Stephen T. Mather was the first Director of National Parks in the United States. He accepted the position in 1915 when there were only 16 national parks; today there are 58. Mr. Mather used the iconic Ahwahnee hotel in Yosemite Valley to fuel the success of the entire National Park System. It happened like that.
The Ahwahnee Hotel
Mather built the Ahwahnee Hotel in his favorite park in Yosemite, California, in 1927. It was to be the crown jewel of national park hotels, and for very good reason.
Interest the rich and benefit the masses
Stephen Mather wanted his Yosemite hotel to be a wild destination for the rich. Not because he wanted to cater only to the rich, but because he knew that if he could interest influential people in the National Park System, he could build better parks for everyone. His plan worked wonderfully.
The Ahwahnee was built with the best of everything, from newly invented electricity to bathrooms in every room and an elaborate kitchen that would provide an extraordinary meal for the hotel’s privileged guests.
Two electric lifts were installed and manned by staff operators.
Noise-reducing plaster was applied to the interior walls to ensure that guests would not be disturbed by the roar of nearby Yosemite Falls.
The dining room
Dining was important to the wealthy, and at the Ahwahnee Hotel, master architect Gilbert Underwood provided Mather with one of the world’s most memorable grand dining rooms.
The dining room extends 130 feet from the elevator lobby towards Yosemite Falls and stretches 51 feet from side to side. Its vaulted ceiling topped with bare pine beams and trusses is 34 feet high.
Imagine the difficulty of trucking the 11 glass dining room windows that are 24 feet tall over California’s first rutted roads to the Ahwahnee’s construction site. One can only imagine how many windows were broken along the way. Also consider that once the windows arrived on site, they had to be put up without the help of modern mobile equipment, which is fascinating.
The great beams in the dining room are huge bare pine columns that support a heavy beamed ceiling. Unknown to the observer is that the pine columns are actually steel pillars encased in hollow concrete. Once again, the genius of the architect is shown. The rustic look of the dining room echoes the overall woody splendor of the plan. The immensity of this magnificent room dwarfs the 350 guests it can accommodate.
The dining room alcove – a magical place
Located at the far end of the dining room, the alcove appears as a complement to the large main room before it. It has one of the 24-foot tall glass windows, and in this case, the window offers a showcase of Upper Yosemite Falls and makes for an unforgettable setting.
The Bedchamber has hosted many historic events, including a Round Table Dinner with Queen Elizabeth and Price Phillip during their visit in 1983. The Queen and Prince hosted a small Bedchamber Dinner after attending services in the small Chapel of historic park wood.
When not hosting special events, there are several tables for two in the alcove. The table in the center of the window is usually reserved for newlyweds. Its authors had the distinction and privilege of dining at that special honeymoon table on their wedding night many years ago.
As we did that night, we have often thought of the fates of the hundreds, perhaps thousands of newlywed couples who have toasted and celebrated their futures in that same place for the past 85 years.
The beautiful Ahwahnee hotel hosts around 200 weddings a year. If you are planning a wedding, this is an amazing place.
The Ahwahnee Hotel Design Theme
The Ahwahnee has a Native American theme, and the chosen decorators did an excellent job of matching the furnishings with the overall character of the property. Much of the Ahwahnee’s furnishings are original, with only subtle changes in fabric and design to suit contemporary tastes.
The Ansel Adam Years
When the stock market crashed in 1929, the number of visitors to the national parks dwindled, and the Ahwahnee fell on hard times.
The president of the Yosemite and Curry Company (YP&CC) decided that publicity would increase Ahwahnee’s occupancy rate and hired a young aspiring concert pianist, who was also a part-time photographer, to photograph and promote the hotel and the hotel experience. Yosemite. The young man’s name was Ansel Adams. The rest is history. His work, like that of John Muir, will live as long as there is a Yosemite Valley.
Adams was enamored with the beauty of Yosemite from an early age. He finally moved from San Francisco to Yosemite in 1937 and, although he created visual masterpieces in other parts of the West, he remained intimately connected to the valley and the Ahwahnee Hotel for more than 40 years. He retired in 1972 and died in 1982. He left behind a treasure trove of photographs of natural wonders.
The war years
The U.S. Navy appropriated the Ahwahnee Hotel to convert it into a convalescent hospital for sailors in June 1943. Before it was returned to the YP&CC in December 1945, more than 6,700 patients had been treated at the Ahwahnee.
When the Navy vacated, it left behind many buildings, including a bowling alley, gymnasium, machine shop, pool hall, and foundry. The buildings were quickly dismantled and the salvage put to good use in the valley.
Other changes over the years
The guest elevator was automated in 1963. In 1964 a small pool was added in a discreet space next to the bar. Air conditioning was added and all the windows in the rooms were replaced in 1976.
There was a golf course, but it was removed before 1980 to preserve the primordial nature of the surroundings. Televisions made their first appearance in bedrooms in 1989.
The Ahwahnee Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks in 1977.
If you go
There are several entrances to Yosemite and you can choose your route into the park by checking the Ahwahnee Hotel website.
As you drive through the park, watch for signs to the Ahwahnee Hotel. A magnificent stone door at the entrance of the hotel tells you that you have arrived. Valet parking is always available, or you can park yourself anywhere along Sequoia’s bordered parking area.
Happy travels.
Attention wine lovers! Ahwahnee is now accepting reservations for Vintner’s Holiday 2012. There will be eight sessions this year, with the first beginning Nov. 4. Visit the Ahwahnee Hotel website for more information on this exciting event.
Special thanks to Lisa Cesaro of DNC Parks and Resorts in Yosemite and Tami von Isakovics of Ellipses Public Relations for helping us with information about the Ahwahnee Hotel and Yosemite Valley.
If you want to read more about the Ahwahnee Hotel, there are two short but excellent books on the subject. The Ahwahnee – Yosemite’s Grand Hotel, by Keith Walklet and The Ahwahnee – Yosemite’s Classic Hotel, by Shirley Sargent. Both books are available on Amazon.com.