We used to love the El Tovar, but that was in the eighties and early nineties, before it became a status trap for the unwary. The food and service were once-upon-a-time a perfect match to the timeless wonders of the Grand Canyon itself; but the sheer volume of traffic has made the kitchen and staff indifferent to their guests and the standards that made Fred Harvey a world unto itself. You'll get better food and treatment at any Holiday Inn Express.

We decided on Christmas morning to go to the Grand Canyon. ( we live in Prescott, 3 hours south) We had a wonderful white snow storm to drive up in. We went to the El Tovar check in, The staff was very friendly and showed us the Fred Harvey suite and the Cinservatory suite which were still available. We stayed in the Fred Harvey Suite. There was not a view that day but the next morning the view of the Canyon was magical from every window in the room and the Balcony. We felt we recieved good value for the cost of the suite. The bedroom and sitting room are spacious well furnished and clean. The bathroom and coffee are were very nice. The bed and pillow were very comfy.

We booked 2 more nights for the summer when we can enjoy the balcony.

The staff was very nice.

I have not stayed yet, looking for a place to stay and reviewing the comments. In June 2006, somebody already posted about the step-up bathroom. 2 years later, a couple stays and the husband breaks bone. I plan to bring my eldery mother and based on the comments from 2006 and 2008, I will look other places. I appreciate those reviews. Thanks,

Wow, I logged on to consider booking my vacation here, but after reading the last review about the poor man who broke his leg and he and his wife were treated like dirt---I DON'T THINK i'LL BE STAYING HERE!!

My husband broke his ankle the first night of our stay here stepping out of the elevated bathroom. I understand that accidents happen, however, the hotel staff/management never once approached him to see if he was okay or if they could make him more comfortable. They treated us as if we weren't even there. We were in the middle of an unexpected snowstorm that prevented him from going to the hospital immediately, so he sat in the room for 13 hours with a broken ankle. The front desk didn't even want to give the EMT extras pillows to prop up his leg. The hotel staff suggested that we go to the clinic that was on the site, so we (painfully) loaded him the car and drove to the clinic to find that it was closed for the day. After we came back, the front desk staff once again suggested that he go to the clinic. I informed them that it was closed. The last straw was the morning that we were checking out. My husband was in severe pain and I went to the hostess at the dining room to ask if he could be seated for breakfast. I knew it was a few minutes before the dining room opened, but he was having a lot of trouble getting up and down, so I wanted to see if they would mind seating him while we waited for the dining room to open. The hostess didn't even look at me or ask me any questions; she simply turned the clock on the desk to face me. I asked her what that was supposed to mean and she said "it's not 6:30." Needless to say, I was infuriated. I went to the front desk and told the manager what happened. She said that she would set up a table, but she also felt the need to tell me that it wasn't 6:30. It was 6:25. If you do stay here, be sure not to inconvenience the staff. The food was highly overpriced and wasn't great. The hotel itself is lovely (excluding the staff), but they also raised the price for the room after we made the reservation (they only guarantee the price for your first night) and the second night cost over $80 more than when the reservation was made.

We love El Tovar, its ambiance, history, and location. Each year we try another suite during our winter holiday. This year, we stayed in the Solarium Suite, which was beautiful, with a huge wrap around balcony, facing the train station. The living room of the suite is spacious yet cozy. We are fortunate to have booked the Fred Harvey Suite for next year, so we are enjoying trying all the unique suites, with balconies. It is definitely expensive, but it makes your visit at the Canyon so special.

The staff at El Tovar is friendly, helpful, and courteous, including the dining room staff. We highly recommend El Tovar.

You just can't beat the magnificent view from the El Tovar location. As far as the experience at the hotel, the lobby is constantly crowded with spectators from everywhere who come off the train from Williams. The view of the Grand Canyon from this location more than makes up for this inconvenience. At night, Elk come to visit and are there in the morning. They are very people friendly and don't seem at all to mind the cameras.

It was about 10 years ago when I was here, but I loved this hotel.

It's pricey because of its history and location on the edge of the Grand Canyon, but it’s well worth it. It's in the style of a luxurious lodge, and fits in well with the surroundings.

Pay extra for a room with a view of the canyon, you won't regret it. The rooms were large, but everything is old, though clean and comfy. If you want new, don't stay here.

If you want history and absolutely amazing views, this hotel is for you!

Yes, it’s a beautiful place to stay and the location is perfect, but they have overpriced rooms, no guaranteed parking, a seemingly unfriendly desk staff, swarms of tourists walking though and the fact that they had no hot water, turned me and my wife off!

If you are rich, then stay here and blow some of your money. If you are like me, then do yourself a favor and stay elsewhere.

I found the Bright Angel Lodge gives you more bang for the buck. At least there I had hot water.

The stay was very nice.

The setup in my room was very nice. It kept you out of the weather.