El Tovar is an in-park lodge situated directly on the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Designed by Charles Whittlesey, Chief Architect for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, the lodge was opened in 1905 at the northern terminus of the Grand Canyon Railway, which was formerly a branch of the Santa Fe. El Tovar was considered one of the most elegant hotels west of the Mississippi at the time and provided an early example of the building style that would evolve into the U.S. National Park Service Rustic architecture.

The lodge features a warm and relaxing lounge paneled in rustic dark oak with paintings of the canyon done by local artists. It also boasts a majestic dining room constructed of native stone and Oregon pine and traditional in decor and ambiance.