If you don't want to have to rough it in any way at Yosemite National Park, then the Ahwahnee Hotel is the place for you. The Ahwahnee Hotel is a four star lodging and dining facility on the floor of Yosemite Valley. It has spectacular views of many of the sites, including Yosemite Falls, Half Dome and Glacier Point.
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Yosemite National Park's Historic Hotel
There are a total of 123 rooms for travelers to Yosemite at this hotel. There are 99 in the main building and includes two suites and four parlors that can be connected to regular rooms to form suites. There are also 24 cottages on the grounds of the Ahwahnee. Each of the rooms and the cottages has breathtaking views of some of the most spectacular scenery of Yosemite Valley, such as Yosemite Falls, Half Dome and Glacier Point. The rooms are decorated with Native American accents and natural wood. The Ahwahnee Hotel is almost always full. If you want a reservation, you may need to book your room a year in advance. But for a memorable Yosemite vacation, the location can't be beat.
Sightseeing at Yosemite's Ahwahnee
Even if you are staying in another Yosemite hotel or lodge or renting a mountain cabin, you should check this place out. The entire Ahwahnee Hotel shows the influence by a number of styles including Native American, Middle Eastern, the Arts & Crafts Movement and even Art Deco. The public spaces of the Ahwahnee are a feast unto themselves. You'll find beautiful stained glass windows and thick, rich tapestries. The size of things is amazing with massive stone fireplaces and giant hand-stenciled beams. The Great Lounge is one of those impressive places. It is 77 feet long and 51 feet wide and has 24-foot-high ceilings. Ten floor-to-ceiling windows are topped with the original, hand-stained glass panels. Other public spaces that are not to be missed include the Solarium, the Winter Club Room and the Mural Room. The Solarium is often the site for Yosemite weddings and receptions.
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Bracebridge Dinner at Yosemite
The Dining Room is 130 feet long, 34 feet high and can seat 350 people. In spite of its size, the Ahwahnee Dining Room provides a pleasant experience. The floor to ceiling windows, the granite pillars that support the mighty beams and the chandeliers all combine to make eating at the Ahwahnee Dining Room much more than just a meal. The Dining Room also plays host to a number of special dining events. Perhaps the most famous is the Bracebridge Dinner held over a two-week period each December. It has been every year since the Ahwahnee Hotel opened. The dinner and the celebration are based on Washington Irving's Sketch Book. It was the tale of Squire Bracebridge and English Christmas traditions from that time. Other events include the New Year's Eve Dinner dance, the Vintners' Holidays in the late fall and the Chefs' Holidays in the winter. The Dining Room is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Sunday brunch is one of the highlights of the week. You'll want to make reservations in advance, sometimes days in advance for dinner. You can call or if you are in the park, visit the reservation desk on the mezzanine level. The Dining Room also has a dress code. Breakfast, brunch and lunch are considered casual, but you are asked to dress up a little for dinner, no t-shirts or shorts. Men are asked to wear a collared shirt and slacks, women dresses, skirts or slacks and blouses. Children are also expected to be dressed accordingly.
The Ahwahnee Bar is a smaller more intimate setting, where you can relax with an adult beverage and some food. You also have the option of sitting outdoors on the deck with magnificent views of Half Dome and Glacier Point. it's a nice way to watch the people who are hiking or mountainclimbing on the nearby peaks.
History
Built in 1927, it has 123 rooms and cottages. The grand public spaces at the Ahwahnee Hotel attract visitors from around the world just to look at them. The Dining Room at the Ahwahnee Hotel is known fine ding and hosting the Bracebridge Dinner, each year around Christmas.
The legend is that the Ahwahnee Hotel was built because Lady Astor found the facilities in Yosemite less than acceptable and left Yosemite Valley in a huff. What isn't legend is that in the 1920's the then head of the National Park Service, Stephen Mather, decided that an upscale hotel was needed to attract the rich and powerful. Who, he believed, would then become supporters of the National Parks once they saw the beauty of Yosemite. In 1925, the architect was selected and two years later, the Ahwahnee opened.
It was quite the accomplishment. The roads weren't up to today's standards and tons of building materials had to be trucked in. It is interesting to note that the façade of the Ahwahnee, which looks like wood is actually poured concrete that is stained to look like redwood. The reason was to protect the Ahwahnee from the fate of many other hotels in the area, destruction by fire. During World War II, the Ahwahnee Hotel was used as a convalescent hospital for wounded soldiers.
