The Alvarado Hotel was built in 1901 and 1902 by the Santa Fe Railway and opened on May 10, 1902. The Fred Harvey Company ran it. Charles Frederick Whittlesey designed it in the Mission Revival style, and he also designed El Tovar at the Grand Canyon.
In 1922 it was remodeled and expanded to 120 rooms, with interiors redone by architect Mary Colter. It was then the largest of all the Harvey hotels, and for many travelers it was their first look at the American Southwest.
The railroad tore it down in 1970. A preservationist called it the most serious loss of a landmark the city had suffered, and it helped rally support for saving old buildings. The Alvarado Transportation Center opened on the site in 2002.