Gardner Hotel

The Gardner Hotel was opened in 1922 by Preston E. Gardner at 311 East Franklin Ave. Because of fears of fire in the 1920s, the Gardner was constructed entirely of steel making the hotel almost completely fire proof. In 1930 the hotel was sold to William McMurray, who sold it to Joseph George Nebhan later. His son, John Nebhan, ran it as a retirement hotel from 1962-1983. The current owner, Joe Nebhan (son of John Nebhan), took over management of the hotel in 1981. He began to operate the El Paso hotel as an El Paso hostel and hotel in 1984. To this day the Gardner Hotel still operates as a hotel in half of its rooms. The other half operates as El Paso International Hostel. Gardner Hotel has a lot of history but most notably, on Jan. 9, 1934, bank robber John Dillinger and two members of his gang checked into the Gardner Hotel. Dillinger signed the name John D. Ball on the registry and stayed in room 221. But because Dillinger didn't break any laws during his stay, the El Paso Sheriff's Department did not arrest him. Dillinger checked out a few days later but was captured Jan. 25, 1934, in Tucson after being recognized by firefighters who had saved his heavy luggage from a burning hotel there. The hotel has a photo of John Dillenger right near the front desk cash box. John Dillenger was a bank robber.