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Places to stay in Yosemite National Park
This post is mostly a inspired by my stays at Yosemite Lakes Hostel
(31191 Harden Flat Rd. Groveland, CA 95321) which was once the best kept secret in the valley. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have been visiting Yosemite on a yearly basis since 1996. For 5 years I never paid more than $30 per night at Yosemite Lakes. This hostel (lodge) is located a few miles outside the park's westernmost gate. I paid $69 per night (with my AAA discount) and was very disappointed with their service because they did not offer air conditioning. One of the clerks told me it was broken and another clerk told me that a different clerk must have turned it off. In any case, there was a small portable fan sitting on the ground in my room and I was told to use it to keep myself cool. It made too much noise to allow me to sleep so I did not use it. I was very uncomfortable in the heat which had reached into the 90's during the day time. Air conditioning is considered a basic service around these parts. Every major lodge, B&B, Hotel, and Motel offer it. If you decide to stay inside the hostel at Yosemite Lakes you must share tv, bathroom and shower amenities with the other guests. Since I had only paid $50 per night the previous year and only $35 per night the year before that I was thoroughly disgusted with the simultaneous doubling of prices (within a 2 yr time period) as well as the reduction in service. I used to love staying at Yosemite Lakes. They had the best prices ($30 per night was really a bargain!!!) and I did not mind sharing the shower and restroom facilities which were kept relatively clean. Also, not too many people knew of this place so I could make reservations just a couple days beforehand and get the room I wanted! I took a look around at some of the other places and thought Yosemite Westgate Lodge (Buck Meadows) looked like the most attractive alternative. I didn't get to see the rooms at the Westgate Lodge but did get to see a room at Buck Meadows. They were charging $89 per night and offered 1 double bed, a/c, your own private bath/shower, and cable tv ($109 per night for 2 Queen sized beds). There was a ceiling fan and a small desk with a chair. They also offered access to the small pool outside complete with hot tub. For $20 more I think it might be worth it to try this place out next year. Then again, the way Yosemite Lakes is increasing their prices year in and out, they will probably be charging the same, if not more than the Westgate Lodge by this time next year. The Yosemite Westgate Lodge and Yosemite Lakes are both on Highway 120 which is the main road which leads into Yosemite National Park from San Francisco. It takes about 1 hour to get from the Westgate Lodge to the park entrance and about 40 minutes from Yosemite Lakes. I will divulge the results of my research here. Remember that this info is based on 1 person, 1 night's stay in August. The prices may vary depending on the time of year. For example, in December, Yosemite Westgate's prices drop to around $69 per night for 1 Queen bed. Yosemite Gatehouse Lodge - Address:34001 Highway 120 Phone:209-379-2260 Rates:$86 per night (as according to their website). I couldn't get a hold of anyone here when I showed up at their door at 11am. The sign on the door said that the office opened at 3pm. This is the closest hotel to the park entrance (maybe a 10 minute drive). The place does not look well maintained at all. There are huge potholes in the driveway and it really looks dumpy from the outside. I became very excited when I saw the dilapidated conditions because I thought to myself, "here is a potential jewel. They can't possibly charge high rates here because it's such a dump." Well, looks like my assumptions were wrong. You might want to confirm the pricing yourself though to make sure they are not outdated, if you can manage to get hold of someone at their office. Berkshire Bed and Bath - $95 per night. This large, quaint, charming home offers a hot tub and a nice cozy bedroom. You have access to your own shower and bath. There is a basketball hoop outside next to the parking lot. The owner of the house was a tall, kind of lanky caucasian male who seemed like a nice enough person. There was also a small friendly white dog who followed me wherever I went (I guess he was the house "pet"). There was a "For Sale" sign outside of the entrance so if you want to stay here next year you might want to inquire further to make sure someone hasn't already bought the house and made it into something else. Berkshire B&B is even further away from the entrance of the park. Perhaps 10-20 minutes further than Yosemite Westgate (sorry I didn't bother to time it). Manzanita Hill Bed and Bath - $125 per night according to their website (8-21-04). I did not go into this place since I was in a hurry to get home, not to mention I'm not really into B&B's. From the website though, it seems like a nice place. This B&B is even further from the park entrance than Berkshire. The next 3 places are all in the small town of Groveland which is probably about 1 1/2 hours from the park entrance. Yosemite Motel - $77 per night you get a Queen size bed or if you want to save a few bucks:$35 per night one double bed inside a teepee. Their Motel seemed like decent accomodations. I snuck a peek inside and it looked very basic, a bed, your own bathroom, wall mirror etc. The girl who worked there who was probably about 23 yrs old seemed like a nice person and told me that there was lots of stuff to do around there including a couple of lakes nearby that they enjoyed swimming out of. This sounded intriguing to me because the local folks always know the best places to hang out. You can't get this kind of advice from the bigger places! The teepee idea sounds good because it's cheap. It's basically a round concrete slab with a teepee built on it. Inside there is one double bed (could be a Queen) and one incandescent lightbulb (with no lamp shade). The topmost portion of the teepee is open to the sky so if it starts to rain, you will get wet! This "Motel" calls themselves a Motel, but to put things in perspective, the Yosemite Westgate Lodge is more of what people expect in a Hotel. They get living refinements such as swimming pool, hot tub, ice machines, a nice, clean, brightly lit lobby behind a granite countertop behind which a cheerful hostess willingly answers all questions. For the Yosemite Motel in Groveland picture this: Remember the movie National Lampoon's Vacation (starring Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo)? There was a character named Uncle Eddie who owned a farm. Picture Uncle Eddie setting up a Motel onto his farm (everyone in shorts and t-shirts, lemonade made with his daughter's loving hands). That's more what the Yosemite Motel is like. They don't have a lobby, they have a window that you walk up to, to ask the hostess your questions. Starting to get the picture? This is more a description of the outside however. Don't get me wrong, the rooms inside are clean and cozy. And don't forget, they know all the best swimming holes in the area! Groveland Hotel - $159.60 per night. AAA discount offered after October 15. This historic hotel was actually offering around $140 per night, but that price did not include some other mandatory fees that get tacked on so by the time you add everything up it comes up just short of $160 per night. This seems a bit outrageous to me considering they are charging so much more than everyone else. The accomodations were very simple. A bed, your own shower and bath, and a nice view down the streets of Groveland (or should I say "street" of Groveland since there's really only 1 long street). The ambiance was a notch higher than any other place I visited on this day, as the furniture all looked antique. The wallpaper was a beautiful old colonial pattern. I guess if you enjoy staying in historic places this is the Hotel for you but I say "keep the $70, I'll be staying somewhere else". All Seasons Groveland Inn - $130 per night according to their website as of 08-21-04. I was unable to go inside of this Inn when I got to Groveland but it seemed like a nice enough place to stay. If you goto their website the pictures you see are pretty much what it looks like from the outside. That's it for now, feel free to post questions, comments, flames, here. This email address ) doesn't work, hasn't worked in quite some time so if you try to send me an email it will go unanswered! Steven |
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Steven,
Thanks for the info. It's really valuable. I'll be in Yosemite on Sept. 8th or 9th. so when I look for a place to sleep, I'll keep in mind what you've said. Thanks! and continue the research, please! Xavier. |
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