Read Grand Canyon Hotel History and Origin

The Grand Canyon Hotel opened its doors in January 1891 and is the oldest hotel in Arizona. Williams was a logging, ranching, mining, and fur-trapping town.In 1905 the Santa Fe railroad opened a spur up to the Grand Canyon, making Williams "The Gate Way to the Grand Canyon." The Grand Canyon Hotel was the only hotel close to the Grand Canyon at the time.

It is a European-style hotel and continues to host many guests from all over the world. Last year alone, we had guests from 109 different countries. We display the guest registers from 1904, and in these registers are such famous guests as General Pershing (who was a Captain at the time) and The Vanderbilts. The King of Siam and John Muir (founder of the Sierra Club) stayed here 4 times. Other guests from the ‘40s and '50s reveal the rooms were rented more than once the same night (Ummm).

The hotel closed about 1970 after interstate 40 bypassed Williams and sat empty for 35 years. New owners purchased the hotel in 2004 and started the complete remodel, re-opening for business in June of 2005. Including all new electricity and plumbing.

The Grand Canyon Hotel is located in the center of Williams at the crossroads of Route 66 and Second street.