Renovations to the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel are expected to keep it closed throughout 2017/NPS file photo, Jim Peaco

Being more than 80 years old, it shouldn't be terribly surprising that Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel in Yellowstone National Park has a few creaks and sore spots. To erase them, the National Park Service is conducting a multi-phase rehabilitation project that is expected to keep the hotel closed for guests through the coming year.

The $7.9 million project, which got underway in October, will not require closure of the cabins that surround the hotel located near the park's North Entrance near Gardiner, Montana. Inside the hotel, the project is scheduled to include:

• Seismic and structural stabilization of the lobby, Map Room, and Porte Cochere, which will require the construction of shear walls and moment frames. 
• The modernization of the electrical system (including new distribution panels, restoration of historic light fixtures, and upgrades to the emergency lighting system).
• Replace the one-pipe mechanical heating system with a more efficient two-pipe thermostatic controlled system and insulate the heating pipes.
• Upgrade fire-smoke detector systems and fire-sprinkler systems.
• Improve ADA compliance and accessibility.

Though the rooms and guest cabins are managed by Xanterra Parks & Resorts, the hotel and cabins are owned by the National Park Service. Funding for the rehabilitation is coming from Park Service construction funds.

Phase I is scheduled to finish in July 2017. It is limited to the hotel, lobby, Map Room, gift shop, and the floor immediately above them. Improvements include seismic and structural stabilization; replacement of obsolete life, safety, mechanical, and electrical systems; and correction of ADA and egress deficiencies.

Yellowstone officials are discussing with Xanterra which services in the Mammoth area will be available next summer. At a minimum, the hotel guest cabins, restaurant, and grill are expected to be open.

The Park Service is currently planning Phase II of the project, which will focus on renovation of the guest wing of the hotel.