Securing Tomorrow: Transforming the Ahwahnee Hotel for Generations

Exterior scaffolding of the Ahwahnee construction site

NPS

Demolishing the kitchen floor in the Ahwahnee

NPS

Step into the future and read about a journey to preserve the timeless beauty and historical significance of the Ahwahnee, a majestic lodge nestled within Yosemite National Park. The 1926-1927 Ahwahnee, a grand rustic lodge is a National Historic Landmark and is one of the most significant park hotels in the country. The architecture, placement and views of the Ahwahnee are identifiable symbols of the Yosemite experience to millions of visitors annually.

Significant for its site, setting, materials, craftsmanship, and highest quality design and artistic values, the Ahwahnee was conceived by Stephen T. Mather, first Director of the National Park Service, as a grand hotel for Yosemite National Park. Opened in 1927, the hotel contains guest rooms, dining room, a hotel bar, and grand public spaces. The setting includes hotel grounds, eight guest cottages and an employee dormitory. The main steel framed, wooden and stone masonry building has a ground floor area of about 40,000 square feet. Its multi-level Y-shaped plan has a total of about 150,000 SF. The 99 hotel rooms and 24 cottages operate year-round, serving approximately 100,000 lodging guests per year. About 300,000 shop or dine in the hotel, use the lounges, meeting rooms and grounds.

Foundation work in the Awahnee kitchen

NPS

Yosemite National Park is within several seismic fault zones, demanding continuous efforts to ensure the safety and integrity of its structures. NPS is introducing the Ahwahnee Comprehensive Rehabilitation Plan (CRP), is a phased, long-term program of comprehensive repairs and upgrades that will bring this year-round landmark hotel and associated cottages into compliance with current codes, seismic safety and accessibility standards. This phase of the project will use $31.606 million funding from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) aims at revitalizing this historic gem while safeguarding its future. Focus areas are the Kitchen, Dining Room, Great Lounge, egress paths, and chimneys.

Additional, non-seismic rehabilitation items include miscellaneous components of the building utilities, including water, waste water, electrical and HVAC systems, kitchen rehabilitation, fire separation, fireproofing, insulation, waterproofing, and rehabilitation of exterior wood elements, ground floor windows, and the stamped paving at ground floor terraces.

Installation of seismic foundations

NPS

Structural seismic retrofits will ensure the Ahwahnee hotel can better withstand major earthquake events, protecting the historic fabric of this National Historic Landmark building, and will mitigate disaster repair costs for minor seismic events. Life safety is improved for the approximately 100,000 lodging guests and 300,000 who shop or dine in the hotel, use the lounges and meeting rooms each year and concessioner employees working in the building. Addtionally, it will:

• Improve fire safety for Ahwahnee kitchen staff.
• Upgrade heating, ventilation and air conditioning in the dining room, improving visitor comfort.
• Correct more than $18 million of deferred maintenance backlog.
• Modernize critical concessionaire infrastructure.