Grand Canyon's crown jewel since 1905. Fred Harvey elegance on the South Rim, just steps from the edge.
El Tovar Hotel, the historic crown jewel of Grand Canyon National Park, has stood directly on the South Rim since its doors first opened in January 1905. Commissioned by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and constructed at a cost of 250,000 dollars, the building was designed by chief architect Charles Whittlesey. To appeal to wealthy Gilded Age travelers who equated European design with ultimate luxury, Whittlesey blended the rustic elements of a Swiss chalet with the bold lines of a Norwegian villa. Built from local Arizona limestone and Oregon pine, the structure served as a premier destination in the legendary Fred Harvey Company chain. Its design helped establish the parkitecture style that would define national park lodgings for decades. In 1987, the hotel was designated a National Historic Landmark, cementing its status as a vital piece of American heritage.
Inside, the hotel's rich history is preserved in dark timber beams, massive stone fireplaces, and an array of historic Native American art. While Whittlesey designed the exterior, the legendary Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter was commissioned to decorate the interiors, selecting furnishings that reflected the cultures of the Southwest. Colter also designed the Hopi House directly across from the hotel, which opened in the same year. Today, the dining room still serves meals on Mimbreno China, featuring a striking pattern Colter originally designed in 1936 for the Santa Fe Railway's Super Chief dining cars. Over the decades, the hotel has hosted luminaries ranging from Theodore Roosevelt and Albert Einstein to Sir Paul McCartney and Oprah Winfrey. While the hotel originally held nearly one hundred guest rooms, subsequent renovations to introduce private bathrooms and modern comforts have consolidated the layout to 78 unique rooms and suites, meaning no two spaces are exactly alike.
The El Tovar Dining Room remains the premier culinary destination in the park, featuring native stone walls, Oregon pine accents, and murals depicting the customs of the Hopi, Apache, Mojave, and Navajo tribes. Guests can dine on long-standing signature dishes like the prime rib hash for breakfast, or the classic French onion soup gratinée and salmon tostada for dinner. Because of its popularity, dinner reservations are highly competitive: overnight hotel guests can secure a table up to six months in advance, while day visitors are limited to a 30 day booking window. For travelers planning a visit in 2026, a major room refresh is scheduled from late June through mid September, during which guest rooms will temporarily go offline in phases while the dining room and retail shops remain fully operational. This ongoing stewardship ensures that the historic lodge continues to provide an elegant, authentic basecamp on the edge of the canyon.
Reservations open 13 months in advance on the first of each month at midnight Mountain Time. If you secure a room, you can book dinner reservations up to six months ahead, while non-guests must wait until 30 days out.
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