There are so many things at Yosemite National Park that will take your breath away: the looming granite peaks, the towering cedar trees and the mighty falls. The nightly rate at The Ahwahnee lodge is also one of those things.
If you’re looking at where to stay in Yosemite, you’ve surely come across The Ahwahnee. This National Historic Landmark hotel looks exactly like what you’d picture when you think of National Park Lodge. But is the charming facade and Half Dome views enough to warrant hundreds of dollars a night?
What’s it like to stay at The Ahwahnee and is it really worth the price? Let’s find out.
We stayed at The Ahwahnee for 3 nights in April — let’s call that shoulder season. In this post, we’ll share what our experience was like, break down the pros and cons, and ultimately provide our take on whether we thought it was worth it.
Lodging in Yosemite National Park
It’s important to note that the lodging options inside Yosemite National Park are limited. It’s not like you are choosing between The Ahwahnee or the Holiday Inn across the street. The Ahwahnee is one of only two hotels inside Yosemite National Park — and the only one that (sometimes) has air conditioning. Here’s a quick lay of the lodge land.
The Ahwahnee is what they call the “crown jewel.” It is a gorgeous lodge with stunning views of Half Dome and Yosemite Falls. It’s the most expensive and nicest lodge in Yosemite. The hotel has been around since the 1920s and has hosted a ton of celebrity guests, ranging from presidents and the Queen to Hollywood A-listers to the likes of Lucille Ball, Shirley Temple and even Walt Disney.
The second hotel option is Yosemite Valley Lodge. Other than the lack of central heating and cooling, these rooms are your basic hotel room. They include amenities such as comfortable beds, a mini fridge and TVs, as well as housekeeping. It’s more “rustic,” but it’s a great option for families looking for a step above camping.
Outside of these two lodges, Yosemite National Park has a variety of camping and camping-inspired options. There are tent lodges, canvas-topped “structures” and actual tent camping options. Booking campsites seems complicated, as it’s very popular. You’ll definitely want to find a better resource than me for camping details.
If you’re willing to stay outside of park and drive, there are a couple options. Right outside the Arch Rock Entrance (Highway 140), there’s Yosemite View Lodge in the village of El Portal. A little further is the town of Mariposa, which a popular basecamp for Yosemite. It’s cute little town with a handful of hotels and restaurants and slightly lower prices in exchange for the 1 hour drive to park entrance.
We chose to stay at The Ahwahnee for convenience and comfort. We only had two full days at Yosemite, and we didn’t want to spend multiple hours of that time driving back and forth to our hotel.
Arriving at The Ahwahnee
By the time we arrived at The Ahwahnee at 7 PM local time, we’d been traveling for almost 15 hours. We departed NYC early that morning, flew to San Francisco and then drove 4+ hours to Yosemite. (The drive took even longer than we planned because our poor child spent most of it barfing and we had to make frequent stops.)
The hotel only offers valet parking. The valet staff told us not to leave and he’d be with us shortly. My husband went inside to check-in while my child and I waited with the car. The valet proceeded to move a handful of cars in and out before getting to us.
About 5 minutes later, a hostess approached us. She gave us a very warm welcome, briefly introduced us to the property and amenities, and explained how the valet would work (like a valet.) Specifically, she explained that we needed to take all of our food out of our vehicle because of bears in the area. That was no problem and was something we knew about in advance.
Note: Be sure to follow the rules about food storage. They really mean it when they say there are bears in the area. We saw one less than a mile from the hotel while hiking nearby on the Valley Loop Trail in the morning.
The valet finally came for our car. I gave him the keys, he gave me a number. I turned down the offer of a luggage cart and carried our luggage inside just as my husband finished check out.
Despite feeling slow initially, the entire process took about 10 minutes and we were on our way to our room.
Classic Double Room at The Ahwahnee
After a bit of a wait for the elevator, we made it to our room. At first glance, our room immediately embodied the vibe of the rest of the lodge. The earth tones, pressed leaves framed on the walls and curtains opened wide to the cedar and granite backdrop really set the scene.
I would describe the room was comfortable, but definitely dated — not dirty though. It was rustic, but the kind of rustic that you want out of a lodge in a National Park. In a word: cozy.
Our room included two beds, as well as a sofa and chair around a central coffee table. Maybe it’s because I was exhausted from a long travel day and then two full days of hiking, but I slept great every night.
During our visit, there was no central heating or cooling in use. (The way I understood it, these are turned on seasonally for the whole building, and was deemed not needed during our stay.) The weather was perfect during our stay, so we did often open our window for some fresh air. There was a screen to keep out any bugs. The beds had lighter, waffle blankets instead of full comforters, which was perfect for the mid-50s temperatures.
There was a large dresser, complete with a mini fridge and a Nespresso coffee maker. It was nice to have a fridge, since were making lunches to take on our hikes. Our fridge worked a little too well and froze most everything we put in it. My kid got a real kick out of their lemonade popsicle, though.
The Nespresso maker was clutch. As someone who doesn’t use one regularly, I really appreciated their detailed instructions for it. The only downside was that the water reservoir was large, and pretty tricky to fit under the bathroom sink and fill.
There was a large TV above the desk. We loved that there was a Yosemite channel. We liked to throw that on while we were getting ready for the day. It had lots of great segments, including one about bears that we found really interesting.
Beside the dresser was a large closet, which had two luggage racks and a fan. The room was not short on storage or organization space, which I appreciated.
The bathroom was basic and perfectly clean. There wasn’t a ton of counter space, so I could see that being an issue for some. (I use a hanging toiletry bag, which is perfect for bathrooms like this.) The shower was fine but not great (the hottest temp was quite as hot as I’d like, but the pressure was acceptable). If I had a complaint, it would be that the toilet flush was very loud.
The real show-stopper though, was of course the view. Our room looked out southeast, which was basically over the backyard of the hotel. (Opposite the parking lot and entrance.) We had partial views of Half Dome but full views of generally stunning Yosemite. We were near a corner of the hotel, so we could see the lodge itself.
The Ahwahnee Hotel Grounds
Beyond our room, the lodge continued to impress.
Outside, there is a heated pool, large open grassy space (which was perfect for picnics) and plenty of tables and seating. There was a path that led to the cabins and then on to a bike path and Valley Loop Trail.
The lodge has a heated pool, which we swam in one evening. It was early spring, so it was still pretty chilly. The pool is heated, but definitely not hot. My kid of course had no problem with it. If it wasn’t for them, though, it would have been way too cold for me to want to swim in it. It’s a small little pool, but it was well maintained, even in the off season. There were a few tables and towels were provided.
Moving inside, the first floor was full of inviting spaces. Service wise, there was the front desk, gift shop, sweet shop, souvenir shop, bar restaurant and fine dining restaurant. There was also a huge open lobby with tons of seating, chandeliers and immensely cozy double-sided fireplace.
Fun fact: This lobby area was used as the template for the set of The Shining.
Dining at The Ahwahnee
The Ahwahnee has two restaurants on property, plus a sweets shop.
First is The Ahwahnee Bar, and we ate there for nearly every meal. This is the casual bar and restaurant adjacent to the main lobby. There is no dress code and families with children are welcome. The bar is walk-up, and you can get drinks to go if you’d like to site outside or in the lobby.
For lunch and dinner, The Ahwahnee Bar is table service and first-come-first-served. (No reservations needed.) I thought the food was good, but very expensive. The vegetarian options were also very limited, but we did get lucky that the soup of the day was a vegetarian chili both evenings we ate there.
At Breakfast, The Ahwahnee Bar is counter service and has a limited menu of hot breakfast items (think egg sandwich and oatmeal), pastries and a coffee bar. Drip coffee is also served here, and that was complimentary and self-serve. While most of the food at the hotel was fine, the apple bear claw croissant thing they had during breakfast was one of the best pastries I’ve ever had. I’m still dreaming about it.
The main dining room is much fancier. They serve a high-end buffet for breakfast and dinner, and reservations are recommended. Dinner service has a strictly enforced dress code, which was not something we were at all interested in on a hiking trip. For that reason, we never dined there. It did look very pretty though.
For snacks, desserts, and drinks, the sweet shop was great. We got popsicles and ice cream bars there, which was the perfect post-hike treat. They also sold locally made confections like toffee and fudge, hiking essentials, a limited selection of souvenirs, and other small, mostly edible goodies.
I did not get good dining pics, for that I apologize.
Tip: Yosemite Village, which has a few restaurants, is about a 15 minute from The Ahwahnee. This is a great way to change up your meals if you don’t want to eat the same thing every night.
Location & Convenience
The Ahwahnee is a beautiful lodge, super comfy, super cozy — but the absolute best part about staying here was the location. The hotel is located right in the heart of Yosemite National Park.
Read more! One of the highlights of our trip was hiking to the top of Nevada Fall. Be sure to check out that post for the all the details.
You can drive to many of the top sites and trailheads in less than 15 minutes. This is comparable to the one other lodge in Yosemite, but it’s a huge improvement over any other hotel or lodge outside of the park.
Note: The main roads around Yosemite (Northside Drive and Southside Drive) are one way. Sometimes you have to drive pretty far out of your way to get to places that are physically much closer. That said, the drives are gorgeous, so it’s not so bad.
It was so nice to beat the crowds, secure early parking and enjoy the park with limited stress and effort. Our carsick kiddo was also pretty happy to not be in the car for more than 10 minutes at a time.
Later in the day, as the trails and falls get more crowded, parking in Yosemite becomes the hard part. That’s when we really appreciated the fact that we could also walk from our hotel to Yosemite Village. After a morning of hiking, we could park at the hotel and then walk 0.7 miles (about 20 minutes) to the visitor center and restaurants.
In Summary
- Parking: Valet is required. Service was not available 24/7 and it was an extra cost.
- Rooms: The rooms were cozy, comfortable and clean, but with a rustic aesthetic and dated features.
- Property: The hotel has the essentials on site, including dining, shops and a bar. The heated pool is a nice touch.
- Dining: There is both casual and fancy restaurants on property, as well as a sweet shop. The food was good, but pricy. (The apple bear claw was amazing and by far the best thing at any meal.)
- Location: Perfect location in the heart of Yosemite. It is less than 15 minutes to get to most sites and trailheads, and you can walk (0.7 miles) to Yosemite Village.
Pros & Cons of Staying at The Ahwahnee
Overall, we had a great stay at The Ahwahnee. We also had an incredible experience at Yosemite as a whole, which helped. The weather was absolutely perfect, the timing of everything worked out nicely, and it was just such a beautiful and relaxing trip. (Other than the barfing kid on the way in, but you can’t win them all.)
That said, there were definitely pros and cons. Here’s our top three of each.
Pros
Convenience
The central location was a game changer. If we had to drive an hour to and from the park everyday, we wouldn’t have been able to do nearly as much in Yosemite. (Possibly even nothing at all given our child’s aversion to driving in the area.) Being able to walk and take short drives to several trails, falls and Yosemite Village meant we got to do more and enjoy more.
Not only was the location convenient, but it was also really nice to have dinning and shopping on site. We didn’t have to stress about meals or driving anywhere, which made mealtimes easy.
Comfort
I like the idea of camping, but I have to say — after 15 hours of travel, I was very happy to check into a actual hotel. While the rooms didn’t have heat/AC during our spring visit, they are equipped for it during the hot summers and cold winters. The rooms are fully indoors, so there’s no risk of a bear popping over to say hello in the middle of the night.
As a part of that, we were able to keep our food in our room and in the mini fridge. We could easily pack lunches and snacks for hikes, which made things on the trail much easier.
History and vibes
The lodge is also just absolutely stunning. You really felt like you were going back in time. You could feel that this was the peak of luxury in the 1920s and 30s — you can almost smell the pipe tobacco and wool vests from an era passed.
It really immerses you into the heart of the park and you’re truly able to get lost in nature, beauty and wonder. You can literally walk outside the hotel and see Half Dome and other peaks looming large. I really loved that we didn’t have to go from the top of Nevada fall to the Best Western. (No offense to Best Western.)
Cons
Valet parking
The hotel only offers valet parking. I get it — there’s not a lot of parking space — but it’s a little annoying. It was mostly inconvenient in the mornings if you wanted to leave early. We were traveling from the east coast, so we got up very early. We were hoping to get a head start on the trails, but the valet didn’t open that early. They did say that we could ask the front desk, but it was not clear how easy or quick that was going to be.
It’s also expensive. There’s a nightly parking charge (on top of the expensive nightly rate), plus you have to tip the valet drivers. The driver’s were great and deserved it, but it definitely added up.
Dated features.
The Ahwahnee opened in 1927. It’s been renovated a few times, including a major renovation that concluded in 2024, but it still has old bones. Some of it’s aging shows in the form of charm, while other things read as worn down or out of date.
A few specifics come to mind. First off, the elevators are slow and limited. There is only one elevator for guests. Anytime we had to take it, we found ourselves waiting a while and then cramming in with a bunch of other guests. Once we figured out the stairs (which are a bit hidden and tricky), we could move up and down much quicker.
The other thing is the temperature. You can’t control it in the room, so you’ll have to rely on opening the windows or using the fan if needed. The weather was perfect during our stay, but I’ve heard of people being uncomfortably warm in the summer.
Price
And here’s the real kicker: price. With rates regularly listing at over $500 per night (and often well into the $700s), this hotel is expensive. That is luxury hotel prices without the typical luxury hotel features and service. It’s hard to stomach that.
Which leads us to …
Is The Ahwahnee worth it?
The most important part of this analysis is knowing what you’re paying for. This is a luxury priced hotel, but the luxury isn’t the hotel itself — it’s the location. Particularly, the location relative to other available options.
You are paying for a mid-tier hotel in the heart of Yosemite National Park. You are paying for an extra 2 hours of hiking in your day that you’d otherwise spend on driving, stress-free walks to the visitor center, and views of Half Dome right outside our window. That experience and convenience is what you’re paying for. You’re not paying for Ritz Carlton-levels of service or JW Marriott’s modern chic rooms.
Next, let’s look at the competition. The only comparable alternative is Yosemite Valley Lodge. (I have not personally stayed at.) Both of these lodges will offer the benefits of staying indoors and on property.
Yosemite Valley Lodge is quite a bit cheaper than The Ahwahnee, but it’s also grossly overpriced for what it actually is. The Ahwahnee is more expensive, but it is also much more iconic, scenic and comfortable. I would argue The Ahwahnee overall is better bang for your buck.
All things considered, I thought it was worth it. Particularly, I think it’s worth it for 1 to 3 nights for your first time at Yosemite or that once-in-a-lifetime trip. Am I glad I stayed there? Absolutely. Will I stay there again? I’m not sure.
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