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3.5
#3 of 3 hotels in Yosemite National Park
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Yosemite Valley Lodge is a favorite choice for families and large groups. Its close proximity to Yosemite Falls makes it the perfect base camp for exploring Yosemite National Park. Its glass and wood architecture work in unity with the surroundings and the ample windows allow in the bright mountain sunshine while providing remarkable views.
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Set within the stunning Yosemite National Park, the Yosemite Valley Lodge is celebrated for its prime location, offering easy access to the park's famed attractions. However, some travelers find the rooms outdated and not particularly clean, raising concerns about the value for the price paid.
While the rustic charm of the lodge is appreciated, guests have suggested that the basic amenities and atmosphere could benefit from modernization. Service experiences vary, with reports of both helpful staff and occasional inefficiency.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Rustic
Rooms
Neglected
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Underwhelming
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I was a little worried about our stay here given the reviews but was pleasantly surprised by the room and staff and surroundings at this hotel. Room was warm in the wintertime and they provided a pack and play for our baby. The location is amazing, very close to lower Yosemite falls and the surrounding sights, we could walk everywhere which was great for a trip with a baby and my older father. Shuttle was also convenient. I was very impressed with the basecamp restaurant, which was very affordable and decent food, not at all what I was expecting from a tourist hotspot. The power went out one of the nights but they had generators hooked up to all the rooms so as a guest you didn’t really feel it, just the restaurants had to be closed early. I appreciated that they put the guest rooms as first priority. The bathroom was clean and general scenery just gorgeous. It was a wonderful place to be our base as we exploring Yosemite over 3 days.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If this hotel were not in Yosemite, it would probably be below average, especially at $315/ night after tax. Doesn’t even quite stand up to Motel 6 quality. The rooms are variable in quality (as a group we had several rooms). Overall, the carpets are worn and dirty (see photo below). The windows in multiple rooms were broken and didn’t close. There’s no air conditioning. The room in the Azalea building was at least a 5-7 minute walk from the parking lot. (There are multiple buildings for Yosemite Valley Lodge, all spread out.). Check in is late at 5PM and check out is early at 10AM. The Base Camp Eatery line reaches 50 people long at dinner.
Pros: it’s really convenient to stay in Yosemite Valley. The national park is quite large and just driving from the entrance to the valley can be 45 minutes. The rooms include shampoo, conditioner, lotion. There’s a mini fridge, Tv, and coffee maker (but don’t expect a microwave). There’s slow cell service (1 bar with Verizon) and slow WiFi (don’t expect to be able to do a Zoom meeting). The park isn’t as crowded since it has limited the number of visitors. It’s nice that you are guaranteed entrance with a lodge reservation (but expect to pay $35/ vehicle/ week, able to enter and exit). The lodge is walking distance to Yosemite Falls.
Tips: bring your own cooler and food to save time and money. Have a full tank of gas when entering the park. There is no gas in Yosemite Valley and you will use up gas driving to Glacier Point and other places with the park. Bring a re-usable water bottle. Don’t store food in your car (bear lockers are available at most parking lots). Bring a flashlight or headlamp (your hotel room could be down a dark path like ours was). Enjoy!
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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we stayed one night in the Jasmine Building of Yosemite Valley Lodge. It is the 3rd building from the lodge and consists of external stairs leading to the rooms. The bathroom was remodeled and looks great. Walled toiletries were available as well as a mini fridge, coffee maker, and a couple of portable fans (No A/C). The walled fan unit in the corner of the room only blew out warm air and the windows on the balcony door wouldn't open so the room was pretty hot in mid june as the temperature was between high 80's to mid 90's. Walls were pretty thin as we could hear our neighbors. we didn't use the TV so can't say what kind of reception you got. I love sitting on the balcony as the view was gorgeous (what you are paying for) and the bluebirds landed on the railing. a lot of overweight squirrel were running around below. Ice machine was in the 2nd building which has a glass door to an internal hallway/stairs to the 2nd floor. during our stay there was plenty of parking and 2 stations to charge electric cars. Really close to Yosemite Falls and paths to the river and around the meadows. tons of bikes and inner tubes were near the ground floor apartments. we didn't eat at the base eatery but they were busy with long lines. we at the village grill which was horrible (you can see my separate review). gift shop was decent. they offer frozen foods and use of a microwave if you don't want to eat at the eatery. an ice machine is located outside of the gift shop.
out of the 3 lodges that we stayed in at various national parks this was the worse and most expensive but I knew I wouldn't be back, thus the splurge.
you can check out by calling housekeeping on the phone and let them know you are leaving. just leave the keys in the room. We found this out when a front desk guy was talking to another visitor, not from the woman who was helping us check in so informed hotel staff quality may vary, like everywhere else.
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Date of stay: June 2021
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Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed for 3 nights at the Lodge in the Elderberry "building". We had a second floor room with a view of the Falls although the view was obstructed by the trees. Nonetheless, it was still magnificent.
Yosemite is all about nature and views. The lodge's location is unbeatable - 5 minute walk from the room to Yosemite Falls! We had driven to Yosemite in an electric car and there were slow chargers (8kW) available right outside the lodge reception area. For the time we were there, the chargers were almost freely available when we needed them. And they were free to use.
Our check-in experience was 5-star. Very quick, courteous, painless, and we lucked out with a room with a view. This is the third time we've stayed in the lodge in the last 10 years or so, and the service seems to get better every time.
The room was well appointed except for lighting. I felt there wasn't enough light in the room after dark. Bit it still worked out for us. After a long day of hiking/sightseeing, we were often in bed soon after it got dark. Would stay here again, and again.
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Date of stay: May 2023
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Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I went to the front desk to let them know the hair conditioner was off, the fridge was frosted up and the curtain was unhooked. I was told very curtly: “Anything else?” I was taken aback and I was leaving but I came back and told him: “I am not asking for anything that would not be in the standards of a Motel 6”
They changed the hair conditioner, changed the fridge and fixed the curtain. I was waiting for the fridge to get cold, it did not, the light turned on when opening the door. On day afterwards, I decided to call the front desk and let them know about the fridge. It took two calls for them to come. They had not turned the fridge on. It is an Avanti model and the knob is on the back. They took no responsibilily.
The wooden slats on one of the windows did not work either.
There was no WiFi. The customer service would say it is spotty, that it is limited, that it is best at the Front Desk, and when pressed, they recognized that there is not WiFi in the rooms. I said they should say so in their webpage and they told me lightly they should. It is not spotty, it is not limited, it is not best. The Front Desk told me there is no WiFi in the rooms, it is not limited as they advertise. Perhaps they have a few rooms that get some of the Front Desk WiFi and that is all. The customer service is trained to deflect the issues and probably by habit they do not empathize with the experience the customer is having.
I believe customers tend to overlook that they have been taken advantage of because there is nothing they can do once they are there and the location is magical.
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Date of stay: November 2021
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We continue to have a fantastic experience each year at the Yosemite Valley Lodge, mostly thanks to their awesome staff, led by Michelle Sorokowsky at the front desk, who is a real gem. Of course, the location of this hotel cannot be beat and was the main reason we originally chose it a few years ago, but we keep returning due to the warm vibes and awesome service the YVL team provides. Seeing Michelle and team in action during these difficult times (including confusion/cancellations caused by new coronavirus regulations, a power outage, a plumbing issue due to the hotel being shut down for a couple months, etc etc), I have renewed appreciation and respect for how they manage to pull off a great stay for so many in such a remote place under difficult conditions. Michelle is genuinely caring, professional and knowledgeable, and these values carry over to her team. They always go above and beyond to ensure guests have the very best possible experience. Our large family/friends group recently stayed there for a week (in 4-5 rooms), and we were so impressed with the way the YVL service team created such a joyful, comfortable environment for us and other guests. We highly recommend the Yosemite Valley Lodge - it's one of the best, most comfortable, safest places to enjoy a much-needed break in nature during these stressful times, thanks to the awesome location & service team.
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Date of stay: June 2020
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Room Tip:All rooms we've had have been great - not fancy but super comfortable, quiet, w/outdoor...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
First, the lodge is ideally located within walking distance to Yosemite Falls and right near the river. In fact, you can easily walk to either of these places from the lodge. Our room was actually rather nice with a bunk bed and a double bed, so easily enough room for 4 people. The bathroom area was divided off and the sink was outside the bathtub/toilet area, so that one can use the sink while the other is in the bathroom. We were even lucky enough to see a bear right behind our building - face on - as we were walking back to our room from the parking lot! Now that was exciting! (Everyone kept their distance, of course.) In addition, the front desk staff were very friendly and check in and out was easy with hand sanitizer stations and the ability to just drop off the key outside, for checkout.
The negatives were as follows: First, if this lodge/room were located in some city, I'd have rated it much lower. I can't imagine it would be more than $100 a night elsewhere - and it is clear the room and lodge are old/outdated. Also, there was no early check in. We had to keep our things in our car until the check in time. And check out was 10am with no chance of extending it. I realize that much of the timing is due to the cleaning requirements with Covid.
But the positives of the location and scenery more than make up for the negatives, hence the 5 stars.
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Date of stay: July 2020
Value
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Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our room was perfectly clean upon entering. Room was in the Hemlock building, ground floor, facing the meadow, outside patio area with chairs and table to eat on with a lovely view of Sentinel Rock. We had a queen with bunk bed.
Room was aesthetically pleasing, did not look worn down, bunk bed appeared newish and had pleasing design. My queen was a bit firm but comfortable enough and the lower double bed that's part of the bunk was comfortable according to the person who slept in it. The wall facing the patio and meadow is largely glass panes and glass door framed with wood, you can peer from the inside of the room and see Sentinel Rock. We sat one evening out on the patio as the sun set and the stars came out over Sentinel Rock. It was really lovely.
Building is an easy 1-2 minute walk to the eating areas and registration. Quiet with the exception of hearing minimal but expected low-level noise from neighbors. Ice machine just down the hallway and working well.
The bunk beds were missing their top sheet and blanket, couldn't get the TV working, refrigerator was not plugged in upon entering. Called to staff, had help right away, someone came to the room pretty quickly and was perfectly helpful to resolve the issues. Nice and helpful desk staff and grounds staff.
I will stay here again on my next visit.
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is the most conveniently located establishment in Yosemite valley, which is why we stayed here for one night. Everything in the room points out to a one-star motel off the highway, except for its location, which is of course absolutely magnificent, and explains why no one bothers to fix the dilapidated rooms, and why they are able to still rent them for 250+ dollars per night. However, you'll have most of the things you need, including a coffee machine with good quality coffee and a clean room to sleep in.
The back door includes a porch, which is situated right on the forest. Being able to keep the window open, including at night, and stare into the darkness was lovely. The rustic aspect of the room blends it into the surroundings and makes it fit in nicely.
Sadly, there was no king bed when we checked in. The clerk at check in was very unwelcoming (although probably not intentionally). He did explain everything to us, including rules which I suspect no one else has ever cared about. But oh well.
The heater made a ridiculous amount of noise. It's very hard to sleep with it running. The bathtub was cracked and needs replacement. Everything is old and worn out, and not in a good way.
We had dinner and then lunch the next day, and the food is generally designed to make you fat. Taste is optional. I am amazed that there is such fatty food served in a place with so many children which should really be eating something healthier. The only healthy option in the menu (literally) was a poke bowl. Thankfully the good folks at the bar did not have measurement units, and didn't really understand what a double is, so I ended up with one quarter of a bottle of whiskey in my glass. Cheers!
The only real deal breaker was the children and the screaming. We tried to sleep early, at 8PM, and it was just not possible. The amount of screaming children outside our room was just outstanding. I'm not sure if it's the sugar high from all the unhealthy stuff they serve, or the fact that they were plucked from their mountainous playground in order to go to bed, but I've never heard children going ballistic like that. And I'm not sure why they were doing it in the hallway most of the time. A number of screaming sessions, but also casual discussions between parents and friends were held in the hallway outside our room and the acoustics would rival ancient Greek theaters. The highlight of the evening was a child which was screaming so much that I exited my room to see if it was ok, and if the exorcism had been successful.
Everyone will say that you don't go to Yosemite for the luxury of the hotel, but this IS a hotel, and there's nothing that precludes it from being, if not luxurious, at least adequate, and this was not that. It needs work. But then, you're staring into the mountains, and the waterfall, and the trees, and life is good again.
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Date of stay: March 2022
Value
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Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have been going to Yosemite for decades and have tried Curry Village, the Ahwahnee and Wawona. If you want to stay in Yosemite Valley and don't want to camp or pay a lot, the Lodge is the most cost effective. Curry Village is located in the shadow of Glacier Point, so it is cooler and has had issues with rock falls. The Curry Village accommodations are more primative than those at the Lodge. The Ahwahnee is considerably more expensive than the Lodge and from our perspective not worth it for the room. We usually go there to eat dinner (and if it is a cool, wet day for lunch as well.) We had a "renovated king-bed room". The bathroom was well lit, but the lighting in the rest of the room was rather dim. The bed was OK, but not great. The shower was new, but the shower curtain was incapable of keeping the water inside the shower so a lot of water got on the floor. You pay for location. The lodging out side the park is nicer, but a long way from the valley. We enjoyed getting up in the morning and just walking across the Yosemite falls and enjoying the area with very few other people present. Check in took a very long time even though there were few people in front of us. It was an inefficient process.
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Date of stay: February 2020
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Room Tip:If you don't want to carry your luggage up a flight of stairs, ask for the first floor.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I just called the hotel and spoke to Janay - the number to the front desk is 209 372-1274. If I were you I'd call and ask for the hotel front desk manager, and ask the question - get the person's name, and maybe even an email from that person just to be sure. Janay said it would be OK as long as you have your ID with you. But I would be sure to get the authorization from management
What I was told by a desk clerk was that they are cautious about wildlife trying to enter vehicles and coolers, so they have a blanket policy. Whether it is enforced, or you roll the dice ... can't ansewr.
There are more places to choose from in the Yosemite National Park area.
PRICE RANGE
$350 - $794 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
yosemite lodge at the falls, yosemite hotel national park, yosemite lodge falls, yosemite ca, yosemite view lodge, yosemite hotel at the falls, lodge reservation yosemite, lodge yosemite, yosemite lodge hotel, yosemite falls lodge
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Yosemite Lodge At The Falls
LOCATION
United StatesCaliforniaYosemite National Park
NUMBER OF ROOMS
245
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.
