The interior spaces retain considerable original fabric, although major
changes have been made in interior design and cosmetic finishes.
The entrance lobby ("Rendezvous Room"), with its log- slab paneling and exposed log rafters,
retains its dark, woodsy character resulting from the deep brown stain
on the wood. The ridgepole supporting the log rafters is in turn
supported by log poles. Trophy heads of moose, pronghorn, elk, and deer
hang on the walls, especially above the doorways to the newsstand, the
two gift shops, and the registration area. Copper chandeliers hang by
chains from the ridgepole. Most areas of wood floor have been finished
with a polyurethane varnish, and heavy-traffic areas have been
carpeted.
The registration lobby contains peeled log posts with carved corbels
that support the floor of the mezzanine lounge above. The mezzanine
lounge is an octagonaly shaped balcony that overlooks the registration
lobby. The balcony railing and those of the surrounding staircases up
to the mezzanine and upper floors have balusters jigsawn in a Swiss
chalet style. The mezzanine also contains peeled log posts with
decorative corbels supporting the beams for the floor above. Hanging
from the ceiling of the mezzanine into the registration lobby is a
copper chandelier.
The layout of the guest rooms has changed to allow for updating,
although the double-loaded corridors remain. Although the fenestration
is the same as it was originally on the exterior, the rehabilitation of
the hotel in 1983 included the addition of private baths for each guest
room.
The 95 guest rooms now number 79 because of that change in
allocation of space. All of the guest rooms have new carpeting and
sheetrock, new baseboard electric heaters, and new doors with higher
fire ratings. Some of the guest rooms that have balconies have had
sliding glass doors with aluminum frames added for better access and
easy maintenance.
The general configuration of the building has changed little since it
was constructed; the biggest changes have been in the building 's
interior decor. A sprinkler system and new fire escapes have been added
to the building. New mechanical systems at the rear (west) of the
building are housed in enclosures of log-slab siding. The building
underwent a total rehabilitation completed in 1983 that included the
removal of all original windows in the upper stories and replacement
with thermal-pane windows in a dark brown anodized aluminum. The
original windows were paired four- and five-light casements with
single-light transoms above, all of wood frame construction. The new
casements are single lights with false mullions on the interior.
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
El Tovar's significance lies in its
eclectic architecture - a combination of the Swiss chalet and Norway
villa as the promotional brochures boasted--and the way in which that
transitional architecture bridged the gap between the staid Victorian
resort architecture of the late nineteenth century and the rustic
architecture later deemed appropriate for the great scenic and natural
wonders of the United States. Interlocked with that significance is the
building's s importance as the Santa Fe Railway's key structure of its
"destination resort" at Grand Canyon which dramatically increased
tourism and in turn had an indirect bearing on the area's establishment
as a national monument in 1908 and a national park 11 years later.
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