The Ahwahnee

Ow-wahnee!!! My sister and I spent the weekend in Yosemite and decided to treat ourselves to breakfast at the Ahwahnee hotel on Saturday morning. We have been coming up here our entire lives, and this visit was a real disappointment. It was nice to see that the signature Ahwahnee china was back in the hotel dining room, but the breakfast experience was far from the expected grandeur of years gone by. Our waiter, Scott, took our order - mandatory buffet, no a-la cart - so he asked for our juice order and that was the last we saw of him (after he brought the juice) until it was time for our check (which we waited for for 15 minutes after our meals were finished). Our servers were GREAT - a new girl (on her second day from Kentucky, was very efficient and attentive) and the other server with a long brown ponytail, was also very courteous. The buffet (for $32 per person) was very lackluster and very limited - the pastries tasted like they came out of a bag from Costco, the eggs seemed to be made from a powder mix, the bacon was very undercooked and the sausages were overcooked and cold. Luckily, the eggs Benedict were fine, but looked like they had been sitting there all morning. The potato selection was limited and the lox were a glob rolled into the platter. For $32 you would expect a more expansive selection and at least an omelet station or fresh made waffles (they did have pancakes in a heated tray, but they were rather dry and boring). Overall, our experience was very disappointing. We tipped our servers, but not our waiter (my sister said "I've never 'stiffed' a waiter before, but that was ridiculous"!) I realize they are redoing the kitchen, but the entire grounds were shabby and disappointing. There was green netting everywhere, and the usual spectacular views were not visible. It's a shame to see this luxury property go so down hill - I hope after their kitchen is back up and running, they may offer the service that is deserving of a $32 dollar breakfast. Additionally, after breakfast my sister wanted to go on a quick hike, and since I just had a knee replacement a few months ago, I told her I would check my email and read in the lounge. Once there, I realized I needed a WiFi password and went to the front desk to ask for the code. A woman with blond hair and glasses asked for my room number and when I told her I wasn't a guest (I was staying at the lodge) she refused to give me the password - even when I explained that I was recovering from surgery and that I had just had breakfast in the restaurant. Is this customer service? I don't think so. So terribly disappointing!!

Not the experience I was expecting The Ahwahnee is currently under construction, so the back terrace and several rooms off the Great Lounge are closed. All the doors that open to the back terrace have caution tape across them. Now you have to pay $30 to valet your car. As I was about to leave the park, the valet ran over a screw. (Be forewarned, make sure your spare is full! Mine was not.) The rooms are fairly clean but on closer inspection, there was pink and black mold on the grout in my bathroom. The rooms are starting to look their age. The Dining Room is amazing and has incredible views. The service was very good. However, because of the construction, only a buffet is available for dinner. Unless you are ravenous, it is just not worth $62 per person. I don't usually enjoy buffets, so that may have influenced my opinion. I personally think they should still enforce their dress code for the dining room during the construction period. I would just suggest that you wait until the construction is completed to stay at the Ahwahnee.

Overpriced due to lacking dining and rom service While the views are beautiful, the hotel is overpriced given the rooms are dated and there is no a la carte dining. The buffet is overpriced for the minimal options offered. Also, staff at the front desk were not knowledgeable or in sync with one another. Michelle at Concierge was fabulous, however, the Concierge Steve was rude.

Extremely overrated - don’t waste your time or money Terrible experience from start to finish. 4 people behind the counter with one couple ahead of us, yet it still took 20 minutes to check in. After a sweltering day hiking we were more than disappointed to find our room temp was in the 80’s. We fiddled with the air and went to dinner - perhaps the most dissatisfying part of the stay. Basically Old Country buffet for $70 a person. There could be a worse meal in the valley but probably not. Back to our room which was still 82 degrees. Went to the front desk who sent maintenance and they came right up. After 10 minutes he gave up and told us we should open the window and hope for the best. After a restless sleep our wake up came as construction started promptly at 7. Sadly the best days of the Ahwahnee are clearly in its rear view. Do yourself a favor and stay elsewhere.

Location, location, location... Cool older hotel. Probably a grand experience, back in its day. Cleaning in the common areas is lacking, with much baseboard dust and window cobwebs. No A/C in the common areas, and the room A/C was marginal, though it was an unusually warm weekend. Staff was friendly, but they may have been a tad shorthanded. The dining room buffet had great quality food and service, along with great views. We capped off the last night with a false alarm fire evacuation, and had to wait outside until the fire department cleared the building. Overall a neat hotel, but I would consider the price excessive for the amenities-- but the location and views made up for the deficiencies. Location, location, location...