GRAND CANYON, Ariz. – The Grand Canyon's El Tovar, one of the oldest and most famous national park lodges is one of  the original great lodges of the national park system and a key influence in opening the Southwest to tourism. Built in 1905, El Tovar is a member of the Historic Hotels of America.

In 1901, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway laid an 80-mile railroad spur from Williams, Ariz. to Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim of the canyon. Like other railroads, the company sought to increase its customer base and began making plans for the construction of a luxury hotel close to its terminal at the South Rim.

Described as a cross between a Swiss Chalet and Norwegian Villa, El Tovar cost $250,000 to build and opened January 14, 1905. The hotel originally had 95 rooms, but a later renovation reduced that number to 78 to allow for private bathrooms in all guest rooms.

Like most historic hotels, El Tovar has its share of stories. The hotel originally had separate men's and women's sitting rooms, a men's grotto, a photography studio with darkroom, a rooftop garden, wine room and billiards parlor.

Xanterra Parks & Resorts, formerly the Fred Harvey Company, has managed El Tovar from the start. The famed Harvey Girls staffed El Tovar and other Harvey Houses throughout the West. The Harvey Girls went a long way toward “civilizing” the region, and many of the West's prominent families today are descendants of these women and local ranchers and businessmen. Some former Harvey Girls still live in northern Arizona.

The opening of El Tovar preceded Arizona's statehood by seven years and the Grand Canyon's designation as a national monument in 1908 and a national park in 1919. The hotel's presence is credited with helping to increase visitation and international awareness of the remote Grand Canyon region.

Interesting facts about El Tovar include:

• Architect Charles Whittlesey enlisted the aid of famed designer Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter of the Fred Harvey Company to help create a darker atmosphere in the dining room. At Colter's instructions, the Harvey Girls rubbed coffee grounds on the walls to create the effect. An unexpected benefit was the coffee grounds served as a termite repellent.
• The hotel was named for Spanish explorer Don Pedro de Tobar who reported the existence of the Grand Canyon to fellow explorers.
• U.S. Presidents who have stayed at El Tovar include Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, Herbert Hoover, Calvin Coolidge, Dwight Eisenhower and Bill Clinton.
• Celebrities who have stayed include Paul McCartney, Albert Einstein, Elizabeth Taylor, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford.
• When it opened, El Tovar was considered the most luxurious hotel between the Rocky Mountains and San Francisco.
• Even though guest rooms did not have their own bathrooms, they did each have their own telephones.
• Harnessing electricity was still relatively new, and the hotel's lobby lights were known as “Electroliers.”
• El Tovar was originally to be called the Bright Angel Tavern, but its more elegant name was chosen before it opened.
• Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, architect of several famous Grand Canyon buildings, provided some of the building's interior design elements.
• The Hopi House, a Colter-designed building next door, opened two weeks before El Tovar.

Today, visitors to Grand Canyon Village can stay not just in El Tovar, but can choose from five other lodges either on the rim or within easy walking distance. Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C.* manages these hotel properties – the only lodging inside the park at the South Rim – as well as restaurants, retail shops and other concessions such as mule rides and motorcoach tours. Guests may also stay at Phantom Ranch on the floor of the Grand Canyon. Many South Rim structures have become recognized for their historic and architectural significance and are designated as National Historic Landmarks.

Xanterra continues to operate Grand Canyon Railway as well as The Grand Hotel in Tusayan, Ariz. outside the park.

In addition to the lodges, Xanterra South Rim operates mule rides, a variety of interpretive motorcoach tours, restaurants and gift shops.

Visitors can book their rooms online by visiting www.grandcanyonlodges.com or by calling toll-free 1-888-297-2757 or 1-303-297-2757 from outside the United States. You can learn more about the park by visiting www.nps.gov/grca.