Gallup
El Rancho Hotel
Film director Griff Griffith's Route 66 hotel, its lobby balcony lined with photos of stars it hosted; ask for a room in the main hotel.
- Built
- 1936NRHP nomination: a rambling Rustic-style building built in 1936 by Joe Massaglia for "Griff" Griffith; later additions on the east and west ends. The brief's 1937 date was not found in sources.
- Style
- Rustic
- Architect
- Joe Massaglia (builder)
- Type
- Grand hotel
- Price
- $
- Credentials
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Local landmark
The story
Movie director “Griff” Griffith came to Gallup in the early 1930s to make a film and returned to build the El Rancho, which builder Joe Massaglia completed for him in 1936. Tourists of the 1930s and 1940s stayed there for the Inter-Tribal Ceremonial across the street, and the hotel became the center of Gallup’s film business. It has hosted Robert Mitchum, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck and other stars, whose photos line the lobby balcony.
Good to know
- Breakfast: available
- Pets welcome
- Address: 1000 E Highway 66, Gallup, NM 87301
Sources (3)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.