I have been visiting Yosemite Valley nearly every year since 1955. Most of those visits have been camping in Lower Pines Campgrounds and enjoying every minute. A couple years ago we decided to splurge and stay at the Ahwahnee right after a snow storm. What a treat! The grand lobby with the massive fireplaces, the iconic restaurant with the tall raw timbers and views make this spot unforgettable. Take a quiet, evening walk in the snow and listen to the stillness and view the beauty.

I've lived in California all my life (not saying how long that is but it's past the real point you don't like!) but just went to Yosemite for the first time. My parents debate whether we went when I was a kid but if we did I don't remember. Anyway, what an awesome trip. Late October of this year (2012). Roads up there had been recently resurfaced. Drove the BMW which really shows why they call it the Ultimate Driving Experience! Beautiful, fun mountain drive and then you hit the valley and it's jaw dropping. Stayed at the Ahwahnee. Majestic lodge. First, let's get real. It was built in the 1920s and they haven't done the "multi-million renovation". I think that's a good thing -- it adds the charm. Room was quite comfortable with a good bed, small sitting area, view of Half Dome, a fine, functioning bathroom, and a big walk-in closet. Great hot water and water pressure. Nothing bad about this at all. I loved that to get ice, you walked down to the elevators and opened a rustic chest and inside was an ice chest of ice!

We went to attend a wedding held at the Ahwahnee. Breathtaking. And the dinner was probably one of the best banquet meals I have ever had. Also had several meals in the Dining Room. It's a grand dining hall with beautiful huge windows with views of the towering cliffs outside and the woods around the hotel. I'd give the food a 3.5. A little overpriced for the quality. The banquet was actually better food (go figure). I will say that for one dinner we had prime rib and it was very good. The accompaniments didn't match the quality though. Also had the Sunday brunch which is quite the production. As buffets go, I was pretty happy. Tons of selections. Be patient with the service though. This is in the sticks, not Manhattan! They were all very nice.

If a stay at the Ahwahnee is on your list (I hate bucket list!), I would highly encourage you to go. October was terrific. The weather was great and crowds very manageable. Only downside is that there's very little water in the falls. I hear May is incredible but can still be quite cold. We had high 70s and on the last night, it rained so there was snow on the mountains as we drove out. What could be better than that!!

During a full week of holidays in California, we experienced no other accommodation as dreadful as this one. I had booked it with the impression that this was the ultimate experience. It turned out to be ultimate with a more literal meaning: never ever again!
Apart from its ideal location, the perfect spot in Yosemite, it deserves no positive comment, at least from our standpoint:
- the room was old fashioned, with amenities that do not match the standards to be expected in such a hotel;
- the personnel at the reception desk was doing their job, no specific personalised attention, very "I-am-paid-to-do-this-don't-ask-me-more" behavior;
- the restaurant looked great, but again, we were very disappointed by the service level, and the cuisine was closer to basic cooked food than anything else.
We had booked the room for 2 nights, we flew out after one night only. One positive comment though: they let us leave without arguing for the second night which should have paid, according to our booking. So nice of them!

I've been to Yosemite several times over the years but never in the Fall and especially late Oct/early Nov. but now I know what I've been missing. We stayed in cabin 719, which was old world charm extraordinaire. The wood burning fireplace in the cabin and unlimited wood, kindling, paper and fireplace cleaning service offering by the hotel was pampering to a new level!!! The cabin was extremely comfortable, spacious and light with so many large glass doors that opened to an expansive patio. If you do rent this cabin, be aware that there are two adjacent cabins on both sides that are only separted by doors that aren't sound proof:] The cabin is a short walk to the hotel and was such a treat to go back to every day to relax and get away from the crowds in the hotel. We were introduced to the rooms on the 6th floor of the hotel that sound extremely nice and luxurious, which we noted for future visits (The library room sounds perfect!). The food in the great dining hall was average at best and over priced but the experience and grandeur of the room was worth the price. The bar area off the main lobby of the hotel was not so cozy inside but sitting outside for lunch on the days we were there was spectacular. The great room in the hotel is a must see and experience with fireplaces big enough to walk in and comfy chairs and sofa's. There's plenty of sitting areas all around the room to enjoy how enormous the room is as well as the fireplace. Outside, the valley was filled with so much color from the leaves before they fall that it was a photographer's paradise. The Ahwahnee should be on anyone's bucket list. This is a special special place for all.