Grand Canyon Railway Hotel

Why stay here

• Steps from the trainThe hotel is next to the Williams depot, about 0.1 km in a straight line, where the Grand Canyon Railway leaves for the South Rim. From January to October the train leaves at 9:30 and is back at 17:45, so you can leave the car parked for the whole day.
• Built for familiesIt lists an indoor pool, a hot tub, a fitness centre, a playground and sports courts, a buffet restaurant and a pub, the longest list of facilities in Williams of the hotels in this guide. Cots are free and extra beds cost US$20 a night, according to the hotel's policy on Booking.com.
• A nod to the Harvey House eraAccording to the railway's own history page, the hotel was built in 1995 to echo the Fray Marcos, the Harvey House hotel that opened in the Williams depot in 1908, and was enlarged in 2000 and 2004. The old Fray Marcos building next door no longer takes guests.
• Solid scores at scaleIt scores 8.7 on Booking.com from 981 reviews (checked 16 Oct 2026), with location at 9.4 and Wi-Fi at 9.3. On Google Maps it has 4.5 from 4,824 reviews.

Good to know before you book

• Pricier than the rest of WilliamsIt is in price tier 3, at around €122 a night for two in mid-January 2027 when we checked, converted from US dollars. That is roughly €20 to €30 more than the two smaller Williams hotels in this guide, which both score higher overall.
• Cleanliness is its lowest sub-scoreCleanliness scores 8.9, below El Rancho (9.4) and The Historic Grand Canyon Hotel (9.1) down the road, and facilities score 8.7 despite the long list. It is a big, busy hotel, and the sub-scores are good rather than outstanding.
• The train fare does not include the parkTrain tickets, and the train-and-hotel packages the railway sells on its own site, are separate from park entry. Visitors who are not US residents pay a $100 fee per person aged 16 and over in 2026: see Grand Canyon entrance fees in 2026.
• Age, pets and DecemberThe person checking in must be at least 18, and pets are not allowed. From late November through December the Polar Express evening trains fill much of Williams, so book early for those dates.

Guest sub-scores on Booking.com

• Location9.4
• Free WiFi9.3
• Comfort9.0
• Staff9.0
• Cleanliness8.9
• Facilities8.7
• Value for money8.5

Average scores out of 10 from 981 reviews on Booking.com, checked on 16 Oct 2026.

Rooms

Most guests choose between the standard room with two queen beds, the usual family room, and the standard queen room for a couple. The deluxe room with two queen beds gives a little more space for a family that spends the evening in the room after a long day at the rim.

The suite suits larger families or a longer stay. Since the pool, restaurant and pub are all in the building, a family can spend the whole evening without getting back in the car, and breakfast is available on site before the 9:30 train.

Room types listed on Booking.com

• Standard room with two queen beds
• Standard queen room
• Deluxe room with two queen beds
• Suite

Getting there and around

From Phoenix Sky Harbor

Take I-17 north to Flagstaff, then I-40 west for about 44 miles (71 km) to Williams. Phoenix to the South Rim is about four hours according to the National Park Service, and Williams is roughly an hour short of the rim on that trip. Groome Transportation also links the airport with Flagstaff and Flagstaff with Williams. See Phoenix to the Grand Canyon.

From Las Vegas

Take US-93 to Kingman, about 119 miles (192 km) and 2 h 20 min according to AAA, then I-40 east to Williams, just under two hours more. See Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon.

To the Grand Canyon South Rim

The Grand Canyon Railway covers 65 miles (105 km) in about 2 hours 15 minutes each way and arrives at the Grand Canyon Depot, a short walk from the rim. By car, AZ-64 runs north about 60 miles (97 km), around an hour according to the National Park Service.

Along Route 66

The Route 66 main street of Williams is a few minutes on foot. Downtown Flagstaff is about 49 km east in a straight line and Seligman about 63 km west; see our Route 66 road trip.

How it compares

The Railway Hotel against the two smaller Williams hotels in this guide and the big hotel at the park gate in Tusayan.

Price for 2 adults, 12–15 January 2027, as shown on Booking.com on 16 Oct 2026.

Questions

See prices on Booking.com ↗

Independent guide page, not the hotel's own website. Innlantern wrote it from public information. Do you run this hotel? Corrections and requests: [email protected]. See also How we choose and review.