Spent 2 nights at El Tovar Hotel. No problems with hot water. Hair dryer didn't work, maintenance fixed the wiring in the outlet, the dryer worked only for them on the initial one-time test. Reported problem again, but never received notice if anyone attempted to correct the problem again. Food in the restaurant was average. Friendly service varied...many exchange students so they may have felt conscientious about trying to speak English. El Tovar is one of a few accommodations at the north rim of the Grand Canyon, but it was the most historical one. Overall, we enjoyed our stay. Great location!!

What a spectacular hotel !
We were thoroughly pleased with our accomodations during our five night stay. What made it even more spectacular was the wonderful dining expeience there. The food, atmosphere and service were superb. Also a very convenient location, close to railway, pick-up points & scenic vistas. Between the accomodations, food and view - this vacation was indeed memorable. One highpoint was catching a glimpse of the wildlife (deer) in the early morn. . just awesome.

The ElTovar is nice for the view of the canyon. The best part of our stay was sitting in the front porch in the comfortable chairs. We have stayed in other National Park hotels and this was one of the worst considering the price. We were with another couple who had a good room with 2 queen beds, for the same price ($154 a night) we had a single queen. THe room had a musty smell, the paint was peeling off the bathroom ceiling, the air was not working properly, would shut off after running an hour. Temps were 105 and this was not acceptable. Called maintainence when the heat went on in the bathroom and would not shut off. When I answered the door, she walked in and said, "What"? THe The food was mediocre and over priced and the staff was less then friendly. There is a small town 15 minutes south of the Canyon, Tusayan, there are a couple of hotels. MY ADVICE>>>>STAY OUT OF THE CANYON .....

My family just returned from a trip to the Grand Canyon and a stay at El Tovar. We booked our room two years in advance, but it was worth waiting for one of the few suites they have. Our room had a huge balcony that overlooked the canyon and the view was spectactular ! The room itself consisted of a bedroom, bath and living area with a dining table and couch. We also had a small refrigerator and coffee maker. We brought food with us and usually ate in the room, but one night we went to the restaurant at the hotel. The food and service were really good and it was very reasonably priced. I would definately advise making reservations as they are quite full during peek hours. There is a "Hopi House" next to the hotel which sells Indian crafts and there were Indian dances performed just outside which we could watch from our balcony. We also went on the one day mule ride down into the canyon (also booked two years in advance) and it was one of the most fun things I have ever experienced. Our guide was very knowledgable and the view of the canyon is totally different when you get down into it and since we don't enjoy hiking/camping this was the way to go for us. They do have an age, weight and height requirement for this trip so be sure to check when booking. I'm not sure we would have been happy in a regular room at El Tovar, so book in advance and get a suite - well worth the effort. Overall it was a great few days at the Grand Canyon.