Yosemite Valley Lodge

Yosemite Valley Lodge is a true gem. Our room was super clean and had a wonderful cozy feel. The shower was nice and warm with good pressure, and I loved the patio space outside our room, even though it was a bit chilly out. The staff were all so friendly and helpful. In addition, the location is perfect. The village itself features some lovely eateries with nice options, including a Starbucks. Such a treat on our National Park adventure! I will definitely stay here again on my next visit to Yosemite!

We stayed in Alder in December 2025. Location is close to Base Camp and the parking lot directly in front is small and difficult to find parking. ||The Lodge location is super convenient - easy to access all the valley sights. As others have mentioned, the rooms are very old and dated, with extremely thin walls. We have stayed at the Lodge before so mostly knew what to expect. However, this time we discovered no hot water in the mornings or evenings. (An employee named Clark told us to run the faucets for 20+ minutes, insisting each time we called that it was necessary to heat up the water. Never mind there are signs urging water conservation. We never had hot water that night, or any other during our entire stay.)||Our biggest issue was that we booked 2 rooms and requested to be next door to each other. While the rooms were sequentially numbered, they were actually separated by 2 staircases (both were on the 2nd floor), which was problematic because we had children in one of the rooms. We notified reception as soon as we checked in and saw the issue, but were told there was nothing that could be done. If you are booking multiple rooms for your group, I suggest calling and double checking that they are truly located next door. YVL reached out to us after we mentioned this issue in our the post-visit survey.||Bring earplugs, and headlamps (its very dark in the valley after the sun goes down).

An absolutely incredible location paired with outstanding hospitality from a truly wonderful team. This has officially become my go-to sanctuary for every Yosemite trip. With a slight refresh to the room interiors, this place would be an untouchable, five-star experience!

Amazing location and views from front porch. Room itself very outdated and very dark. Not enough lighting. Needed flashlights to see around parts of room with all lights on. Very dark. Great customer service. Food options nearby very poor. Bring your own meals. Base Camp Eatery very poor quality food.

We had an extremely disappointing and unsettling stay at Yosemite Valley Lodge. There was no hot water in the room. Shortly after, we found a dead mouse next to the bed. This is not just unpleasant—it is a serious health concern, especially given that hantavirus is known to be present in Yosemite Valley. My BF immediately called the front desk. The staff member was completely unfazed, which suggested this may not be an uncommon occurrence. I was told there were no other rooms available. I explicitly reminded him about the hantavirus risk and asked to speak with a manager. The manager said she would send maintenance staff trained in hantavirus cleanup, which was 1+hrs later and equated to simply removing the trash bag we threw the mouse in. There was no added cleaning, no apology, and no attempt to fix the hot water issue. Given the situation, I asked the manager to cancel the second night of my reservation. Her response was simply, “Perfect.” I will spare you all picture of the mouse. Between the lack of basic amenities, the absence of guest support, and the complete disregard for a legitimate health hazard, this stay was unacceptable. Yosemite is a special place, but this lodge does not meet even minimal standards of cleanliness, safety, or hospitality. I would strongly advise looking elsewhere.

Booked 3 months ahead, the Traditional 1 Room King Bed at the Yosemite Valley Lodge was pricier than a double cabin in Curry Village, but we weren’t disappointed! Phillip took good care of us and checked us in early since the room was ready. The room in Laurel lodge was spacious, immaculate and comfortable and had its own private bath. They provided 4 sets of towels for the 2 of us with ample scent-free soap, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion. We looked forward to a hot shower w/ good water pressure after a long day of hiking. Very quiet too! We slept very soundly. WiFi was decent enough to make video calls. The covers were thin and it was a bit cold at night the 1st night, but we learned to use the space heater and it kept us warmer the 2nd night. Overall a worthwhile upgrade from the cabins in Curry Village!

I had an extremely disappointing and unsettling stay at Yosemite Valley Lodge, specifically in the Alder building.||The parking situation was the first issue: the lot is tiny and full, forcing guests to park down the street. From there, you’re expected to lug your bags up to a second-floor room with no elevator and no staff assistance.||Upon check-in, we discovered there was no hot water in the room. Shortly after, we found a dead mouse next to the bed. This is not just unpleasant—it is a serious health concern, especially given that hantavirus is known to be present in Yosemite Valley.||I immediately called the front desk. The staff member was completely unfazed, which suggested this may not be an uncommon occurrence. I was told there were no other rooms available. I explicitly reminded him about the hantavirus risk and asked to speak with a manager.||The manager said she would send maintenance staff trained in hantavirus cleanup. No one ever came. There was no follow-up, no apology, and no sense of urgency whatsoever.||Given the situation, I asked to cancel the second night of my reservation. Her response was simply, “Perfect.”||Between the lack of basic amenities, the absence of guest support, and the complete disregard for a legitimate health hazard, this stay was unacceptable. Yosemite is a special place, but this lodge does not meet even minimal standards of cleanliness, safety, or hospitality. I would strongly advise looking elsewhere.

Yosemite Valley Lodge is all about location and convenience. The lodge sits right in Yosemite Valley, so it was easy to walk or take the shuttle to trailheads, viewpoints, and the visitor center without much driving. The room itself was simple but comfortable, with clean bedding, a functional bathroom, and basics like a mini-fridge that made it easy to store snacks and drinks. It was nice to be able to relax after a full day of hiking. Overall, this is not a luxury resort, but a practical and comfortable place to stay right in the heart of Yosemite. For the unbeatable location and easy access to trails and viewpoints, Yosemite Valley Lodge is a great base and worth booking, especially if your priority is time in the park rather than time in the room.

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.

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 PM No 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 room Fencing on patios and porches for the second floor rooms torn down, with ladders and maintenance equipment left around I 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.

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.

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.

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 patios Cons: * No AC in rooms * Pricy food options * A few out of order dining kiosks

For $359 a night, I expected SO much more. The rooms have no air conditioning, instead some old fans from the late 80s that barely move around hot air. In the heat of summer and a long day of hiking, it is brutal to come back to a stuffy hot room. My husband had to use the cold shower water to wet a towel around his neck so he was able to actually sleep. Our room also had spider webs around the ceiling. The TV didn't work at all, only static instead of the cable that was promised. The parking lot for our building was fully packed, so we had to park a few lots over and carry all our stuff. Honestly, the only positive is the location in the park, so you don't need to wait 3hrs in line to enter. But the lodge is still located almost 2hrs from the South Entrance.

Beware Aramark operated accommodations, including Yosemite Valley Lodge. Aramark cares nothing about customer service and seems to encourage misinformation by hotel staff. NO POWER, NO HEAT AND NO HOT WATER for lodging in freezing conditions and no willingness to admit there is no plan B for rooms but generator power for lobby and any building selling food or gifts. Awful, awful, awful. Do not go in any month in which you want heat and/or power in your room for any accommodations in Yosemite Valley. Beware anyone requiring power for a medical device like CPAP. They don't care. Accept no power or travel all the way back from where you came once you realize they are outright lying about not knowing if power will be back. It will not and you are SOL if you need CPAP or other medical device. So disappointed.

We booked two adjacent rooms to celebrate my 2 yr old and father in-laws 70th birthday. Upon check in, we were shocked to find not only the bathroom window jammed and unable to close (it was 36 degrees outside) but also mold problems (see images). With a 2 and 4 yr old, we did not want to take any risks and requested a new room. When they relocated us, I wanted to stop by the room first to make sure there were the same issues as before. But also I realized we were now too far from the grandparents and went back to see about the possibility of moving closer. When the supervisor (Janae) found out that I had not moved my family yet, she became instantly irate and threatened to call the park ranger if I hadn't removed my family immediately (citing that we were not legally allowed to occupied 2 rooms). She also had my new room keys and would not assign me another room until I've done so. Dumbfounded, I asked her if she's saying my family must leave the room, and stand outside in the 36 degrees pitch darkness first before I can get a new room (and/or face authorities), she snapped back angrily - "YES!! Thankfully, we were with our grand parents and so I called my wife to move the kids over. And that was when she finally assigned me another room. When both of us had calmed down, I ask her to see my side, the position I'm in. She explained she does and was also concerned about the mold and my family's safety (even tho she threatened to kick us out into the cold) and was legally obligated to fix the room issues. But The very next day, they rented the room out to another family with the same broken door and mold issue... I'm leaving this review today out of my disappointment from our Janae handled the situation. I understand the rule about room occupation. But under the circumstances, she could've had more patience and hospitality especially knowing I had a 2 and 4 year old with me. She could've offered my family to come by the lobby to wait while we sort this out rather than threaten to call park ranger if they did not leave the room "immediately". For those of you reading this you may not care because YL is a prime destination with no competition. You may also write this off as a one-off bad incident. And in fact aside from this incident with Janae the rest of our stay was pleasant. But this will forever leave a bad taste for us... For $400/nt we should all expect a better experience and room conditions.

My God, BEAUTIFUL NATURE!! Indisputable. Great atmosphere. I just would love for them to make the rooms a little cleaner and much overdue renovation, I think. However, still loved loved loved the park and Valley.

The best part of this hotel is the location. Close to everything thanks to bus. Lots of food options. But the rooms are dodgy. Aramark has done nothing to improve the place since they took over. Doors are broken, bathroom towel racks fall,off, bathtub finish is worn off, a bit on the dirty side. Also, my husband left a shirt in the closet. I contacted hotel next day. And they can't find it. Guaranteed the cleaning crew took it. Base camp restaurant is cafeteria style..so don't expect much. It fills your stomach and coffee is decent. There is a Starbucks in same spot. Long line. The Mountain Terrace restaurant is lovey, with good food and mostly excellent service. (We had only one off night.). The bar is fun,,but LOUD music. Don't expect to have much conversation. Some good bar bites, great drinks, and a huge fireplace. Fun place to go. So....good environment, crappy hotel.

It's all about location. It's in the middle of Yosemite, that's the only plus I saw. It's an old, run down lodge, more like a motel. Staff is not friendly. Overpriced for what it is. The gift shop is nice and the cafeteria too. I would not go back.

This place is part of the history of the park. Yes it's old and dated. However no one is forcing you to stay here. That said it is a nice place to stop and get some snacks and take a walk. They have a couple food places and a gift shop. Your going to pay more but it's expected. Relax and enjoy the out doors, touch a tree, but stay on the marked paths.

Made reservations months ago for two adjacent rooms. Arrived at 4 PM check in time to find out that they have no adjacent rooms! It is 8 PM and one of the rooms is still not available. Totally unacceptable. Never again!

I stayed here this past week. The location is amazing and incomparable to other hotels in the area. There's also free charging for EV's. I took day trips often, and felt at ease knowing I can charge my car overnight. I'm also super thankful to the staff, Hannah in particular who went out of her way and hooked me up with a ride to Half dome. The stay here was memorable, and I'm thankful for the staff for making it possible.

The review is not for the lodge, but the dining they provide. This is a busy self serve place with plenty of tables to make yourself comfortable and eat. We were here twice. The crispy chicken is tasty and super crispy, ideal for a quick bite while you continue with the time sensitive plans like horsetail view. The meadow Terranen that serves pita, falafel was quite impressive. The wrap fills you up. Also the second time I went there hungry, was after closing hours without realizing that they no longer take orders. A very kind person working there gave unclaimed falafel salad complimentary. God bless him coz we were running late and had no options to eat soon. I was surprised and didn't get to thank him properly, but I'd like to let him know through yelp that I'm very grateful for your gesture!! Enjoyed the crispy yummy falafels.

It was beautiful and a lot of shuttles to take u to different places of the valley. There are lots of trails to waterfalls and hiking trails. The colors were magnificent! Absolutely magnificent. Places to eat & hydrate if in need. Which the employees stress not to carry food bcuz of the bears. Which we never saw. I was impressed to find out that the employees live in Yosemite. They have room & board while employed there. Which made s3nse bcuz it is a bit grueling getting in & out. I loved it, though. Showed me what my Chevy Z71 could do & handle. And the sights driving was awesome.

The most disgusting hotel I've ever stayed in my life. This hotel is very very old and smelly. The room had this disgusting smell that was stuck to my clothes and I couldn't get out of my system for days. The amount of money they charge they should renovate it or atleast update it.

The best part of the hotel is it's location - it's right in the center of the valley. Rates were increased the weekend we visited in February (because of the Firefall, but sadly, it was too overcast and cloudy to see it). It was so nice being in the valley because we go to do a night hike, evening nature walk, and do some night photography. The rooms are clean, but dated. Staff are friendly. The restaurants here are average - similar in quality and price to food inside an amusement park, but it was nice to get a hot meal and have a microwave. Parking is not bad, we were able to find a spot by our building.

We're here in October 2022, and staying at the Cedar building, the only location for Queen room. We asked for the upstairs as the floors creek, and we didn't want to hear it from below. It's a quiet room but no elevators, so if you plan on bringing a cooler, you'll need to be able to haul it up 2 flights. Tip; Bring a flashlight if you plan on venturing out at night. We went to get ice and discovered It's dark (duh). I had low expectations from the reviews. We arrived on a Sunday and check in was a breeze. The woman who checked us in was excellent and friendly. Cedar building is literally next door to the lobby and gift shop. Being said that, we had excellent Wi-Fi since we were close by. The gift shop is open until 8:00 and they have snacks, quick frozen meals and snacks like cheese, burritos, etc., There's also beverages like beers, wines, waters and sodas. It's cheaper than the cafeteria, and they have a microwave. The Cedar room was clean and above basic. Plenty of towels, storage space, plugs, full hair dryer and liquid soap, shampoo and conditioner. The coffee maker is a cheap pod kind and serves 6 ounce cup of coffee. The cafeteria charges $2.50-$3.50 for brewed coffee. The Starbucks had a sign that said closed for the season, but the front desk said they lost their contract. Bummer. While it's not the Ritz, you are paying $300 for a premium location. You won't have to drive 1/2 hour every time to re-enter the park. We brought snacks from lunch meat to crackers and cheese. Nothing big but something to take while exploring. The fridge is a dorm size one and held the deli food plus a 6 pack of sodas, plus 3 cans of beer also.

Five stars for location - proximity to falls, valley activities, the pool, and food options was fantastic. Drops to two stars because while they clearly state no AC int he room, the fan's in the room did nothing. It was just blowing around hot air and ineffectively even at that. While that can be livable for adults, with a 4.5 yo and a 1.5 yo, we had to cut our stay short because the children could not cope with the heat. PLEASE don't fall for the fan's as sufficient. It was brutally hot even at midnight. Finally cooled down around 4am, at which point the sun rose in a couple hours and we woke up from the light anyway. Families - I wouldn't recommend staying here when it's hot. Find somewhere else.

Visit date: june 22-23 2023. All things considered, probably the best Yosemite Valley floor lodging for the city dwellers - more modern than Curry Village, less remote and cheaper than Ahwahnee. Wifi, color TV, CNN, clean bed & bath, balcony....what more can you ask in a mountain cabin? (just don't call it a 'hotel".) $328 weekday rate is pricy, but walking around the empty park early next morning with only sounds of nature is PRICELESS. The rates in Oakhurst and Wawona are comparable if not higher, so I recommend staying inside the valley and saving the long drives in and out. Check-in 5pm, check-out 11. Pro Tips: parking is first come first served and finding a space outside your cabin can be challenging if you arrive in afternoon or late morning. And if you want to go to the east side (visitor center, Ahwahnee, etc.), it's a 40 minute walk or 1.5 hour shuttle ride, or you can rent a bike. I don't recommend moving your car after you've parked it. Yosemite has gotten much more crowded, even on weekdays, after the Covid-pandemic. I am frankly baffled by all the bad reviews of this place, which was not my experience at all. I found my building (Maple) and room very clean, well-stocked with towels and toiletries and well-maintained. And the shower was very hot!

Grade A $h*thole Your paying for location, and thats the only reason for 2 stars. Beds are old, hard and squeaky, cant even get sheets that fit, our queens fitted was only 1" down the 2 head corners and 3" down the foot end. Despite my best efforts I couldn't get it to stretch down any further. Cobwebs and spiders throughout the ceiling, door frames etc Bathroom was disgusting, musty moldy smell and the pictures show why. I guess when its consistently booked solid there is 0 incentive for proper upkeep, definitely not worth $350/night.

They need to clean the rooms, have coffee in the rooms like they are supposed to,hot water for showers and ice closer than 2 buildings away. Our room was awful and we made reservations a year ago. The parking in front of our building had park visitors not lodge occupants ;so we had to park far away from our building. We had booked 5 nights but left 2 days early. I would not recommend this place to anyone. There are other hotels in the park. CRJ

Disgusting. Paying $400 a night to be afraid to touch anything. It's old, nasty, and not at all what you pay for. Better off staying outside the park

Baffled by how unprofessional and negligent this property is. To start, the front desk staff at check in was rude. Our bed sheets had hair and sand on them. In addition they allowed us to check in to a room that had no heat with temperatures reaching freezing. They claimed the entire building had a heating issue for days prior. They offered no help besides additional blankets. I am so saddened that my sister's trip from out of state was met with such a lack of integrity and class. Please choose another location for your trip to Yosemite.

Overall had a nice stay; after mulling over all aspects, came up with 3.5 stars, rounded up. It's a new year, feeling generous. ;D We didn't expect it to be so crowded (had to drive around for quite some time to find a parking spot since it's public parking during the day), but we came over a holiday weekend, so that may be my fault for not having more realistic expectations. On subsequent days, the parking lots were pretty full, but not bursting like that first day. We arrived early, 2:45pm. Check in was at 4pm, so we were told our room wasn't ready and everything was full. Sure, but then at 4pm... 4:30pm... and 4:40pm it still wasn't ready! Went to the front desk again and a different staff member was able to supposedly give us a different room. How, but ok...? A lot of the front desk staff was young, and a few weren't the friendliest or most helpful, but overall we enjoyed our stay. Fortuitous that the parking spot we ended up getting 2 hrs prior was pretty close to our newly assigned room. There are many different buildings with tree/plant names. Some kind of reminded me of old UCSC dorms, being rustically nestled in the woods. After we were settled in our room, we got a call that our room was ready...? Confusing. Despite some shortcomings in our room, we decided to stay put since we had already unloaded. We were in Laurel which was great. We liked having our front door open to the outside, instead of the inner corridor buildings like Maple and Hemlock. It made loading/unloading easier and getting back to our room after a full day quicker. Given the mixed reviews of this place, I was bracing myself, but was pleasantly surprised by the room. It is in a National Park, in a rustic setting, so evidence of small critters like spiderwebs are understandable and expected; we are visiting their natural habitat, after all! However, we personally didn't have any in our room anyway. Noticed a sign that said there was no phone in our particular room, but if we needed anything, to call the front desk... well, calling the phone number only resulted in a rapid busy signal for the rest of the night. The next day it did work, so perhaps they were just that busy. Wifi never worked! We fortunately didn't need it for much, but we were confused since the password was provided, yet we didn't even have the option to input it. Second day, a man at the front desk even tried (unsuccessfully) to connect his phone and then explained that it's an old DSL system and was likely overloaded. Again, I get it; technology in a forest can be spotty, but admittedly we felt some disappointment after expecting it to be available. There was at least decent cell signal. We didn't come to Yosemite to stay in a 5 star hotel. We don't mind dated accommodations in this situation, we only want clean ones, and we had no complaints. Things that mattered to us like the bathroom, towels, and sheets were all clean. Tub seemed new and newly caulked. Shampoo, conditioner, shower gel & lotion dispensers eliminated individual plastic bottles and cleared up counter space. Bathroom fan worked well for steam. *Shower early! Had hot water in early eve, but only warm water by 8pm each night. Heater was really old but worked surprisingly well! Nothing like some of these reliable relics - - feeling older each day and find myself agreeing with the saying, "they don't make things like they used to" at times like these! Simple dial for temp, but worked great and heated the entire room efficiently. Room had a ceiling fan, the light on it didn't work. Nice little patio/balcony and view. Room also had other nice amenities akin to "hotel" rooms, such as cable tv, safe, hairdryer, fans, coffee maker, and a great perk for us was a mini fridge that was actually large enough to hold a gallon of milk! Was very convenient for storing leftovers, fresh veggies, fruit, and cheese that we packed for the day hikes. **Important, make sure to have a flashlight or headlamp for the evenings/nights! It gets dark early in winter, and the lighting on some of the walkways is very minimal. One overcast night, the parking lot was completely dark. Could be dangerous in wet/icy conditions, so please walk slow and make sure you can see! It was kind of a night scavenger hunt trying to find the signs via flashlight for the closest ice machine to Laurel, which ended up being in Hemlock. Lobby and common areas were festively decorated for the holidays. And as others have mentioned, a lovely preview of Lower Yosemite Falls is visible from the parking lot and is a short walk to the actual falls. Since we were concerned about parking, we opted to keep the car parked and did plenty of hikes from the lodge. Farthest we went was Mirror Lake; also visited Ahwahnee Hotel and Yosemite Village for info, museums and shopping. Easy walking and didn't feel that far, but shuttles are of course available as well. All in all, some minor hitches, but would definitely stay here again.

Two stars are because of how great the location is. The hotel itself is one star. We were there one month ago. We knew it had no AC, but the provided a fan in addition to the ceiling fan. The bugs in the room were a major problem. I suspect they were getting in through the nasty bathroom window, but I would have assumed one of the many spider webs around it would have caught at least some of them... Trying to get them to make up the room or at *least* provide replacement towels was WAY too much of a fight. It... took... days.... They finally provided us with a pair of passes for a free breakfast. For over $300 per night... I felt they only get away with it because of the location. If they renovate and upgrade... maybe... they could come to equal a Hotel 6...

The room was dirty, they never came to clean room for 3 days and we asked them to clean, take trash, and replace a few towels. Finally put trash outside the door. Check in was a nightmare. Long line and rooms not ready. Their explanation was that they didn't have enough cleaners. Well, if you are going to charge around $350 a night, you should have enough cleaners or don't rent out more rooms than you can clean in a timely fashion.

The views and convenience of staying at the lodge is nice, but the room needs updating. I don't expect luxury accommodations, but I do think there should be windows with actual glass in them. My room had a few windows with a screen only. And, the shutters wouldn't close. My friend's room didn't have glass or screens, just cardboard.

The Park Service should put a Motel 6 in the Valley. It would be an improvement over Yosemite Lodge. We could have forgiven that housekeeping didn't come to our room for three days; we could have forgiven that, when they did come, they didn't change the beds; we could have forgiven having to go in the middle of the night to the registration desk to get towels that weren't provided; we could have forgiven that the sidewalks weren't cleared of snow and ice after snowfall; but we can't forgive how aggressively rude the "hospitality" worker was when he came to our room. After a day playing in the snow we decided we might want to watch some TV. The sound didn't work on the TV. We called the front desk around 4:00pm. They didn't answer. We ended up calling 43 times with no answer or response before finally getting through to someone. They said they'd send someone to fix the TV. Over two hours later there was a knock at the door. I asked who it was, and the person refused to answer or say who they were. I asked several times, looking through the peepehole, at some surly "hospitality" worker who absolutely would not state who he was. Finally he gave in and said "Hospitality." I opened the door and said, "Thanks, we don't just let anyone into our room." He pushed passed me without looking at me or my wife and said, dismissively, "This isn't the Big City. I've worked here for 20 years. Nothing has ever happened." "That's not the point," I said, while he angrily began pressing buttons on the remote and the TV. My daughter was sitting at the table watching him bully us and the TV. "There you go," he said, because the TV was on. "It has no sound," I said. "The problem is it has no sound." "Did you try the settings?" he said. "Of course," I said, "We know how TV's work in the 'Big City." He threw the remote down and stormed out, saying, "Well then I can't help you." He ran into the hallway and down the stairs and I had to follow him to ask him what was happening. He said, "I'll call it in," I told him to do it where I can hear. He called his supervisor and said, "This guy is really upset his TV won't work." and then ran away without looking at us, or speaking to us, or anything. Never been treated that like anywhere, let alone a hotel. The guy was a condescending bully who violated our space and brought his rage and unprofessionalism into the presence of my daughter, an unforgivable action. A supervisor came and heard our story and said he couldn't do anything unless we left a review online. So here you go. Don't go to Yosemite Lodge. I'd rather camp in a tent in the snow than stay there again. Who knows what other kinds of violations they allow their staff to get away with. Theft? Spying? The way that "hospitality" worker acted in our space, nothing would surprise me.

For our anniversary we requested a window table which was great. Unfortunately a party of 5 young children and 6 adults sat next to us. The waiter saw our dismay and gave us a choice of 2 other tables. It was wonderful! We had trout and pork chops. They were delicious. Service was great. Nice view although the Falls was dried up.

Such a great stay! Hannah at the front desk was so hopeful in making our experience in the valley as good as it was. She went out of her way to help with some additional requests and set the stage for a great trip.

When checking in, my wife and I were the only guest in the lobby. There were five cashiers at the check in counter standing behind their computer screens. They were talking among themselves and ignored us the only customers in the lobby. I had to ask if the lady I was standing in front of could check us in. She did but without a greeting or a smile. This is what you would expect from $79 per night motel. Unfortunately I paid $700 per night. The workers seemed unhappy and annoyed to be there.

I have no idea why the rating is so low. I simply loved our room. It did look 1970s, but so what? We had a gorgeous forest view, it was quiet, spacious, and clean. Walk just outside for a Yosemite Falls view that will knock your socks off. We had a separate toilet, large sink and counter, fridge, coffee maker, balcony, ceiling fan ... The only thing I think was amiss is that the grocery did not sell ice. We had to go all the way to Yosemite village for ice. Camp 4 is right across the street and it would have been nice for them. Also, Base Camp Eatery was a no go. Nobody was in there. Small wonder. I think the best thing we're the people at the front desk. They were so nice and helpful. I was so impressed. Yes it is expensive. Yes it is not the Ritz. It's perfect for the location. Want 4 star? Pay for it at the Ahwahnee. I'd rather stay here.

We stayed 4 days at Yosemite Valley Lodge that started the first weekend of the park reservation program! Wonderful idea and kept the crowd down. We reserved almost a year in advance. Madison in the lobby was so helpful every time we asked a question and made sure our notes in our reservation request had been fulfilled to the best . Our room was clean upon arrival. The fridge isn't keeping things super cold but cool enough. Beautiful location and the bed was comfortable the place has the sound of the waterfall which is even better. We parked and never moved our car . Stay in the park like this and walk and take the freee shuttles that run till 10:00 pm

If you have realistic expectations of a hotel in a remote National Park, then you'll be fine at this hotel which is conveniently located next to Yosemite Falls, meadows, the Merced River, and trails. The hotel exterior and interior are dated, but you have access to dining, a gift store, swimming pool (open seasonally), post office, and a shuttle stop. Our standard room with two queens came with a tv, mini fridge, extra fan, and small patio facing some trees. This is more than what we got for staying at the cabins in Curry Village. The Yosemite Valley Lodge is well worth the money considering it saves you 2 hours of driving one way from outside the park. I rather save four hours of driving round trip on winding roads and pay a little more to stay within Yosemite Valley at an older hotel with limited internet connectivity. If you are spending your time complaining about the room amenities, then you are missing the point of being in Yosemite.

Cons; Below average for price. Think 1960s Motel 6. The was mold on the bathroom ceilings. There was also a large broken tile at the bottom of the tub that had mold all over it. Pros: So nice to stay in the Valley and close to everything. Next time I'll book earlier to stay at the Ahwanee. Loved that my room opened out to a trail.

Only good thing about this lodge is location. Near 2 places to get food and a gift shop where the beer is surprisingly cheap. Of course, you should expect insects, but there were tons in our room. Woke up twice to feeling something crawling on my back. Got tons of mosquito bites. Might try the resort that's in the northern part of the valley next.

Staying in Yosemite in the winter is a tad more limited. The lodge was offering a buy two nights get one free. It was really hard to pass up the offer. I booked a room with two double beds. The view was beautiful and was conveniently located but it was a bit small for a family of four. There wasn't a lot of room to put all your stuff and the plugs were in weird spots. I was happy to have a fridge in the room, but I wish there was a microwave. While we were there the power went out 3 times. This was during a winter storm. The room was clean minus the black mold in the shower on the roof. The staff was friendly and gave great hospitality. Overall, not a bad place to stay but can be pricey, but you're paying for the location.

Being inside the park within minutes to Yosemite Falls is worth the price and dealing with trying to find parking at the lodge. We stayed 3 nights total. 1 night in a two queen room and 2 nights in a bunk bed and queen room. Rooms are clean and quiet. They have fans as there is no AC and they were needed as it was over 95 in July when we visited. Facility itself is clean and staff is friendly and welcoming. The Mountain Room is upscale dining but a bit pricing for the quality of food and service. Reservations are a must. Base Camp is great for grab and go breakfast, lunch and dinner options that you order at a kiosk. Quick and affordable. Overall, a bit dated on the room front but will return again. Side note: Spending on average $300 a night, you would expect a parking spot at your hotel but don't. There is no one enforcing non guests to not park at the Lodge so every spot is taken by 9am. There is no signs to deter non guests either. It is possible there will be an opening somewhere at the Lodge for your check in time but it is possible you will need to wait until around 6pm when people clear out. I get everyone wants to be close to the falls but for the price there should be something parking near the rooms for guests only.

OK, so you are in a beautiful park and you are paying for LOCATION. The rooms were just OK, a coat of paint would have gone a long way though. NO AC! Be prepared if you are there in the summer. If there is a big STORM, be Prepared, the power gets turns off. But it was clean and bused each night. Plenty of towels, Hot water in the shower and lots or decent pillows. No WiFi except near the office, but if you have Verizon, some cell for service for us. Did I mention you are paying for the LOCATION!

Very old facilities, not maintained, and pricey. Convenient to Yosemite falls hike and centralized in the park is a plus.

What a wonderful experience, I've been coming for 30+ years Let's start with the great customer service from Nick, janae, macy, grace, and Yasharf. Our whole week was amazing they were beyond accommodating and welcoming, so helpful, informative and just pleasant to interact with.

Eyes wide open my friends... This will not remind you of any classy five-star hotel. Even the "classy" hotel in the park is an average 3-star place. But that is kind of the point eh? You're out in Yosemite. You're supposed to be going outdoors. You know, hiking, biking, rafting, running for your life from bears and mountain lions. This is not a pedicure and cucumber on your eyes situation. I'm not Grizzly Adams so seriously checking into a place like the YVL is as close to "roughing it" as I will get. So keeping the expectations at a minimum I found that this was a good solid stay. Yeah it's a bit steep for the amenities you do or do not get but you're paying for location. The YVL is legit a 5 minute walk from the Lower Yosemite Falls. Heck, you can see and hear the falls from your room depending on where you're checked in on the campus. For those that just want to keep it chill this is perfect. Want to workout more then take the more strenuous hike to the Upper Yosemite Falls. The trailheads to other attractions such as Vernal Falls or Mirror Lake are a good hike or short shuttle ride away. Location =) Room-Expected dated, got dated. Expected no hot water but had hot water the entire stay. Expected quiet rooms with average noise insulation and got that. I think most people are exhausted from their day so 1AM parties aren't the norm there lol. I had good night sleep so yay! No mystery bug bites or other gross things in the room either and trust me I inspected. Those are wins in my opinion. We opted out of having our room done during our stay so can't comment on that service. The on site restaurant was average. They had typical offerings of burgers, fried chicken (sandwiches and tenders), and hot dogs. I was definitely shocked though that they also offered poke bowls and Mediterranean fare like kabobs and falafel. All in all, I'd stay here again.

Great location. No wi-fi and NO air conditioning tho. Absolutely ridiculous. Why can't they update this?

This is a tough place to review. It's basically a motel with 4 star hotel prices. The location is a plus. It's an easy stroll to Yosemite Falls and the fall is easily viewed from the lodge. It was clean and relatively spacious and we almost always had hot water. Bonus points for the mini-fridge which was dinky but kept everything ice cold. Go for the upstairs rooms so you can have a good-sized balcony. Your lodging options in the Valley are limited: the Ahwahnee (crazy expensive), different tent/cabin options, true tents, campers, or the good old lodge. There are also some motel-style rooms at Curry Village. Another positive: the lodge campus has a couple of restaurants, a Starbucks, a decent gift shop, and a swimming pool. The place was perfectly fine but the value is very poor. Your options are limited here.

The only reason I gave it two stars is because the food in the restaurant was really good, the bar staff was awesome, and the views from this location were magnificent. With that said, I have never stayed in a hotel with rooms that were so outdated and raggedy. Yes, this room was in the same hotel as the beautiful rooms thatllyou see on other reviews. The room is in the Cedar building.

This is the true definition of paying for location not for the amenities. Located right in the heart of yosemite Valley. You truly can't get more into the middle of yosemite national park then this. So imagine my surprise when I found a room for 250 during the low season. Because ai know this hotel is easily sold out eqch and wvery spring and summer because of the demand. I pounced on that deal like a fat kid who just got out of fat camp. There are multiple lodge/buildings coming off the main road. But the check in or main desk is somewhat in the middle of it all. Just keep driving when you enter the parking lot. It's right next to their eatery, which I will review later. Check in is quite easy and simple as it should be. We were in room 3302. Each set of lodge has its own set of parking lot. So considering it's the low season, there was plenty of parking. Can't speak for the peak times though. They even have EV plug in and park spots also. Concrete to our room though waspretty cracked up. Large swaths of concrete missing. All bumpy and uneven from the roots. Just be careful at night. Also there are minimal parking lot lights, so just be careful driving around. The actual room is so so. Again, keep in mind you're paying for location and not much else. Instead of driving 40 min or so in and out of the park each day,you're already in the middle of it all. So back to the room. They are old and not up to date. Haven't used an actual key to get into a door since like the early 2000's. They have a ceiling fan that makes a noise as it's in use. Shower was terrible. I guess everyone was using it at the same time so there was no hot water. Might as well have jumped into the river, it's probably the same temp. And worst of all the water pressure would go in and out out, as though someone was turning the water off then back on. Really annoying. Lots of cobwebs everywhere. They have a nice patio outside where you can sit and enjoy your cup of coffee or beer or glass of wine. Its just looking out into the fields. Beds were actually comfortable. Again it's all about the location and the view for this place, as it is with many of the establishment actually in the park. From the front door you can see the upper falls which was just fascinating. I think they know that, and that people would rather spend more money for lesser quality which is made up by the convenience of it all