We had a cottage which was very spacious, but the carpet smelled like pee. We ate at the restaurant the first night. My husband ordered the $32 steak and it was absolutely terrible. It was 1/4" thick and was cooked like a piece of liver. The staff was not friendly either in the restaurant or at the front desk. The only advantage was that is was close to Yosemite. They charge $10/24 hrs of wifi that didn't work most of the time.
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Very neat, reasonably priced hotel 20 min away from Yosemite Park entrance. Clean, large rooms, nice beds, equipped with everything necessary (mini fridge, coffee maker, etc..) rooms overlooking Merced river across the HWY , or a beautiful garden in the back . Very well maintained grounds, nice walking pass along the river with picnic tables , benches and romantic gazebos. Restaurant/bar/breakfast offered good selection, nothing fancy but well prepared food for every taste. Didn't use the indoor Jacuzzi and pool because it was a bit crowded with kids, but we were visiting during the spring break so that explains it .One down side: no phone service in the area and the hotel charges you $10 per day/per device for WIFI ( no streaming allowed). Overall , we will stay there again .
Cedar Lodge is dated, to be sure, but we had a good experience here during our three-night stay. Our room was clean with a very comfortable bed. The bathroom was spacious and had a tub with jets! Having a small refrigerator was a welcome convenience, as we were traveling with coolers full of perishable food. There was no microwave, but we didn't care because we never use ours at home either! We enjoyed the private patio shaded by a lovely tree, although we didn't have an outdoor table like the other patios we saw. When we asked the front desk about it (on our last evening), the rep apologized and said that they would have a maintenance worker deliver one if they could locate one. It never arrived. But we moved an indoor cocktail table to the patio, as we had done the previous two nights -- no problem.
Our Yosemite schedule kept us busy, so we did not take time to enjoy the pools and spa. However, we love to grill, and we took advantage of the outdoor picnic area and grill across from our room! Also, we spent some quality time at the beach across the highway, wading in the Merced River in the summer sun and relaxing beneath the stars at night (thanks to the cozy lighting!).
WiFi is expensive at the Cedar Lodge, so we opted to sign up for a single 24-hour access period on our last night in order to check email and get information for a final valley viewing destination. (It was Olmsted Point, well worth the long drive!)
We walked into the restaurant/bar but did not eat or drink there. The menu offers typical American fast-food: burgers, fried appetizers, and so on. We had plenty of healthy food and adult beverages in our cooler!
The young fellow who checked us in never smiled, and he seemed uninterested in doing his job. Aside from that, everyone else working at the lodge was helpful and friendly, and they were genuinely engaged in our experience at the venue and in Yosemite.
We would recommend the Cedar Lodge to travelers like us who are looking for a comfortable place to rest and rejuvenate after long days in Yosemite. For folks seeking a posh, hip hotel, you will have to triple the nightly cost! The drive into and out of the valley is gorgeous, with picnic spots and hiking opportunities along the way, not to mention the myriad photo opps.
Hotel is situated about 10 minutes from the Arc Rock entrance to Yosemite (a further 10 -15 minute drive to the valley parking area). The views from hotel are great - down in the valley and across the road from the Merced River which offers a fantastic place to cool off!
Our room was spacious, comfortable and clean with the added advantage of a small kitchen! Reception staff were approachable and helpful.
The fact that there is nothing else around does mean that the on site eateries are not cheap - we ate in the diner the first night but opted to eat in Yosemite on a subsequent day, and used the kitchen facility another day.. There is a small supermarket just outside the Arc Rock entrance which we used for breakfast and lunch items.
Outdoor pool is nice but very little shade which isn't great when it is so hot and sunny. Others have also commented about lack of wifi - with such lovely surroundings, a few days with out wifi isn't an issue!
Good location as a gateway for Yosemite NP. But overpriced, no breakfast included (the restaurant didn't belong to the lodge) and having to pay for the WiFi (also provided by third party). The diner was really dull, and a more interesting option is to drive to Mariposa for a pleasant evening.
This hotel is about 10 minutes drive from the Arch Rock entrance to Yosemite. We had a room with 2 queen beds.
The pros: Very spacious room, great location close to Yosemite, nice pools both indoor and outdoor, restaurant and limited grocery on site.
The cons: Old carpet, dirty and damp in spots, TV and refrigerator both did not work when we checked in (but the maintenance was quick to respond and repair both), no elevators - so had to carry bags up two flights of stairs, no microwave in room (one microwave is available in lobby for everyone to use).
This hotel also charges a 10% National park fee.
Overall: Average -- if you cannot find reservations in the park, this is a convenient choice.
