Notable for its massive fireplace, carved from a single boulder weighing over a million kilograms, the hotel was also the venue for the iconic Yosemite Firefall spectacle where burning embers were pushed off the point to create a visually stunning 'burning waterfall'.

Despite proposals for rebuilding, including the idea of an aerial tramway by MCA, the site eventually became subject to restrictions against commercial development.

[3] Its construction by The Desmond Park Service Company and Gutleben Brothers was a feat of logistics, involving over 100 mules and trucks to transport building materials through the area's challenging terrain.

[5] The hotel's centerpiece was a huge fireplace, carved from a single nearby boulder, weighing an incredible 2,462,000 pounds (1,117,000 kg) — equivalent to the granite needed for a six-room house.

In 1920, DJ Desmond stretched his company's finances too thin, which led to the firm being reorganized by ABC Dohrmann and Larry Harris, both prominent San Francisco businessmen.

At 9:00 every night, hotel employees would push burning embers off Glacier Point to fall 3,000 feet (910 m) down and mark the end of a performance at Camp Curry on the valley floor.

[13] To improve access, the idea of an elevator carved into the cliffside was briefly considered as a solution to bypass the arduous four-mile hike or two-hour car journey from the valley.

[17] While repairs to the structures were performed, no guest reservations were booked, and the employees used the Mountain House to sell snacks to Glacier Point visitors.

The proposed aerial tramway was intended to create a connection between the valley floor and a newly reconstructed Glacier Point Hotel.

Prominent organizations like the Sierra Club, alongside many private citizens, mounted a vigorous campaign against the plan, petitioning the federal government to intervene and limit the scope of the project.

This plan crucially incorporated permanent restrictions designed to prevent future commercial development at Glacier Point.