Loven Contracting, Inc.

Scope Of Work

In partnership with Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Loven Contracting completed a comprehensive roof renovation of Grand Canyon National Park’s Historic El Tovar Hotel, one of the oldest and most famous national park hotels in the nation. Having first opened its doors in 1905, El Tovar was built to accommodate increasing numbers of train passengers arriving aboard the Grand Canyon Railway. Set on the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, it is known for many of its rooms featuring a bird’s eye view of the Canyon. Designed by Charles Whittlesey, chief architect for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, this limestone and pine landmark hotel was built to evoke a Swiss chalet and a Norwegian villa. It was owned and operated by the Fred Harvey Company in conjunction with the Santa Fe Railway as a “destination resort,” providing a high level of comfort and luxury standing literally on the edge of the wilderness, 20 feet from the rim of the Canyon. El Tovar was one of the first such hotels in a national park and is an early example of the style that would evolve into the National Park Service’s rustic architecture found throughout the park system. It is one of only a handful of Harvey House facilities still in operation. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on Sept. 6, 1974 and was declared a National Historic Landmark on May 28, 1987. The building has multiple roofs at several different levels that add to its architectural interest, visual appeal and spatial experience. At the uppermost level is the wood turret, wrapped in shingles and serving as the most important element of the identifiable silhouette of El Tovar. Directly below that is the hip roof with bracketed eaves that shelter the central portion of the building, including the lobby and mezzanine lounge.