Yosemite Valley Lodge

Pros: The location is excellent, situated right in the center and directly across from Yosemite Falls. The room was clean, and the bed was alright. Additionally, the room includes a space heater and a fan.Cons: The check-in time is unusually late--set at 5 PM. Interestingly, the lobby signage indicates a 4 PM check-in. There is also no microwave available in the room. Some of the rooms are a bit further away from the lobby. Staff could also be a bit more friendlier.

We have stayed at the lodge many, many times and are at least annual visitors to Yosemite. The lodge has gotten worse and worse every year in terms of upkeep and maintenance. But, this time, we encountered an actual SAFETY HAZARD with sloppy housekeeping; the room had clearly not been vacuumed and there were medications left behind on the carpet next to the bed. We picked them up quickly after our 3 year old found the first one. They turned out to be blood pressure medications and a vitamin... what if this had been one of our earlier trips when our kid was still crawling and mouthing everything?! There were families with younger babies staying on either side of us... what if it had been one of those families in the room? Front desk was quick to send housekeeping in to vacuum, but why was the room not cleaned before we checked in? I can forgive a beverage left behind in the fridge or a brush forgotten near the vanity, but not even running a vacuum over the floor or a rag over the shower/tub? Unsafe, gross, and frankly unacceptable. Posting as a warning for something that never even occurred to me to look for. I really don't know what we will do for our next trip; we love staying in the valley but Aramark has really made a mess of things in Yosemite.

This place only gets one star because of the location and that is all. Don't expect to get $400 hotel amenities even though that's close to what you will pay per night. Aramark has done a great disservice to the industry here and has basically let the property fall into shambles. I have been to the Lodge several times, the last time before today was December 2022 and the accommodations were decent. Two years later it's a complete dump. Here are a list of issues our family had:No hot water to take showers after 6:00 PMNo working heaters (they have portable ones that are fires waiting to happen)Electricity surges that causes the rooms to lose electricity. Takes two hours for them to flip the switch on the breaker.Leaks from the rain outside that pools into the roomFencing on patios and porches for the second floor rooms torn down, with ladders and maintenance equipment left aroundI deploy to work disaster zones and I would say I have had much better accommodations there than here. If you don't mind a camping like experience (I wouldn't even bestow the word glamping) then you won't mind the accommodations. Next time I might stay outside of the park.

We've stayed here the last three times we've visited Yosemite. You can't beat the location and the convenience of being close to food and all the activities. Yosemite Falls is right there, and we make it a point to take a daily stroll to Lower Yosemite Fall at some point in the day. It is definitely pricey if you're considering just the quality of the rooms. I do wish the rooms were equipped with a microwave, though there is one in the lobby area. We usually prepare and pack most of our meals and snacks from home. The rooms have a fan, a space heater, and a refrigerator. I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again even if the rooms are dated.

Everything everyone says in the reviews is technically true. The lodge looks like it was last updated in the early 80s, there are some spiderwebs and mold around, and renovations are seriously overdue. But there's a reason this place is usually booked almost 9 months out ahead, it's location is incredible and there are no other options in the park that have this balance of location, price, and comfort.Located right next to Yosemite Falls (across the street), the lodge is next to El Capitan, Half Dome, and everything else in the valley. Combine in 3 eating places on site, gift shop, self parking, free shuttle stop, and the meeting point for floor tours - you've got yourself a package so desireable, it doesn't matter that this looks like a Motel 6 off of I5.

The room overall is how you'd expect. The sheets were clean, bathroom was clean, but if you look hard enough you'd see some cobwebs in the corners. It's not a big deal since this place is really just for sleeping and we were hiking and exploring majority of the time. There's a microwave in the lobby and another one in the gift shop which is nice. You also get a parking permit for the duration of your stay.I would say the worst part was the check-in experience. The line at 3:50p to check-in was out the door. Everyone waiting in line was clearly frustrated and it was stressing me out. Luckily since I got there earlier at 8am and did a pre-check in and also got a phone call that our room was ready, I was able to skip the line and just pick up the key to the room. So we dragged all our stuff up the stairs to our room, tired from the drive and our hike, only to find out that the key they gave us was wrong. So my bf walked back to the lobby and got a replacement and that worked thankfully.I would still recommend this place because of the convenience. There's a shuttle stop at the parking lot so you can get around the valley without needing to drive around. There's a cafe where you can get breakfast and dinner. Honestly I had a nice time here. I was able to take a shower, sleep in a nice bed, but ofc just don't expect anything luxurious.

My partner and I stayed here for Labor Day weekend and left happy campers! The Yosemite Valley Lodge is rustic with modern touches to preserve its history. You have to go into it expecting to have the essentials taken care of - a nice bed, good water pressure, accessibility, etc. and not it being a luxurious hotel. The outdoors is what you're there for anyways! We liked how close we were to almost everything in the valley. The dining options were pretty good. A little steep in pricing but that's fine. They had a Starbucks on site which was great - order early to beat the lines!They have a gift shop, fine dining restaurant, swimming pool and more. We will definitely return! Pros:* Location* Comfy Beds* Clean room / grounds* Coffee Maker* Mini-Fridge* 2 Plug-In Fans / 1 Ceiling Fan* Consistent Hot Water* TV with various channels* Casual to fine dining options* Gift / Snack Shop* EV Parking* Amazing views from patiosCons:* No AC in rooms* Pricy food options* A few out of order dining kiosks

I stayed at the ValleyLodge after learning that the Awahnee had construction and no self parking. Could not successfully book the room online thru the app, and had to rely on a staff member inputting it at the Wawona front desk! Upon arriving at the designated check in time , the room was not ready and we had to wait in the lobby and environs, which had overflowing trash containers inside the building, and a restroom that was filthy. When we finally got to our room, the phones were disconnected (long term cable project!), no working central heat, which was replaced by 60's era space heaters connected to the only outlet in the filthy bathroom. The smoke detector was inop, with no blinking activity light, and deadbolts on the adjoining room and outside door not working. At this price point, I expected a minimum of safety and functionality. What we got was an ice cold room, filthy conditions everywhere, and closed restaurants. As a park concessionaire, safety concerns should be immediately addressed before occupancy, and long term issues should be done in sections, shutting them down. We planned our trip after access to the valley was open without reservations. What we got was a trip laced with foreign guests complaining about how the outsourced facilities in the gem of the U.S. park system was disappointing and overpriced. The remaining cafeteria that was open, had only six fixed tablets to input orders on, with only two of them working! This resulted in long waits just to get a burger and drink. I would strongly suggest opening up the bid process again, or regaining control of lodging under the USPS. The attempted renaming of the Awanhnee to Majestic, was the first clue of failing methodology of Aramark. The cell coverage in the park also needs to be upgraded, based on how much tech is relied upon. Letters to the US park service and the CEO of Aramark, John Zillmer, the concessionaire went unanswered! These guys should stick to drive thrus on the Pennsylvania turnpike or serving elementary kids, Aramark is way over their expertise level in this most majestic of places. They're after a fast buck with literally a captive audience with no competition.

Large dining area with AC full blast! What a treat after returning from a hot summer hike when it's 80-90F outside! Water dispensing machines are available for free in addition to what's available on soda fountain machines in the dining area. There's a few options to choose from. And there's a coffee shop inside!!! Restrooms are available with water and conventional plumbing highlight of the visit! I expect food prices to be a lot higher since they are the only options if you don't want to bring in your own food.

I just returned from a night at the Yosemite Lodge and was greatly disappointed considering the cost. First, no hot water for showers, then walls so thin that I was awakened at midnight by the Nextdoor people showering, and finally, a heater that went on and off rattling the room waiting me up every half hour.Come on you guys, we deserve better for the price