Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite Fish Camp

We have been to many hotels and I am very picky. Tenaya Lodge was wonderful. The rooms were nice and the staff was great. We had a wonderful time. I am suprised to hear bad reviews. It can be pricey but if you book early it is very reasonable. Deserves 4 stars.

Well I stayed at the Tenaya Lodge 4 nights in November 2003. I payed 157.50 each night for their extended double. I was able to get this low price because it was off season and it did not include their breakfast buffet. I find it hard to believe that people pay more than twice this rate for just a decent hotel Like many of you I was under the impression that this lodge would be really nice because of its 4 diamond rating. Its more like a 3 diamond. All the walls in the room are paper thin I could here people talking in the next room and I am sure they could hear us as well. I stayed on the 2nd floor and while lying in bed I could feel and hear the ground shake as people walked in the hallway. This was also the case for the rooms next to us and on top of us. The amenities and decor throughout the Tenaya Lodge wasn't up to par or was dated for a 4 diamond. The restaurant in the hotel was overpriced and the bar next to it was decent. It can get quite expensive if you eat a couple meals at this place everyday. If you have a family and you want to save $ then I would recommend bringing an ice chest. You can buy cold cuts, water, milk, fruit, cereal,etc from the Safeway/Vons in Oakhurst to supplement for a meal or snacks. When leaving to go to the park leave as early as possible because there is lots of driving in the park. Finally if you are going in winter months bring chains regardless if you have a 4X4 because you can get a hefty federal fine if you are asked to show them and you don't have them while in the park.

Our family stayed at Tenaya Lodge in the middle of August and found the property to be decidedly mediocre. Unfortunately, at $249 even at the special AAA rate (some unfortunate guests apparently paid $350 or more) the hotel is vastly overpriced. There just doesn't seem to be much competition in the Yosemite area. The room was okay, reasonably clean, but far from luxurious. Why this hotel is rated 4 stars by AAA, we'll never know. The room was a bit on the small side. It doesn't even stack up well to a Marriott Courtyard type of property. If you're planning on spending much time in Yosemite Valley, be prepared for a long haul on very windy roads of about an hour. The hotel is close to the Mariposa Grove -- don't miss the Grizzly Giant (a huge Sequoia tree -- 2700 years old) which is an incredible sight to see. It took us so long to get back from Yosemite Valley, that we almost passed it up. And don't expect a great meal at a fair price either. Although the food at the expensive restaurant was pretty good for dinner, the prices certainly weren't. And when we tried to save a few dollars the next evening by dining in the pub, there was a considerable dropoff in the quality of the meal. I wish the reviewer who mentioned the Narrow Gauge Inn restaurant had reported before we took our trip. The nicest part of the hotel is the spacious lobby which houses an interesting little gift shop.

The first impression is certainly nice. However, the hotel building is really old. The room does not have any modern noise insulation. You can hear the people living upstair walking. Any slight noise from hallway is loud and clear. If you really want to stay in this hotel quietly, you must pick a room in the upper most level and stay as far away as possible from the elevator. The elevator signals everytime it stop. The signal is so loud during the night and will drive you crazy. I actually stayed 4 doors away from the elevator and the noise woke me up evertime. With this price range, the quality of the hotel is just not justified.

I just returned from five days at the Tenaya Lodge. This upscale hotel is located just 2 miles south of the south entrance to Yosemite in a beautiful mountain setting. If you are planning to sight see in Yosemite this location makes it most convenient to access the park. I highly suggest that you sign up for an escourted tour of the park at $70 per adult. This full day tour picks you up at your hotel and takes you to virtually every point of interest in the park with lectures along the way. You avoid parking hassels and the congestion during the busy summer months. This hotel is pricey. They rev things up thier during their peak months. I guess my only disapointment was my $308 room during the second week of August is now shown on their web site at $182 two weeks later. Unless you are going to the area to see Yosemite I would not go back to the Tenaya Lodge just to lay by the pool and enjoy its beautiful loacation. For the price during peak season I would go to coast or Hawaii. One final note, if you do not have school age children I think that October would be the best time to stay at the Tenaya/Yosemite during a non-winter time. The average high temperature is still 85 degrees and you do not have the congestion at the Lodge and within the Park and maybe you will not have to spend $308 for a room.

We stayed at Tenaya Lodge or a couple of nights in June 2003. The twin-bedded room was a good size, light, airy and had a beautiful view of the mountain forest. Everything that you would have hoped for. We had negotiated a special price through our Travel Agency and certainly didn't pay $400 like some other guests. We didn't eat in the hotel restaurant, and were delighted to find the Narrow Gauge Inn just up the road where you could dine elegantly for a very reasonable price. Even the wine list was affordable. I have to single out the staff in the hotel shop for special praise. Friendly and helpful, they even had 80 cent stamps available for postcards to Europe, without having to buy their cards. One of the very few places that did. The front desk staff were also very helpful in giving advice on which routes to take to Lake Tahoe. We chose the "pretty route" which took an hour longer, but was well worth it.

Approx $400 for a standard room.

Check in had only 2 people for 8 people waiting in line. Pool too small, crowded with children and families. Spa reservations could not book the next day, had to re-direct me.

Restaurant overpriced. Location: 1 hour to get in and 1 hour to get out of Yosemite to hotel.

Parking limited. I can't believe this got AAA 4 stars. No a/c in hallways. Rooms standard hyatt type. TV reception sucked.

Staff all very young - high school or barely in college.

bottle opener next to toilet. (gross!)

They didn't even solicit comments i.e. comment card. No wonder.

Clean bathtub, though.

I have stayed here twice and had good experiences both times. My room was clean and decorated well (though lighting is a little dim). You're right at the gate of Yosemite, so if you're going to the park, it's super--however, if you want to drive down to Oakhurst, it's a 20 minute drive just to eat. The hotel food is overpriced for what you get, but it is OK. Only part that really burns me is that you have to pay $1.00 per phone call out - local, 800, anything. That is a tad unreasonable, but you should be on vacation, anyway.We had a reservations problem, but it was taken care of easily and quickly by courteous staff.

The hotel is nice but very overpriced. Pool and facilities are good. No internet access in rooms and if you have to eat in the hotel or use the phone they really take you for all you got considering you are captive....bring your cell phone. I was most disappointed in the concierge service. They were very uninformed about local activities in and out of Yosemite. I had to tell them which park roads were closed. Because some roads and attractions were closed, we needed advice on alternatives. They were clueless. We eventually found out about alternatives from others but we wasted a precious day. Their activity desk should be experts on activities in the area....after-all, this is a hotel for people that come for the activities. They have one internet station in the hallway near the lobby. It isn't private and it is usually occupied. It wasn't working and they didn't fix it so I rebooted it by unplugging it. Otherwise I would be stuck. They need more internet booths or room access. The rooms were fine but again, it was expensive. It is an hour drive through very winding roads to the Valley.

For the inexperienced traveler, or someone who doesn't pay attention to detail, Tenaya Lodge would be an okay place to stay. However, make the mistake of going through any of the unlocked doors for "staff" and you'll never return to this hotel. In simple terms, it's filthy. Assuming the people who run it are not blind, they must choose to ignore the state of their hotel. Aside form the lack of clean that is evident everywhere, the entire place seems to employ nothing but local high school kids who know nothing about service at a supposed "upscale" hotel. Finally, a trip to the so'called "spa" is a real eye opener. Implements used for facials are not sanitized regularly, sheets are wrinkled and re-used until they are obviously soiled, and the noise from the pool located 30 steps from treatment rooms is like being in the center of a day care...loud would be an understatement. I would not return for FREE.