If your summer vacation plans were going to include a stay in Yosemite National Park, you may want to keep your options open. A scathing 2024 performance review of the historic Ahwahnee Hotel by the National Park Service obtained by SFGate details repeated rodent infestations forcing multiple closures of its upscale bar, power outages during a major holiday event that left high-paying guests stranded in the dark, and employees being exposed to dangerous chemical residues while cleaning up rodent droppings. The report also cites deferred maintenance, including frayed carpets and faulty wiring that sparked smoke in guest rooms.
But the problems go beyond the Ahwahnee. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, other Yosemite venues like the Wawona Hotel's dining room and the Base Camp Eatery also faced closures over health hazards linked to rodents and unsanitary conditions. Employees reported injuries from unsafe staircases and expressed frustration about inadequate training—some were even asked to remove dead rodents and roaches without proper gear. These issues aren't new: the park has battled rodent-related health scares before, including deadly hantavirus cases. One employee said, "At what point do you say, 'This isn't right for the guests'? Someone could get sick. This isn't right."
Despite all this, Aramark—the Philadelphia-based corporation behind Yosemite Hospitality—still holds the park's lucrative concessions contract. Valued in the billions, it's the largest in the National Park Service and includes responsibility for a dozen lodges, 14 food and beverage sites, backcountry camps, a ski area, and even bus service. It also manages more than 1,000 employees, all of which makes replacing Aramark difficult. "If the park service says we're going to kick Aramark out and they can't find anyone to do it, what are we going to do?" said former NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis, who also noted the contractor doesn't necessarily need to make improvements because the park will always have guests. "If Aramark gets a bad rating, it doesn't mean they're going to have fewer people staying in the hotels or eating in the restaurants."
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