “rusticated fantasy appearance.” Materials include brick, random ashlar stone, and roughewn wood with a wood shake roof and brick and stone chimneys. The lobby features a spectacular walk-in fireplace made of brick and random ashlar stone surrounded by twin stairways made of split logs that leadi to the second floor guest rooms. The slogan “Charm of Yesterday, Convenience of Tomorrow” is rendered in neon above the main entrance.

It is on the Trails of the Ancients Byway, one of the designated New Mexico Scenic Byways.

History
Famous guests
Headquarters for films
See also

History

It opened in 1937 as a base for movie productions. Employees were trained by the Fred Harvey Company.

With the opening of Interstate 40, the property fell into decline. Armand Ortega bought the hotel at a bankruptcy auction and restored the property. The Ortega family has a long history dealing in Native American jewelry and artwork in Santa Fe, New Mexico and has operated concessions for the National Park Service at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, White Sands National Park, Death Valley National Park, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Muir Woods National Monument, and others.