El Tovar, Grand Canyon

El Tovar Hotel holds two distinctions as a destination for travelers. The first is its incredibly beautiful location in the Grand Canyon, and the second is the fact that this hotel is actually over a hundred years old. Started in 1905, this historic hotel has seen a whole bevy of famous personalities who have stayed here, such as Albert Einstien, Zane Grey and Theodore Roosevelt. Located on the edge of the canyon rim, El Tovar Hotel was built by the Chief Architect for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, Charles Whittlesey. Interestingly, the hotel is considered to be one of the best examples of what is known as National Park Service Rustic, a style of architecture used in National Parks in the US to ensure that buildings harmonize with their environment. Natural stone, usually in asymmetric shapes are used in this style of construction that primarily uses hand labor. El Tovar Hotel also combines exterior design elements of Swiss chalets and Norwegian villas. The hotel has an exotic combination of interior motifs, including a fifteenth century dining room.