We weren't expecting much in a national park but what we were offered was grim. We were there during the Washburn Fire and the valley was choked with smoke. We were astonished the lodging vendor wouldn't let us cancel our reservations. They said there was no impact in the Valley. Of course there was. Even if there hadn't been I wouldn't have used that room at Yosemite Lodge to store something I didn't like. Very horrible.
If you are going to Yosemite for a few days this is it. Is it a 5-star hotel? NO , but it gets a 5-star rating because of where it is. Incredibly convenient location , just park the car and start walking. Restaurants/bar/shop within 200 yards of your room , view of Yosemite Falls right outside your door , sit on your balcony /patio and watch bears walk by. Rooms are basic but have what you need; Fridge , good TV with cable , functional internet speed ( no , you can't stream videos etc ) and fast wireless reception ( at least with Verizon ). This is the only place we would ever stay while in Yosemite.
If you are, like me, an old dude....64 yo's and having worked 45 years and can afford $324/Night on a cold winter night, you will like it. If you are a struggling tax paying young family with young children, like my wife and I were in 1983, there is no chance in hell Aramarc will allow you to even get into the parking lot. FYI: The Federal taxes you all pay for your hard work have NO (Capitalized) impact on the admission price you pay to simply ENTER YOUR OWN National Park, and NO impact on the price Aramarc will extort from you to occupy their sub-standard lodging rooms at The Yosemite Lodge, which I just paid $2,300 for. Sub-Standard means: No Internet (Extremely Weak = NO, imho), 40 watt light bulbs, i.e., you will need a flash light to see anything in your room, 10am Check-out, 5 F'ing PM check-in (YES, 5pm check-in), BUT..... THE STAFF IS INCREDIABLE! Staff, Thank You! STaff, You brought joy to the Linehan family. Thank You Yosemite Lodge Staff. Love, The Linehan's. Aramarc , I pray that you give your Yosemite staff a Christmas Bonus. They are Saints and Angels, and are the ONLY reason Jeffrey Lee Linehan and family returns. We endured Delaware Northwest.....Again, we made it. But there are others out there that your greed has prohibited from this beautiful Valley, a gift of God....and not a gift of Aramarc or Delaware North. I will not tell the forum what this 25 yo USAF father of four paid in 1983, BUT WE COULD PAY IT! Aramarc, This rich 64 yo says, "You are raping the US tax payer", me Jeffrey Linehan included. Just speaking my mind as someone who has visited National Parks ever since the National Park Service managed the National Parks. Aramarc, my children can NOT afford to visit your facilities. Please do not lose sleep out of this editorial review. Jeff…
The standard room at the lodge was nice. Plenty of room. Great view. Heater worked well. Only drawback: no microwave oven. We spent 3 nights and 4 days and enjoyed every minute. Staff was friendly and helpful.
Great place to stay and location is terrific. Read up on the property and age of the facilities..(I did and thus not surprised) meaning, it is old and fits the needs of basic travelers, families and budget conscious, compared to the 2 other hotels which are more expensive. I booked the "king family room" one year ahead of time and it was plenty of space for our family of 4. Staff was friendly and organized, giving out extra blankets and coffee when I asked. Room has mini fridge, coffee maker and plenty of counter space and furniture. Bathroom needs a remodel. Heater worked well. Big windows and comfy beds. Food offerings are sparse but decent, gift shop is great and the shuttle stop outside the front entrance is a bonus.
Great location (good luck getting a reservation). A bit “rustic” but well kept and again, a great location. They have a very nice restaurant (you definitely need a reservation) and I highly recommend the separate bar lounge and the food there. No reservation required.
My wife and I visited Yosemite in November 2022, and booked into the Yosemite Valley Lodge. The location is fantastic - one of only a couple of places to stay (other than under canvas) in the park itself, and right next to the falls. With that said, the place itself was really low quality. Super tired room that reminded me of my student dorm c. 1990. Lighting so dim that I wasn't entirely sure we hadn't left things behind. WiFi only available a couple of mins away in the reception area (I know it's a park, but really no excuse for this), and then the dining options. The breakfast was probably the least edible food I have had in years. We are NOT fussy - but the porridge (oatmeal) was literally something I had to slice with a knife. Scrambled eggs that were hard and clumped and poor quality. Poor coffee. This wasn't helped by the food in the local mart being generally poor and very expensive. We actually craved a McDonalds breakfast after we left - it felt like the height of gastronomic experience. Anyway, the park was amazing and we had a great time, but just because a place has a captive audience - could it not strive to do a decent job? Poor, but would likely go again. …
We were extremely excited to go to Yosemite as a family, staying at the Inn. A 2.5 day blizzard coincided with our stay, with road closures and chain requirements implemented. The forecast was for multiple feet of snow, 30mph winds and temperatures in the teens. As this was a safety concern we chose to not go but ended up having to forfeit the $650 safety deposit. The Inn allows you to change/cancel up until seven days before your check in. As this storm didn’t formulate a week before we had no way to know. Needless to say we were all super disappointed and would never stay there again due to that strict of a cancellation policy in a place prone to extreme weather.
Yes, it is pricy for what it is. Do I regret staying there? Absolutely ! If you have a short time in Yosemite, you should really try to stay there as you gain more time to visit the park. You don’t need the car to do most of the hikes from inside the valley. Room itself is old, bed is okay. It here were hair in the bathtub, which I felt were really strange for the price you pay. Don’t expect anything great from the hotel, just enjoy the area!
Rooms are cozy, no issues except we heard footsteps all day and night from kids running and people walking around upstairs. We were in the Cedar building. Free shuttle bus stop at the lodge didn't have any posted signs to let us know where to wait so we missed the pickup because we were waiting in the lobby inside (near another "bus stop" sign that we thought was for the shuttle bus). Frontdesk guy was no help as he watched us sitting in the lobby waiting for 20 minutes and didn't even ask us if we needed any help or directions. Only wi-fi available is in the hotel lobby. Cheeseburger in the Base Camp Eatery was much better (and a fourth of the price) than the one in the Mountain Room Restaurant. Room rates were high ($300+) even in the off season (late October) and on a weekday. Will not be returning.…
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