Walk across the original mosaic tile floors, past photographs and memorabilia from more than a century in business. Room 221, where Dillinger checked in under the alias John D. Ball in 1934, is still part of the hotel. Other notable guests and countless travelers from around the world have written their own Gardner stories.

Experience downtown El Paso like a local.

Rooms are furnished with vintage decor and antiques, giving each one its own sense of history and character. Choose from one with an ensuite bath or go European-style with an in-room sink and shared baths down the hall. Between downtown outings, head to the TV & Rec Room to challenge your travel companions or fellow guests to a game of billiards, or settle in for a low-key night.

Your room key doubles as a discount card at participating restaurants and bars nearby, with food discounts at some spots and buy-one-get-one drinks at others. Around town, dig into the authentic Mexican food El Paso is known for, starting with the tacos. Back at The Gardner, enjoy a selection of beer, wine, and canned cocktails available for purchase in the lobby.

In the early days of The Gardner, the first manager made trips to the East Coast promising "A Room, A Bird and A Bath" with every stay. The promise worked. Each room did indeed come with its own canary, and the hotel quickly became a downtown El Paso favorite. Over the years, The Gardner made its way into popular works, including several of former resident Cormac McCarthy's books and Depth of Winter by Craig Johnson, whose Walt Longmire novels inspired the hit Netflix series Longmire. In the novel, Sheriff Longmire stays in Dillinger's old room before escaping over the hotel's roof. Scenes from the 2006 film Glory Road were shot here, too. All that history left its mark, and more than a century of stories still comes with every stay (canaries no longer included).