Uphill from the Grand Canyon Depot, the elegant “log palace” of El Tovar looked down on the relatively uncivilized assortment of tents, shacks, and mud paths south of the tracks, where livestock wandered and open sewage ponds wafted.

For visitors running the gauntlet of guides and motel operators hustling for business, the turreted roofline of El Tovar must have been a reassuring sight. The hotel was designed by Charles Whittlesey, an Illinois native who studied with Louis Sullivan (often credited as the father of modern architecture) before moving west to work for the Santa Fe.

When it opened in 1905, El Tovar was an eclectic mix of Victorian scale, European detailing, and rustic materials, from its rubble masonry foundation to its Queen Anne–style shingled turret. The first floor’s log slab siding was given corner notching for an illusion of log construction. Balustrades, indoors and out, were jigsawed in a Swiss chalet style.

Murals in the Norwegian-styled dining room depicted Arizona’s native peoples. The Rendezvous Room was decorated with Arts and Crafts furniture and hunting trophies, including a mountain lion killed by Western novelist Zane Grey.

The original floor plan included a solarium, ladies’ lounge, and billiard room, with a kitchen garden, poultry barn, and dairy nearby.

El Tovar set a standard, and its appeal to a growing number of visitors no doubt contributed to the establishment of Grand Canyon as a national monument in 1908. Tastefully updated and refurbished, El Tovar continues to offer the South Rim’s finest accommodations.