Landmark Yosemite Hotel To Close...Temporarily

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) -- The landmark Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park will close for nearly a month while the deluxe Art Deco lodge undergoes a major remodel and safety upgrade.

   Park rangers say the Ahwahnee will close from Feb. 22 through March 17 for a top-to-bottom overhaul.

   That will include fresh drapes and bed linens, a new kitchen floor and fire sprinklers and smoke detectors to ensure the hotel meets modern safety standards.

   The National Park Service says the remodel will cost about $8 million, and is funded through a special fee charged on products and services sold in the park. Guest prices aren't expected to rise as a result.

   The hotel parking lot also will close during that period, so the closest parking area will be about a quarter-mile away.

   (Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)