Yosemite National Park: Ahwahnee Hotel to shut for 3 weeks for big renovation

The historic Ahwahnee Hotel in California’s Yosemite National Park will close from Feb. 22 through March 17 for renovations that include everything from fire sprinkler upgrades to fresh paint in the rooms. The closure will affect not only guest rooms but also the dining room, lobby and other public areas.

It’s the hotel’s first major renovation since the 1940s, when the building was pressed into service as a naval hospital, park spokesman Scott Gediman said. The $8 million face-lift includes new carpets, drapes and bedspreads in most of the rooms and fresh paint in guest rooms and public areas.

But don’t expect to see W Hotel-style cool blues or electric reds. New furnishings are reviewed with a state historic preservation officer to ensure that they remain faithful to the 1927 Ahwahnee look. For example, redoing sofas in the Great Lounge involves finding materials that match the original color and texture as closely as possible.

Reservations won’t be affected by the closure, Gediman said, because bookings weren’t taken for the three-week period. The upgrades, including a new kitchen floor and new entry boardwalks, have been ongoing since September. Not all rooms will be ready for the reopening; some suites on the fifth and sixth floors will still be undergoing a face-lift.

So who’s paying for all this? Visitors, in the form of the capital investment fund fee tacked on to prices for T-shirts, beverages and other items at the park and collected by the National Park Service. DNC Parks and Resorts at Yosemite, the concessionaire that operates hotels at the park, also is helping to fund the project.