Yosemite Valley Lodge

2 years ago we stayed at Tenaya Lodge & had the most beautiful room: large, outside patio area, log fire effect heating, kitchenette area.....however we decided to stay further in the Park this time & booked 3 nights at Yosemite Valley Lodge. Oh how we wished we’d stayed back at Tenaya & drove in daily! The room was dull & dingy on arrival. We had a downstairs room & there was an outside area ( ideal to see squirrels & deer) Think it just all needed a little more TLC. The staff weren’t that welcoming, at 1 point I was completely ignored by staff in the canteen when I needed to ask a question.... we just felt it could be so much nicer with a little more effort. The pool was closed for the season ( a handwritten notice was stuck on a window) which was such a shame as the weather was beautiful & a swim morning & evening would have made the experience more enjoyable too. I know you pay for the scenery & we were a captive audience but it cost us more per night than the Wynn hotel in Vegas that we went on to stay at a few nights later!! I’m so glad that we saw all the stunning sights that we had missed on our last visit but I can’t recommend the lodge. There’s no air con in the rooms but there was a noisy fan which we had to use due to the hot weather. The shuttle buses & guided valley tram tour were a great way to get to the trails & to hear about the mountains & history of the area. Read less

If you visit Yosemite National Park, you NEED to stay here. It's right by the waterfall, and the start of the waterfall trail is right by the hotel too. You will be thankful you stayed here when you reach the bottom of the trail! The rooms are pretty big and spacious, even though we had two double beds in our room. The bed and pillows were comfy too. There is a patio so you can see the waterfall from outside which is nice in the morning. The coffee and tea maker were great too in the morning! The shower and toilet are in one room and the sink etc is just outside the room. The shower was powerful and warm which is what I needed after a 6 hour hike! The rooms are close to the base camp eatery - food here was basic, would not recommend. The mountain room? Amazing, you should 100% eat there instead. We loved the meal. Tasty dessert too. When staying, they take a deposit and ask for a donation to save the bears - I think its $2 per night, some people were saying no to the donation - a bit stingy... it's a worthwhile cause so just donate. Note: YARTS drops off here BUT does not pick up from here! You need to walk to the visitor centre to get picked up!! A staff member told us the bus picks up from here and we found out it didn't which nearly resulted in us missing our flight! Read less

We've stayed here 2 times before..... We had better results. It was just past Labor Day, when we arrived, Pool: We were disappointed the they closed the pool so early. I am involved with another camp, and we don't close our pool till October. I don't know if that policy changed with the whole name change, or change of hands of the properties, but when you pay THAT much, and have seen most of the attractions, you want a POOL to relax by... even a lounge would do... None of that area was available. It was in the mid-80s, mind you. At night, so it got to 49 one morning... Spend a little on the heating to make patrons happier. Parking: Why is it that the 4-Camp people will tow your car without the proper permit (we parked there for a spell because the Lodge lot was FULL!) , but the Lodge won't do squat if their parking lot is full of tourists that go to see Yosemite Falls just up the road? Visitors don't take into consideration that the people who paid good money to stay here, have to PARK nearly 1/2 mile away from their hotel room, carrying all their food, etc, so that bears won't break into our car. It doesn't matter that the staff said, "oh, just wait a few hours, it'll clear up". If we arrive back at our room at 3pm, we want a place CLOSE to our room. Why bother issuing parking permits, if you're not going to ENFORCE THEM? That'll get the cars out of the Valley, which is choked up with cars, while emptier FREE shuttles go by. The hot water boiler failed after our 3rd day here. A night without a hotter shower was the result. It was fixed around noon the next day. Read less