Grand Canyon Village
El Tovar Hotel
The Santa Fe Railway's 1905 hotel on the South Rim, opened by Fred Harvey before the canyon was a national park; 78 rooms, all reached by stairs.
- Built
- 1905Under design from 1902, built in 1904 and opened January 1905 (Wikipedia; Xanterra).
- Style
- Rustic (Swiss chalet / Norwegian villa blend)
- Architect
- Charles Whittlesey (Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway)
- Type
- Lodge
- Rooms
- 78
- Credentials
- National Historic Landmark; Listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Inside a National Register historic district; Historic Hotels of America member
The story
The Santa Fe Railway built El Tovar steps from its Grand Canyon depot, and the Fred Harvey Company opened it in January 1905, before the canyon was a national park. Railway architect Charles Whittlesey designed it as a cross between a Swiss chalet and a Norwegian villa, and it was named for Pedro de Tovar of the Coronado expedition. It originally had 103 rooms and 21 baths; today it has 78 rooms, all with private baths, including 12 suites. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Good to know
- No elevator
- Address: 1 El Tovar Rd., Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
Things to do
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Sources (3)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.