Grand Canyon Railway Hotel
The Grand Canyon Railway Hotel is a hotel in downtown Williams, Arizona, situated directly next to the historic train depot that serves the Grand Canyon Railway. The building follows an early 20th-century style, with warm tones on the exterior and interiors furnished in a railway-era style across its rooms and common spaces.
The hotel opened in 1908, built to receive passengers traveling on the Grand Canyon Railway, which had begun running just a few years earlier between Williams and the South Rim. That original link between the building and the rail line has remained unbroken, shaping how both the hotel and the town around it have been seen ever since.
Williams grew around the railway, and this hotel has long been at the center of that story, visible in the decor throughout its hallways and rooms. Train-related objects, old signs, and period photographs line the walls, giving guests a sense of how the town once lived by the rhythm of the tracks.
The hotel sits in the center of Williams, within walking distance of the town's main shops and restaurants, making it easy to explore on foot. Guests planning to take the train to the Grand Canyon should keep in mind that the depot is just steps away, which makes early morning departures simple to manage.
Despite sitting at an elevation of around 6,700 feet (about 2,000 meters), where nights can be cool even in summer, the hotel has an outdoor pool that guests actually use during the warmer months. Williams is one of the higher towns along Route 66, which runs through the center of town just a short walk from the hotel entrance.
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