Thanks to other reviewers, my husband and I had appropriate expectations when we arrived at El Tovar, and we were very pleased. This place is all about its location. It was a little pricey, but you're paying for proximity to the canyon. The room was clean, the curtains blocked out the near-full moon, noise wasn't an issue (although the hotel didn't have many guests), the thermostat worked well, and the bed was comfortable. If you're looking for a large room at a cheap price, then this isn't the place for you.

My husband and I were visiting friends in AZ and decided to add an extra day to our trip to head up to the Grand Canyon. We arrived at the park at lunch time, quickly checked in, dropped our bags off in the room and headed out for a hike into the canyon. Check-in was quick and friendly. We had a room with a double bed. It looked like only the Presidential suites on the 3rd floor truly had canyon views. We could see a little from our room on the 3rd floor.

We wouldn't pay peak season rates for this hotel, but it was absolutely perfect for our needs this time around.

Tips we found helpful:
- Tusayan is the last "town" before the park entrance. You can stop for gas and fast food here. Your park pass is good for several days ($25 for a 7 day pass for 1 car with 2 people), so you can drive in and out to Tusayan for less expensive meals. It isn't really a town, though - it's more like an exit off a major interstate.

- If you plan to hike into the canyon from the Southern Rim in the winter, stop in the Bright Angel gift shop for slip on ice cleats. They carry two versions...one is $50 a pair and the other is $25 a pair. We opted for the $25 version and they worked perfectly. Be sure to try them on before you buy them to make sure they fit well. The Bright Angel We did a 6 mile round trip hike down Bright Angel with no problems on the snow/ice. In fact, with the cleats, I thought the snow-covered portions of the trail were easier to climb than the dirt/rocks.

There are plenty of rocking chairs on the porch of this historic hunting style lodge to enjoy the spectacular views. Located on the South Rim, this is the perfect location. It's an easy walk to all the historic buildings.
The lobby has a wonderful rustic charm with a large fireplace and lots of seating areas. The lobby is dimly lit, but don't confuse this with old and drab. On property is a well stocked gift shop, a bar/lounge with a veranda, and a very good restaurant.Service was excellent from the front desk to the concierge to our server for breakfast and dinner. National Park employees tend to love their jobs. They are there because they want to be and they do a great job.
The room was spacious, large tv, comfy beds. The decor was national park....clean, lots of wood, plain bed linens, pictures of nature. The bathroom was small, very clean, with plenty of towels and amenities. The bath was old style but this gave it charm.
There are not many choices on the South Rim....this was the best and would stay there again. You are paying for the location...which can't be beat!

Our 2-queeen deluxe room was roomy. The beds were very comfortable. It was comparable to a Best Western quality. Service was very good. iPod docking station connected to TV - so load your iPod with movies for the evening entertainment. Bathroom had good amenities, vintage tile, shallow tub.

You can't beat walking out the door and being on the rim of the canyon. Would stay here again. Coming here off season was great. No reservations, no crowds - for the hotel or the restaurant - which was also good.

It's hard to separate this hotel from its SUPERB location - if you want to just step outside the hotel door and be as close to the canyon as possible, there is really no other comparable alternative.

Yes the room is dated, smells old, but it is clean and kept up as best as it could be (without a total renovation), given it was built in 1905!!! You may not get the $250 worth of amenities and comfort as you'd expect from other modern day hotels, but consider paying most of that amount for its location, and location alone.

The hundred year old atmosphere was great for the holidays ... we enjoyed the ambience in the lobby with the fireplace. We had a couple of meals at the restaurant, service was very attentive, but food quality is mixed ... e.g. fruits on the breakfast plates could be fresher! Again, it is all about expectation from what you are paying for.

Overall, I still rate it very good ... given all the limited means up there in that beautiful location, I cut it some slack. Would I return? Probably ... but if there is another modern option nearby, then I would reconsider.