Any nice "resorts" in/near Yosemite?

[rutgers1]

I'm not up for the rustic thing. I'd like to see the natural wonders and then return to a nice drink poolside and a nice bedroom for the evening.

 

[GrandBob]

The nicest resort nearby is Tenaya Lodge near the south entrance:

http://www.tenayalodge.com/

Beautiful resort. But while it's only 10 minutes from the south gate, that puts it about an hour away from the village in Yosemite Valley. That's the tradeoff in Yosemite -- nice or convenient. Or both, I suppose, if you stay at the Ahwahnee. But that's very pricey, and not a resort, just a hotel.

-Bob

 

[rutgers1]

What's the draw to the village? In other words, if I stay at that hotel and just want to see whatever there is to see at the park, am I missing out?

 

[GrandBob]

It's where all the waterfalls are, and about 80% of the activities.

While Yosemite is a huge park, with lots of backcountry suitable for hiking and sightseeing, I'd guess that 90% of the tourists who say they've "done" Yosemite have really just "done" Yosemite Valley. And indeed, while I love the backcountry, I'd say that a first-time visitor should concentrate on Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point (don't miss the views from Glacier Point!). The third place people go to, and much much lower priority in my opinion, is to see the giant Sequoias at Mariposa Grove at the south entrance. Tenaya Lodge is ideally situated to see Mariposa Grove, and the Wawona area generally. Not terribly ideal to see Yosemite Valley and all its waterfalls. As far as Glacier Point - well, it takes an hour to get there whether you start at the valley or from Tenaya Lodge, so that one's a wash.

HTH,
Bob

ETA - Don't get me wrong - I like Tenaya Lodge, and have stayed there to visit Yosemite. It's quite enjoyable. I just wanted to make you aware that the location, while not bad, isn't ideal.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I agree with GrandBob.

You might also check out the Awahnee Hotel in the valley. It is more $$$$, but you'll be in the valley with easy access to the sights there.

 

[GrandBob]

BTW, to see how huge the park is, go to http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm and click on "View Map". Click + a couple times to blow it up, if you'd like. You'll see Fish Camp (where Tenaya Lodge is) at the bottom, and Yosemite Valley about 1/3 of the way up. That's an hour drive. And it covers just a small part of the park!

Normally, I encourage folks to take Tioga Road to the high country, at least as far as Olmsted Point (gorgeous views down Tenaya Canyon). Going further to Tuolumne Meadows is even better, and do hiking around there. But if you're going to stay at the south entrance, driving Tioga Road would make for a long drive. More important to first see Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point.

-Bob

 

[rutgers1]

It seems like all of these hotels are pretty darn expensive for what you get. A Disney hotel actually seems like a bargain, as far as I can tell, compared to these.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I recommended Tenaya on your other post.

While it is only 10 minutes from the south border, you are very close to Mariposa Grove and the drive past Wawona and through the Wawona Tunnel is breathtaking down to the valley. You go past the exit to Glacier Point, Wawona Hotel (a great place for lunch), Tunnel View, Bridal Veil Falls and Valley View. All extraordinary vistas. It doesn't matter if the valley is 45 minutes to an hour away because you are stopping anyway to enjoy the views.

We stayed at Tenaya Lodge on our stay and didn't mind the drive at all.

 

[Esteri]

Not certain if you're up for it, but there are a number of houses for rent in Yosemite. They're not resorts - they're vacation homes that someone is renting out. Cheaper than the resorts. We stayed in a loft in West Yosemite - 5 of us - when my uncle got married there. It was nicely located for both the Valley and the southern area.

Google Yosemite Vacation Homes, and pay attention to where they are located. It's a really big area.
.

 

[ksbean]

A few years back we stayed at Evergreen Lodge. http://www.evergreenlodge.com/
But I don't believe they had a pool.

 

[CPT Tripss]

It seems like all of these hotels are pretty darn expensive for what you get. A Disney hotel actually seems like a bargain, as far as I can tell, compared to these.

Curry Village will make you think of All Stars as super deluxe . . .

Location, location, location

 

[Anita Radcliffe]

Curry Village will make you think of All Stars as super deluxe . . .

Oh so true!

It is all about location. While Tenya Lodge and other "off property" hotels are nice, there is something about waking up in the valley and seeing the granite walls all around you. I love the smells, sights and sounds of the valley and there is nothing quite like it.

Curry Village has cabins with baths, but I would think that what you are looking for in the valley is Yosemite Lodge. They have the rooms that are just like hotel rooms (including tv and wi-fi), but if you want the ultimate luxury and where the queen of England stayed, then pick Awahnee.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Oh so true!

It is all about location. While Tenya Lodge and other "off property" hotels are nice, there is something about waking up in the valley and seeing the granite walls all around you. I love the smells, sights and sounds of the valley and there is nothing quite like it.

Curry Village has cabins with baths, but I would think that what you are looking for in the valley is Yosemite Lodge. They have the rooms that are just like hotel rooms (including tv and wi-fi), but if you want the ultimate luxury and where the queen of England stayed, then pick Awahnee.

I heard/read that Curry recently closed the real cabins (not tents) due to some rockslides. Can anyone confirm this?

 

[hsmamato2]

Curry had plenty of hard side cabins,and some regular rooms open in Late Sept. we stayed tent cabins, but wouldn't recommend that for OP. The location is INCREDIBLE- and that,to us was why we were there. I wouldn't want to stay all the way south by the Mariposa Grove, it is a LONG drive in and out of the park,it's BIG. Curry is hardly fancy, but the hard sided rooms looked appealing.... the valley is really worth seeing/staying in. Nothing better than waking up,eating our cheerios under the shadow of the Glacier point,then just walking and walking......

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

It's where all the waterfalls are, and about 80% of the activities.

While Yosemite is a huge park, with lots of backcountry suitable for hiking and sightseeing, I'd guess that 90% of the tourists who say they've "done" Yosemite have really just "done" Yosemite Valley. And indeed, while I love the backcountry, I'd say that a first-time visitor should concentrate on Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point (don't miss the views from Glacier Point!). The third place people go to, and much much lower priority in my opinion, is to see the giant Sequoias at Mariposa Grove at the south entrance. Tenaya Lodge is ideally situated to see Mariposa Grove, and the Wawona area generally. Not terribly ideal to see Yosemite Valley and all its waterfalls. As far as Glacier Point - well, it takes an hour to get there whether you start at the valley or from Tenaya Lodge, so that one's a wash.

HTH,
Bob

ETA - Don't get me wrong - I like Tenaya Lodge, and have stayed there to visit Yosemite. It's quite enjoyable. I just wanted to make you aware that the location, while not bad, isn't ideal.

Sorry to hijack...
Are these similar to the trees in Sequoia National Park? We are in the early planning stages & I'm afraid I'm cramming too much in. We are allowing 2 nts/days in SNP and 2 nts/days for Yosemite.
Would it be just as well to visit Mariposa Grove and spend more time at Yosemite? The trees are beautiful but it sounds like there's so much more to do than just sightsee at Yosemite. It's so hard to predict how much time to allow for each area.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Sorry to hijack...
Are these similar to the trees in Sequoia National Park? We are in the early planning stages & I'm afraid I'm cramming too much in. We are allowing 2 nts/days in SNP and 2 nts/days for Yosemite.
Would it be just as well to visit Mariposa Grove and spend more time at Yosemite? The trees are beautiful but it sounds like there's so much more to do than just sightsee at Yosemite. It's so hard to predict how much time to allow for each area.

They are the exact same trees that are in Sequoia. Just not as many of them. Personally, I would allot more time to Yosemite. You can do Yosemite in 2 days, but that doesn't allow a lot of time for exploring/hiking trails.