Some history can be learned from a book. And some history requires immersing yourself in it − perhaps by staying in a century-old hotel.

Arizona's oldest hotels have captivated guests for decades, steeped in character and legends (some of which might be ghost stories).

Their walls once guarded historic and famous figures. They weathered disasters that threatened their existence, from devastating fires to the economic headwinds of the places where they stand.

These are the 10 oldest hotels in Arizona, hotels that stood the test of time, enduring the setbacks that came their way and championed by their communities as important historical landmarks in Arizona.

Bradshaw Mountains: Castle Hot Springs

Opened: 1896.

A 1,100-acre luxury resort in central Arizona's Bradshaw Mountains, Castle Hot Springs began as a luxurious wellness retreat where people sought healing from aches and pains in its mineral-rich hot springs. The resort has three spring-fed pools, each with different temperatures. The hottest, closest to the source, has an average temperature of 106 degrees, as hot as a summer day in Phoenix.

Besides relaxing in the springs, other activities include hiking, archery, ax throwing, yoga and meditation (including seasonal paddleboard yoga), and for an additional cost, a via ferrata adventure course , horseback riding and electric bike and utility task vehicle tours.

Castle Hot Springs closed after its Palm House was destroyed in a fire in 1976, but new ownership and a multibillion-dollar renovation brought it back to life. It reopened in 2019 , its second life winning high praise: Travel + Leisure readers named it Arizona's best hotel of 2021, 2022 and 2024 .

Details: 5050 N. Castle Hot Springs Road. 877-600-1137, castlehotsprings.com .

Jerome: Connor Hotel

Opened: 1898.

The oldest hotel in the historic former mining town of Jerome overcame destruction from not one but two fires. The Connor Hotel endured because owner David Connor insured the building and was able to rebuild quickly as a result.

At the turn of the 20th century, the Connor Hotel was considered one of the West's finest lodging establishments; it had its own shuttle bus that took guests to the train depot in Clarkdale, and the hotel was one of the first buildings in Jerome that was wired for electricity.

The hotel also survived two closures and the shutdown of the mines in the 1950s, persevering as people come to experience nostalgia and history of the West. Originally designed with 20 rooms, today the Connor Hotel has 12.

Today, it's also known as the home of the lively Spirit Room bar with live music and open mic nights.

Details: 160 Main St., Jerome. 928-634-5006, connorhotel.com .

Flagstaff: Weatherford Hotel

Opened: 1900.

In 1897, after a series of fires plagued Flagstaff, the city enacted rules requiring all commercial buildings to be built from brick, stone or iron.

A Texan named John Weatherford built one of the first buildings to meet these new requirements, housing a general store and living space for his family upstairs. A three-story modification of the building transformed his property into the Weatherford Hotel, which had its grand opening in 1900.

The Weatherford was Flagstaff's most prominent hotel in its first 30 years, at various points housing a theater, restaurant, billiard hall and local radio station. It fell into disrepair after Weatherford lost the hotel in 1933, but brothers Henry and Lloyd Taylor bought and renovated it in the 1970s, hoping to save the building from demolition.

Henry Taylor still runs the Weatherford today with his wife, Pamela "Sam" Green, not only continuing to make improvements on the hotel but also sharing its history with the public.

It's also where people can see Flagstaff's popular New Year's Eve tradition, the Great Pinecone Drop .

Details: 23 N. Leroux St., Flagstaff. 928-779-1919, weatherfordhotel.com .

Prescott: Hotel St. Michael

Opened: 1901.

The story of Hotel St. Michael begins with the end of another hotel. The Hotel Burke, opened in 1891, was lost to the Great Prescott Fire on July 14, 1900. A new hotel was built on its site, opening a year later as the Hotel St. Michael. In contrast with the former hotel's more modest look and feel, the Hotel St. Michael was built with more elaborate accommodations fitting its central location along Prescott's Whiskey Row.

The Hotel St. Michael was designed with stone faces, or gargoyles, believed to represent local politicians. It's also where Prescott's first elevator was installed, debuting in 1925.

Details: 205 W. Gurley St., Prescott. ​928-776-1999, stmichaelhotel.com .

Bisbee: Copper Queen Hotel

Opened: 1902.

The Phelps Dodge Corporation, which owned Bisbee's Copper Queen Mine, conceived the Copper Queen Hotel as a place to host visiting investors and dignitaries. Long after mining ceased in the city in the 1970s, the hotel became a Bisbee landmark for its luxurious setting and rich history as one of Arizona's oldest continuously operating hotels.

People also come here for the ghost stories, something made apparent by the animation of a ghost creeping forward just before pages on the hotel's website load.

Copper Queen's most famous ghost story involves Julia Lowell, a prostitute who was believed to have killed herself after a man she fell in love with rejected her. Lowell is believed to haunt Room 315, a room the hotel promotes as combining "mysterious allure" with an "intimate atmosphere."

Details: 11 Howell Ave., Bisbee. 520-432-2216, copperqueen.com .

Prescott: Grand Highland Hotel

Opened: 1903, as the Grand Saloon & Hotel.

Many of the historic buildings along Prescott's famous Whiskey Row were built after fires engulfed its saloons of yesteryear. The Grand Highland had to rebuild after a fire, too, but that wouldn't happen for more than a century.

The Grand Highland first opened as the two-story Grand Saloon Hotel in 1903, with the saloon downstairs and 16 guest rooms and three shared bathrooms upstairs. By the 1950s, Howard Hinson took over the hotel and renamed it the Highland Hotel; he also put in a curio shop where the saloon used to be.

The Highland was destroyed in a fire in 2012, but was rebuilt as a boutique hotel and called the Grand Highland, opening in 2013. The hotel had once been considered a flophouse, but the fire inspired the hotel's then-owners, Howard Hinson's son and daughter-in-law, to reimagine it as a boutique with spacious, contemporary rooms and a courtyard in the middle of the property that filled a void left by the fire.

Details: 154 S. Montezuma St., Prescott. 928-776-9963, grandhighlandhotel.com .

Grand Canyon El Tovar at the South Rim

Opened: 1905.

Fourteen years before the Grand Canyon became a national park, a hotel opened as the natural landmark became a popular tourist spot.

El Tovar was developed by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in partnership with the Fred Harvey Company to host guests traveling by railroad to the canyon. Architect Charles Whittlesey envisioned El Tovar as a cross between a Swiss chalet and Norwegian villa, according to Xanterra , which manages lodging at Grand Canyon National Park.

El Tovar hosted many notable guests since its opening, from Albert Einstein to Oprah Winfrey, as well as several U.S. presidents . Teddy Roosevelt stayed there as president in 1909 and returned in 1913.

The hotel was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1987. Historic Hotels of America says travelers appreciate El Tovar for its "gorgeous historical architecture, interesting institutional history and unrivaled hospitality."

Details: 1 El Tovar Road, Grand Canyon Village. 928-638-2631, grandcanyonlodges.com .

Douglas: Gadsden Hotel

Opened: 1907.

Bisbee wasn't the only Arizona city to benefit from the Phelps Dodge Corporation's copper mining. About 27 miles east in the border city of Douglas the company set up its copper smelting plant, where copper was extracted from its ores. The smelter closed in 1987, outliving Bisbee's Copper Queen Mine. Like Bisbee, Douglas has a hotel rich with history.

The Gadsden Hotel was named in commemoration of the Gadsden Purchase , an 1854 transaction between the U.S. and Mexico that included most of present-day Arizona and part of New Mexico. It opened in 1907, becoming a meeting place for a clientele that included "cattlemen, ranchers, miners and businessmen," according to the hotel's website .

Rebuilt after a 1928 fire that spared little but the elevator car cabin, marble staircase and marble columns, the Gadsden Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The hotel has changed hands several times in recent years and drew curiosity after its on-site restaurant and bar were abruptly closed in December 2023.

Details: 1046 G Ave., Douglas. 520-364-4481, thegadsdenhotel.com .

Chandler: San Marcos Hotel

Opened: 1913.

The San Marcos Hotel , has been a cornerstone of the region's tourism industry since its opening in 1913 and was notable for being the first steel-reinforced, cast-in-place concrete structure in Arizona.

Built by Dr. Alexander J. Chandler and designed by architect Arthur Burnett Benton, the hotel was inspired by the Spanish Colonial mission heritage of California. It played a pivotal role in transforming Phoenix into a winter tourism paradise, attracting visitors with luxurious amenities and recreation, such as golf on Arizona's first grass course.

Today, it operates as the Crowne Plaza Phoenix-Chandler Golf Resort, maintaining its historical charm while offering modern amenities.

Details: One N. San Marcos Place, Chandler. ihg.com .

Prescott: Hotel Vendome

Opened: 1917.

Like the Grand Highland, the Hotel Vendome was once a flophouse in its long life and is now a relaxing boutique hotel embracing an Old West feel.

When the two-story hotel made of red bricks opened, the Vendome was promoted as "the classiest place in town" to people coming to Prescott for mining jobs and the health benefits of the region's dry air. The hotel went through several owners, but some didn't maintain its classiness.

That changed when, in 1983, investors renovated the building and added modern amenities. The hotel's website described the renovators as "meticulous about the amount of preservation they did, even down to the numbers on the guestroom doors."

The Vendome, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, has 20 guest rooms, including four suites. Some have vintage features such as claw-foot tubs.

Details: 230 S. Cortez St., Prescott. 928-776-0900, vendomehotel.com .

Arizona Republic reporter Tiffany Acosta contributed to this story.

Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at . Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @salerno_phx .

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.