• Introduction
• 1. Ahwahnee Hotel
• 2. Many Glacier Hotel
• 3. Banff Springs Hotel
• 4. Big Meadows Lodge
• 5. Jasper Park Lodge
• 6. Crater Lake Lodge
• 7. Jenny Lake Lodge
• 8. El Tovar
• 9. Cavallo Point
• 10. Paradise Inn

El Tovar

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, ARIZONA

The first guests arrived at El Tovar in 1905; a few years ago, it received a
$4.6 million renovation for its 100th birthday, including a major sprucing up of guestrooms (the most upscale in the park). In between, the sweeping, multitiered structure has hosted no fewer than eight U.S. presidents, from Teddy Roosevelt to Bill Clinton. Built during a period of architectural mash-up, the hotel has been described as a cross between Swiss chalet and Norwegian villa, with the interior of a hunting lodge (taxidermy included). Situated just 100 yards from the canyon’s south rim, the view all but steals the show. It can be appreciated from many angles—on the lounge porch during cocktail hour; in the dining room over buckwheat pancakes drizzled with prickly pear syrup; sitting on the private deck of one of three suites with prize views, which consistently sell out more than a year in advance. From $166/night; grandcanyonlodges.com

See Germany Travel Guide | See Panama Travel Guide | See Boston Travel Guide | See Chicago Travel Guide | See Las Vegas Travel Guide | See California Travel Guide | See Texas Travel Guide | See Florida Travel Guide | See Sydney Travel Guide