Ahwahnee Hotel After the Rockfall
The Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park was closed late last month because of falling boulders the size of microwaves hitting its parking lot. It reopened a few days later, but the threat of falling rock still lingers (and geologists say will continue because that's how Yosemite Valley was formed.) That's a lot to take in from a hotel that charges up to $1,100 a night.And although the Ahwahnee is also a national landmark, built in the 1920s, many say that it may have seen better days. It's already scheduled for a major retrofitting to guard against devastating earthquakes (and perhaps rockfall?)
The Ahwahnee Hotel is run by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, a giant in the concessionaire industry. And if you have stayed at any of its properties (Full disclosure: I stayed at Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, Calif., Wuksachi Lodge and Bearpaw High Sierra Camp in Sequoia National Park) you will know quickly that a concessionaire's goal is to make a buck regardless of property conditions. Still, even with its less-than-five-star accommodations, the Ahwahnee is still garnering rave reviews, but is that based on past reputation or current stays?
A look at TripAdvisor may tell the story:
For your five hundred bucks a night you get an entirely forgettable room in a shabby hotel, with average to poor service. For another fortune you will eat a hugely overpriced meal and drink overpriced wine. But oh goodness the location of this hotel is heavenly. The view from the bedroom window is just out of this world!So far, the hotel is offering lower rates for its low season around $210-$255 a night, but has its reputation preceded it? Anything I or anyone else says -- including threats of falling rock -- will not dissuade those who want to stay in a hotel with breathtaking granite cliffs or who have heard of the legendary Ahwahnee. But I would like to think that the once jewel of the national park hotels could actually match its surroundings one day.The building is still fabulous, the staff is very pleasant and the location is among the most beautiful on earth. But be prepared to grossly overpay for mediocre (at best) accommodations. Common room furnishings attempt to be period-oriented, but are actually shabby. Sleeping rooms are OK, but feel like chain motel, at 5 times the price.
Nice hotel but so not worth the money. What you pay for is the superb location but otherwise this is not a 5* hotel.