Re: Wawona Hotel to reopen

From DNC website - Wawona Hotel to reopen 2 pm today.

http://www.yosemitepark.com/government-shutdown-information.aspx

But you have to stay in the hotel since everything outside of the hotel is closed.

Years ago, we were on a long driving trip and Zion was at the midpoint of our trip. A earthquake caused a rock slide to cover the road and we could not get through Springdale to get to Zion Lodge. We could not change the reservations we had for the rest of the trip, so we made the best of it and did other things in the area until the road was reopened a few days later and we could stay at the lodge. People who had planned a long vacation which includes staying at the Wawona might want to stay there and use it as a base to go to other places or just sit and relax on the lawn, as the notice said, and in the mean time hope that the park will reopen while they are there.

Not to mention the locals will enjoy having the restaurant opened.

From the webpage:

“The government shutdown remains in effect; however, hotels and restaurants that are located on through roads in national parks can reopen.”

Well then DNC, why not reopen the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and the Tuolumne Meadows Grill too.

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plawrence
From the webpage:

“The government shutdown remains in effect; however, hotels and restaurants that are located on through roads in national parks can reopen.”

Well then DNC, why not reopen the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and the Tuolumne Meadows Grill too.

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I wonder wht the criteria is for what can open along the through roads in the national parks and what can't. Who knows what logic the government is using. Oh yes, it is the government so they don't use logic.

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parklover
I wonder wht the criteria is for what can open along the through roads in the national parks and what can't. Who knows what logic the government is using. Oh yes, it is the government so they don't use logic.

Obviously the government is not deciding which hotel to re-open. The consessionaires are. Their logic would include occupancy, costs and profits. If they cannot get enough people to stay at Tuolumne Lodge to pay for the staff and make a profit, they will not open it.

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Dave

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parklover
I wonder wht the criteria is for what can open along the through roads in the national parks and what can't. Who knows what logic the government is using. Oh yes, it is the government so they don't use logic.

Obviously the government is not deciding which hotel to re-open. The consessionaires are. Their logic would include occupancy, costs and profits. If they cannot get enough people to stay at Tuolumne Lodge to pay for the staff and make a profit, they will not open it.

Agreed, which might make opening the Tuolumne Lodge problematic for DNC, but I bet the Tuolumne Meadows Grill would do land-office business if DNC reopened it since it would be the only place to get some grub for miles around (and permit travelers to stop and enjoy Tuolumne Meadows from the road while they enjoyed burgers and hot dogs).

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plawrence
....Well then DNC, why not reopen the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and the Tuolumne Meadows Grill too. .

Which brings up a question; does this mean they do not have to refund, without a cancellation fee, monies they already charged now that the hotel is open and the reservations good again?

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Dave

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plawrence
....Well then DNC, why not reopen the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and the Tuolumne Meadows Grill too. .

Which brings up a question; does this mean they do not have to refund, without a cancellation fee, monies they already charged now that the hotel is open and the reservations good again?

Good question. I am sure that there are people who took vacation time off of work and still had to take their vacation at that time so they changed their trip to someplace else. I think that they should get their refund without the cancellation fee.

Wawona is a bit unique in that a good portion of the area is privately-owned land, although I'm not certain of the hotel/store area. I hope the overall situation is soon resolved.

By the TM Grill, do you mean the place with the store and post office that is just west of the TM campground office? If so, that was closed, and disassembled, a week before the shutdown.

The hotel and store are on NPS land. About 30% of the land in Wawona (section 35) is privately owned. If you are interested in the Wawona area you can access the Wawona Town Planning Area Specific Plan Update at: www.mariposacounty.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=8628‎

Today on the Wawona News website there is a news video on the reopening of the Wawona Hotel. http://wawonanews.weebly.com/