|
|
 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. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
