Staff extremely friendly, food very good, hearty, with different menu each night, buffet style. 3 meals/day included in room rate! I don't see how they can do that. Also, they prepare bag lunches if you're on the road the next day. I took advantage of that several times.

Communal dining with big fireplace great for meeting people and enjoying conversation with fellow travelers from all over, families, singles, etc. Ping Pong, other games in game room, along with a very small wet bar, large flatscreen, addl dining tables.

Sun deck has great views of mountains, rest of compound's cabins, pool, etc. My main Lodge room was clean, private bathroom - walls are thin, so earplugs would be recommended which I always take on trips. Weren't too many guests in Oct, but I would imagine it could be a bit noisy with a lot of guests coming and going in the hallway. There is a landline available to all guests off lobby area. No phones in rooms.

It's in a good location near Kings Canyon and not too awfully far from Sequoia.

It's not luxurious, so don't expect that, rustic all the way! But, I would definitely return, it's a great deal and a very friendly experience.

We stayed at Montecito Lodge in late October this year. You could not ask for a better location for exploring Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. We had three generations in our group- grandparents, parents and four young children. Everything from check-in to food to activities was professional, friendly and accommodating. The breakfast and dinner buffets were excellent; the salad bar was fresh and varied. The staff packed lunch for us daily which really helped in caring for the children. The two-bedroom Lakeview cottage was perfect for the young family, while the grandparents stayed in the main lodge. The whole experience was wonderful. During our stay we had a sudden and unexpected snowstorm. We weren't prepared insofar as clothing was concerned, and had to leave early. Management could not have been nicer about the situation. I most heartily recommend Montecito Lodge for visitors to Sequoia.

We accidently found the Montecito Lodge as we were driving through Sequoia National Park. It was late in the evening and we saw the sign for the lodge. We were surprised, but pleased that they had a room available. The second surprise was the lodge itself. If you want a 5star resort, keep driving. The check-in is located in a corner of the main dining area. The person that checked us in was very welcoming and advised us to eat immediately since they would quit serving in a few minutes. The food is served buffet style with most tables accommodating 8 to 12 people, very much “family style. The food was OK and you could get a nice glass of wine and good coffee. After eating, we finished checking in and went to our room. The room was basic but the bath had been recently renovated. The room was clean and comfortable.
We awoke the next morning to a couple of inches of snow. The buffer breakfast had a good variety and was very good for a complimentary breakfast. The room and meals were a great value. This lodge seems like a great place to bring your family for a vacation. For us, two people and one night, it was still an enjoyable experience in a beautiful location.

I only wish we could have stayed longer. If people have a problem with this lodge, it is because they were expecting a hotel. For what it is, it was perfect ( well almost). When we checked in, there was a surprise awaiting us in the toilet (which made my wife curious whether the bathroom had been cleaned at all). The room was nothing special, but it had comfortable beds, and enough room for our family of 5 (2 in the bunk, and our 5 year old with us in the huge king-sized bed). There is no TV in the room- if you need a TV in your room, you shouldn't be going to a national park. There were lots of opportunities for good family time- we had smores around the campfire and played games in the common room downstairs, as did several other families that we saw there. The food was very good, plentiful, and included in the room charge. My kids eat cereal between almost every meal, and there were 8 varieties available 24 hours. I thought the rooms were clean, although a little spartan, but again I didn't expect to spend too much time in the room anyway. We also received excellent service form Rufio and another gentleman on Saturday morning (I didn't catch his name) They were very helpful with hiking routes as well as general information. If we get the chance to go back to the park, we'll definitely stay here the entire time we're in the park. The location is great and the views are amazing!