A Centennial Approaches: The Ahwahnee Turns 100

Caring for What Endures: As a National Historic Landmark, The Ahwahnee carries a responsibility to preserve its original materials, craftsmanship, and character for future generations. That stewardship extends beyond the building itself to Yosemite Valley, where Aramark serves as the National Park Service’s primary concessioner partner in one of America’s most visited and ecologically significant landscapes. Through initiatives focused on waste reduction, water conservation, and energy management across lodging and dining operations, Aramark helps protect the park’s resources. A century-old landmark in an ancient valley demands exceptional care—and The Ahwahnee has received it.

Every Landmark Has a Voice: The Ahwahnee was built on a bold idea: that a world-class hotel could inspire more people to visit—and support—America’s national parks. Its design blends Art Deco, Native American, Arts and Crafts, and Middle Eastern influences into a landmark unlike any other. Yet its greatest story lies beyond its walls. Nestled in Yosemite Valley, the ancestral homeland of the Southern Sierra Miwuk people and a landscape shaped over millions of years, The Ahwahnee has spent a century connecting guests to one of America’s most treasured places.

Not Spectators. Participants. Stepping into The Ahwahnee’s Great Lounge—with its soaring stone fireplaces, timber beams, and views of Yosemite Valley—is much the same experience guests enjoyed a century ago. Guided tours reveal the stories behind spaces like the Mural Room, Solarium, and Winter Club Room, while traditions such as the Bracebridge Dinner and Vintners’ Dinner continue in the rooms created for them. These are not reenactments but living traditions. As The Ahwahnee approaches its 100th anniversary, every guest becomes part of a story that began in the 1920s and continues today.