Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite

This was my third or fourth time visiting Tenaya At Yosemite. It was the first time in the Explorer Cabins The Clubhouse is currently under construction, so it is a bit inconvenient having to go back and forth to the main lodge for food or drinks. We stayed in Cabin #2, which was right next door to the new Clubhouse, so it was a little inconvenient getting all of our stuff into the cabin, with some of the sidewalks blocked off due to construction. First the good: The cabin is very cute, and has a great back deck overlooking a stream, with nice chairs to enjoy the sunset. It is equipped with everything you might need to enjoy your stay. This place would be great for a family with kids. We were a group of 5 adults, so sharing 1 bathroom was a bit of a hassle, but we were only there one night. The place was clean and overall comfortable. The negatives were: When we were about to leave for dinner, we were unable to lock the door. The lock somehow malfunctioned, and we needed maintenance to come out and fix it. This was a bit of a hassle, because we were tired from driving, hungry, and it took a while to get fixed. Thankfully, Red (maintenance guy) and Ethan (Bellman/Shuttle driver) handled the problem and were just really nice fellows. They did give me a little discount on my dinner tab for our inconvenience, so that was appreciated. Overall, these cabins are pretty nice, and I might stay there in the future after all the construction is finished.

Such a disappointment! We booked early for our school break in February. A snow storm was predicted with 3 feet of snowfall. The roads in and around Yosemite are narrow, mountain roads with very steep drop-offs. I tried to cancel as it is not safe for travel, but was informed I had a "book early and save" and cancellation is not possible. They offered me another date at much higher cost. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told they would call me back. They did not. We won't book there again.

We had a fantastic visit at Tenaya Lodge. The staff was truly amazing and very accommodating, and our whole family had such a wonderful time. We especially enjoyed ice skating and evening s’mores after long days of hiking in Yosemite. The lodge offered plenty of activities for this time of year, and in the evenings it was so nice to relax by the lobby fire with games and a beverage. The only disappointment during our stay was the food. We found the options somewhat limited, and several meals were lukewarm by the time they reached us. We completely understood that choices might be more limited due to the construction taking place on the property, but we didn’t expect the food to be served cold. That said, it truly didn’t take away from the fun we had overall. We had a great experience and look forward to returning — and we hope the dining experience improves by our next visit.

Went over NYE and the amenities were mostly amazing: an incredible indoor pool area, smores everyday by the fire which they provided for, fun ice rink, and enchanting lobby area. We had kind of noisy neighbors on the first floor and people would talk outside of our rooms, and sometimes our door wouldn't fully lock so we'd have to pull it but otherwise a great experience. Most customer service people went above and beyond with general requests. We supposedly had a "balcony" premium room which didn't have any chairs on it (it was raining though, but still would have been nice for the other days ). It's a great place to spend a whole rainy day by the fire, or just spend a few hours at while embarking on a big adventure elsewhere. Only complaints are the inconsistent dog policies, food, and distance from Yosemite itself. The theme of our trip seemed to be incorrect or inaccurate info regarding pet stuff. We booked online through Chase where it said it all rooms were dog friendly, but only upon calling the resort did they confirm that only some rooms were dog friendly. We booked then the "pet package" which was supposed to include a swath of dog amenities including a bed and treads. We were then told by staff that the dog package really only covers the dog fee, no amenities, but then they later gave us a bowl, tennis ball, and poo bags, but none of the other items. Tenaya also offers dog daycare services. We were told by one concierge person we just needed to show up at 8 am to drop our dog off with vaccination records, nothing else was needed. But when dropping off at 8 am, a second concierge person said we needed to have made a reservation 48 hours in advance. That second concierge person charged us $20 per hour and said we'd need to be there right at our end time to pick our dog up, but a third concierge person said that we could just come back whenever, no biggie, kind of negating the need to pay that $20 per hour fee for the amount we booked in the first place. They said the dogs are taken to a kennel on the property and are walked once an hour but I don't fully believe that. They also advertised in-room pet-sitting services but those apparently weren't available the day we were there. Food itself at the restaurants is kind of lackluster. It's not awful, but not great, especially for what you're paying. Bring a cooler with pre-packed food or head somewhere else nearby. Also keep in mind that this is about a 5 minute drive from the Yosemite National Park Entrance, NOT the Yosemite Valley entrance which is about an hour away. You will still need to drive a long way and back up and down windy roads each day if you want to access the Yosemite Valley where El Capitan, Half Dome, and the other key sights are. It's a lovely drive, but if you don't do well at night driving, bad weather driving, or get carsick during windy road driving, that is worth taking into account. If you want to experience truly waking up and going to sleep in Yosemite Valley each day, this is not your resort. Still had a great time, but dog owners should be extra cautious and careful to make sure that any dog amenities or services they're hoping for are fully booked and acknowledged as there is inconsistent info across websites and among the people at the resort itself.

A very good trip, a disappointing New Year’s Eve party. Prior years, live bands, this year, DJ. Prior years, no kids until closer to ball drop. This year, kids everywhere. Our last year of this New Years tradition.