Down-to-earth rooms in a simple motel offering a BBQ grill, plus free parking & Wi-Fi.
El Rancho Motel is a small, family-run stop on Historic Route 66 in downtown Williams, the kind of place travelers find themselves recommending to the next person they meet on the road. With a 4.4 rating across 409 reviews, it's earned a loyal following for clean, updated rooms and a genuinely retro motor-court feel that fits the Route 66 setting.
Reviewers consistently point to the same things: a recently remodeled 24-room property now run by its third generation of family ownership, attentive staff who hand out local tips at check-in, and a walkable location that puts downtown Williams' diners, shops, and the Grand Canyon Railway depot within easy reach on foot. The editorial summary sums it up simply as down-to-earth rooms in a simple motel, and that's about right — this isn't a resort, it's a well-kept, no-fuss motel that leans into its Route 66 character rather than covering it up.
Williams sits about 60 miles south of the South Rim, making El Rancho a practical, affordable base for anyone routing through on Route 66 or catching the train up to the canyon the next morning.
419 reviews
4 months ago
Came to Williams to visit for a couple days and decided to stay at the El Rancho Hotel, small (24 rrooms) family owned hotel on Historic Rt 66. An absolutely delightful hotel. One of the cleanest rooms we've ever stayed in, newly remodeled, great value for the price, very attentive management that makes you feel welcome and cared for. 10 out of 10, this will be our go to hotel in the area!
5 months ago
We met Braden the owner who mentioned that he had taken over the hotel from his grandmother and was updating the hotel and running it now, keeping it in the family which we thought was cool. The location is awesome, walkable to everything. Old retro hotel with great retro vibe to it but hey when you’re running down Route 66, it’s a great place to stay. While you’re there, absolutely run down to Anna’s place for breakfast ( Anna the owner is super nice and grab some 66 gear from Deidre ( also incredibly nice) at addicted to Route 66 …great place to stay over night the El Rancho, highly recommended
4 months ago
The hotel was clean, and relatively quiet. The TV service is terrible and my remote didn’t work. The cold shower faucet handle was messed up, I had a very hard time shutting the water off, and the A.C. was broken. The staff were alright but nothing special. If your just looking for a place to crash with no frills…choose the El Rancho.
6 months ago
I will admit, we booked this space out of spite for the incredibly rude customer that management called out. We were so impressed that it made the decision easy. El Rancho did NOT disappoint! The rooms were comfortable and the beds were amazing. They have suites with three queens which I’ve literally never seen before- usually the third person has to sleep on a pull out. So, a decision made for questionable reasons (see above re: spite) ended up being the BEST decision for all the right reasons. Stay at El Rancho. You won’t regret it.
a month ago
The owners are super kind and great people! The room is really clean and beautiful. Perfect location too. I enjoy it there. I can only recommend to atay there!!