Reservations
The Hotel El Capitan was built by Charles Bassett of El Paso and opened in 1930. It was one of five hotels of the Gateway Hotel chain that he built in west Texas and eastern New Mexico, the notable architect Henry Trost of Trost and Trost in El Paso was commissioned to produce the architectural design. The construction company was McKee Construction of El Paso that had built most of the early Hilton Hotels around Texas in the 1920's and 1930's as well as most of the office buildings of that era in downtown El Paso.

The Hotel El Capitan was for the most part a cattleman's hotel for its first 40 years. Ranchers from all over the area bought and sold cattle in business meetings held in the lobby. The railroad depot was across the street so many rail travelers stopped in for a night in their travels between California and San Antonio. The hotel was also the prime location for social events within a 100 mile radius of Van Horn. Many weddings, parties, receptions, proms and meetings were held at the El Capitan.

The hotel closed in the 1970's as a working hotel and became the Van Horn State Bank. In 2008 the building was purchased from the bank with plans to restore the hotel back into its 1930's splendor. After a full year of restoration, we now have 38 rooms and suites available for the public. Like in the 1930's the Hotel El Capitan will again become a destination in and of itself in far West Texas for guests visiting between the Big Bend and the Guadalupe Mountains National Parks. While in the area be sure to see the Red Rock Ranch, McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis National Historic Site, the Davis Mountains Scenic Loop Highway, the Marfa Lights and Carlsbad Caverns. The hotel offers a dining room with a full service bar (opening soon), continental breakfast, satellite TV, WiFi. Please check with reservations for availability.