Robert C.
Yelp
1. Wawona is 1 hour to Yosemite Valley, the main tourist destination in the Park. It is a scenic drive, but not a drive you want to do daily, as it is along a narrow winding mountain road.
2. There is a loading/unloading area directly in front of the Main building of the hotel, in front of the fountain.
3. One can park in the lot in front of the fountain, as you drive in. Limited, difficult parallel parking in the dark on the circular road around the fountain. The only lighted parking is to the left of the Main building, past the tennis courts.
4. The majestic Victorian main building has check in, lobby, and restaurant on the 1st floor, and upstairs 22 rooms with shared bathrooms, and 2 rooms with their own bathrooms.
5. The Annex has 39 rooms, half with shared bathrooms, and half with their own bathrooms, on 2 floors, with wifi in the community Sun Room.
6. 4 smaller buildings, called cottages, are quieter with fewer neighbors, around vast expanses of trimmed grass area, neatly intersected by concrete sidewalks.
7. It took 2 clerks 17 minutes to handle the 3 parties ahead of us, at check in at 3pm on a Sunday.
8. Guests are warned to remove all foods and liquids from the car. You won't recognize your car with the coffee inside after the bears arrive overnight!
9. We hauled 3 wheeled luggages, a day pack, and 2 fanny packs in one trip, going up the 12 stairs at the front of the building, and 25 more steep stairs to the 2nd floor. I was huffing and puffing like Darth Vader!
10. Avoid rooms 201, 202, 203, and 212 facing the stairs, with foot traffic noises, and on the route to the bathrooms.
11. We got room 205 in the main building on the second floor facing the fountain. Our front door and only window faced the porch.
12. The king size bed took up most of our 10' x 13' room. 1 night stand, 2 lamps, 1 sitting chair, overhead lamp/fan and a dresser. Robes and towels provided.
13. Poor value, on a cost per square foot basis. $150 for a 130 square foot room, while Yosemite Lodge at the Falls is $220 for a 300 square foot room.
14. Yosemite Lodge has a sink, toilet, shower, TV, phone, safe and refrigerator, but not our room. No Wawona rooms have a TV, phone, safe, refrigerator, or microwave.
15. Wifi access at the Sun room, 100 yards away in the Annex building. Once I got a connection, my Kindle adjusted, and retained the reception on our veranda. Only good for e-mail and web surfing, not videos, let alone downloads.
16. Avoid rooms 101,118,119,120,138,139 next to Sun room, which is often used for private parties, and close to the highway, and its noises.
17. The ~35' x 15' swimming pool is open dawn to dusk, with depths 4'- 6.5', with ladders, not stairs for entry -not child friendly. No diving. Lounge chairs available.
18. The public veranda, 6'-10' across, stretches around the building. 2 lounge chairs and a side table in front of each room, with picturesque views of lawns, water fountain, golf courses, and sunset over the forests.
19. For dinner my wife had trout, and myself a seafood pasta, each about $23, slow service, above average quality, with the ambiance of the setting sun and fountain in the restaurant windows. Everyone in shorts and sandals -no Ahwahnee dress code here!
20. The 97 degree temps overwhelmed the overhead fan and small desk fan. No cross ventilation, with the door and small window on the same side. We left the fan running in the window, partially closing the curtains, with light shining in from the veranda lights.
21 The veranda lights came on at dusk, staying on the entire night. Good for reading. Some areas on the veranda have no lights. Public veranda -two Wawona campers sat next door.
22 I opened the door, and there was my wife crouched behind the bed, in the middle of changing her top, with a startled look on her face, like I was the Boston strangler! No place to change in private in a tiny room!
23 We heard the neighbors going to the bathroom at night, with the spring loaded doors banging shut, and their footfalls on the creaky wooden veranda floor.
24 Walking 100 feet in the cold outside air to the communal bathrooms in the back will keep you from falling asleep! 1 of 2 mens toilets plugged up due to overuse -an everyday event!
25 The room came with a continental breakfast of bagel, yogurt, granola cereal, orange juice, coffee, various pastries, and a fruit bowl.
26. There is a piano player to entertain folks in the lobby, but he's off Sunday and Monday.
27. Nearby attraction includes the famous giant redwoods, requiring parking in one area, and taking a shuttle to the attraction.
28. A free shuttle bus leaves for Yosemite Village at 830am and picks up returning passengers at 330pm.
29. The flag is raised in the fountain area, with an employee whistling the entire 'Star Spangle Banner'! Free entertainment!
