Three weeks ago, I wrote about having to cancel our long-planned trip to Yosemite because of a report describing disgusting conditions — including rodent infestations — at the park’s iconic Ahwahnee Hotel, where we had reserved a room. We were very disappointed, as the park was on our bucket list.
Since then, the news has only gotten worse. Kathleen Wong of USA Today writes:
Frequent inspections last year revealed the hotel had mold, rotting decks and rodent infestations issues – all while guests were able to stay there…
Inspections often reported unsanitary conditions at the lodgings, specifically mold. Other findings included the rear porches of the Yosemite Valley Lodge, which were identified to be in an “advanced state of disrepair,” with the wooden deck boards rotting and loosening to expose rusty nails. Stairs and landings also failed to meet evaluation standards, posing trip hazards.
The Ahwahnee Hotel’s fraying carpet, first noted in 2023, has deteriorated to a point where it’s difficult to clean. At Wawona Hotel, mold and mushrooms were discovered growing in the ice machine in the employee break room, forcing the facility to be closed from April 2024 through the end of the year.
I have complained about Aramark’s management of other national park amenities in the past. What this new report makes clear is that the corporation, through its Yosemite Hospitality division, has failed repeatedly to keep the park’s facilities clean and reliable. Shame on them for bringing disrepute upon places that should be the pride of every American.
Aramark is about halfway through a 17-year contract to manage lodging and food operations at Yosemite, but considering its inability to do so — or perhaps a purposeful cutback on spending while driving the company’s stock price to more than double in the last five years — it is beyond time for Aramark to be kicked out in favor of a more competent contractor.
Either that, or the company’s management should be forced to live in the rotting, rodent-infested rooms it has so carelessly neglected.