THE EL TOVAR HOTEL

The front entrance to the El Tovar Hotel

Many of our National Parks have the iconic lodge/hotel, most of which were built during an era when railroad travel was the primary transportation method. Yosemite has the Awhanee, Glacier has several built by the Great Northern Railroad, and Yellowstone has several lodge/hotels built around the turn of the last century.

When the Santa Fe Railroad completed it's branch line to the Grand Canyon in September of 1901, tourism went from a few hundred per year by way of stagecoach, to several thousand per year, arriving on the railroad. Suddenly, there was a tremendous need for hotel rooms, to accommodate the influx of tourists. In 1905, the Santa Fe completed the El Tovar Hotel, and it became one of the many Harvey Houses, run by the Fred Harvey Company. In fact, it is one of only a few of the original Harvey Houses still in operation.

The location of the El Tovar is within just a few feet of the canyon edge, so the views from most of the rooms are truly spectacular. As you might expect, the room rates are also quite spectacular! When the railroad arrived at the canyon, there were a few small hotels, some with cabins, but there were not nearly enough accommodations for the increased number of tourists. When the El Tovar was completed, just up the hill and a short walk from the train depot, the occupancy was 100% from day one.

Today, reservations typically need to be made well in advance, and the very upscale dining room offers great food at what you might expect, great prices! Having never set foot inside this beautifully restored and maintained building, I dropped by yesterday for a look see. When I told the restaurant hostess that I was one of the shuttle bus drivers, and was often asked questions about the El Tovar, she gave me a quick tour of the restaurant. At least now, I have a little more information, that will make it easier to answer some of the many questions.

The back porch of the El Tovar Hotel, facing the Grand Canyon

When the train arrives at the canyon at about 11:45am each day, many of the passengers are transported up to the El Tovar, where they stay for one or more days. Their departure back to Williams is on the railroad, much like the early tourists of over 100 years ago. When the railroad started bringing folks to the south rim, the cost of a round trip train ticket was $3.50. The cost of a room at the El Tovar was only a little bit more than that, depending on what type of room you reserved. Today, the standard room rate is around $200, and goes up from there.

There is no doubt, this is one of the jewels in the National Park system, and is representative of an era that has long since passed. The Santa Fe Railroad was responsible for the building of the El Tovar Hotel, and many other structures here at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Even though the railroad is now owned by Xanterra, it's neat to see that tourists are still coming to the Grand Canyon on the railroad, and staying at the magnificent El Tovar Hotel.