Audio

Full Steam Ahead: Stop 4 El Tovar

Grand Canyon National Park

Transcript

While visitors enjoyed the canyon and learned about the Native culture in the Hopi House the upper-class visitors still wanted to rest their head somewhere familiar. The El Tovar Hotel helped provide luxury lodging to early travelers arriving on the Santa Fe Railway. Take a look at the building in front of you. What is your first impression of this hotel style? Where would you place this building if it were not at the Grand Canyon? To many, this building may seem like you should be at an European ski resort and not in a high elevation desert. This is not a misconception; this was done on purpose. Hired by the Fred Harvey company, Architect Charles Whittlesey envisioned the El Tovar as a cross between a Swiss chalet and a Norwegian villa, in an effort to appeal to the taste of elite visitors who considered European culture as the epitome of refinement and class. Opened in 1905, this hotel is named after one of the first Spanish conquistadores to arrive in this area. Look back upon the Hopi House. Do you enjoy the varied architectural styles or do you sense a juxtaposition here in the Village? [Spanish style rhythmic guitar]

When it first opened, many visitors believed the El Tovar was the most luxurious hotel west of the Mississippi River due to its indoor plumbing and electric lights. To add to that luxury, the Fred Harvey Company had Mary Colter design its own dishware for the dining room, which you can still purchase today. There is an element of this expensive hotel that we might find odd today: only the pent house suite has windows with views of the canyon. This was done intentionally by the Fred Harvey company to encourage visitors to get outside and enjoy the canyon, rather than sit in their rooms the whole time.

Put yourself in the shoes of the visitors of the early 1900’s. You’ve just gotten off the train and walked up the hill to the El Tovar. Would you be impressed with its grandeur? Take a walk inside. Would the moose head in the lobby feel like a warm welcome? Or would you feel confused since moose do not live in this area? Are the noises and smells coming from the dining room enticing or not something you would normally go for at a park?

The establishment of the El Tovar was a pivotal element which helped bring tourism to the park. Increased visitation helped to establish Grand Canyon as a National Monument in 1908 and later as a National Park in 1919. Today the hotel has been updated to modern standards and is still one of most expensive places to stay in the park. Would you want to stay somewhere of this caliber or save you money for other things? What kinds of luxuries are you okay with giving up to make your stay more affordable?

Description

The El Tovar Hotel helped provide luxury lodging to early travelers arriving on the Santa Fe Railway. The establishment of the El Tovar was a pivotal element which helped bring tourism to the park. Increased visitation helped to establish Grand Canyon as a National Monument in 1908 and later as a National Park in 1919.

Credit

Grand Canyon National Park

Date Created

09/09/2021

Copyright and Usage Info