Stayed for one night with my husband and dog, so my husband could race in the Merced Criterium. Very comfortable, and pet friendly! Everyone from the front desk, to all the people working at Native Son - the cafe - were very friendly. The bed was comfy, and the room was nice. I'd absolutely stay here again, we all had a good night. read more

El Capitan Hotel - Izzy, enjoying her welcome to El Capitan. - Hotels Near Me - Merced, California

A charming and quaint boutique-style hotel in downtown Merced. There is a parking garage right next door, but you can also have an option of valet parking. Although the valet parking attendant was not attentive when we arrived. It could've been because it was pouring rain, but I had to get out of the car and ask him if they offer valet parking, even though the signs were obviously visible that they did. Besides, that little hiccup, the check-in process was easy, and the attendants were very warm and inviting. Let us know of all the amenities and restaurants associated with the hotel. The rooms were nice and clean, but had issues with the hardware in the shower twice the knob for the shower temperature fell off. There's no real switch for lighting in the actual bedroom area. You have to use the lamps as well as the window. The curtains were automatic with a buttons by the door, which was pretty cool. The bed was comfortable and the pillows were perfect! This would be a nice weekend, getaway, romantic hotel. One thing that I appreciate they did was that my daughter left her laptop on the bed. We received a message from the hotel, letting us know that we had left something behind and if they wanted us to ship it or they can hold it and someone can come and pick it up. I appreciate the honesty, and because of that, I would definitely recommend this hotel!! read more

Came here ahead of camping as a pit stop. It is clear Merced is hoping to become the "gateway to Yosemite". Loved that it was dog friendly and all the extra touches (like the personalized water bowl). The hotel is very cute and gives off boutique vibes everywhere. That being said Merced DT is still in transition and when we arrived late around 11 pm we were definitely a little sketched out by some of the characters walking the streets around the hotel. That being said we felt very safe once checked in and our car which was parked semi offsite in the garage had no issues even with the ample amount of gear inside. Would definitely stay again. read more

I was extremely excited to stay here at The El Capitan Hotel in downtown Merced. I frequently visit Merced to visit my daughter who is studying at UC Merced. I've stayed in near by hotels however after reading a few good reviews decided to book a night in hopes to have a great experience myself. My 3 starts are as a result of poor customer service. The room was great, clean and sleek. The decor was esthetically pleasing with lots of character. Checking in was quick and easy with the friendly front desk staff. They explain that the hotel had both valet and self parking available as I was handed a parking permit with instructions on where to park. After checking in I went out for the evening and upon getting back, there where no self-park designated spots, however there where easily 30+ valet spots (had I known I would have taken a picture to show here). I felt that as a guest I should be able to self park in a hotel designated spot especially it being late in the evening and there being lots of empty spots. All this to say, I notified the evening front desk staff - Emily who was quick to say I'd be charged the valet fee (despite me being a guest who parked the car myself) I explained to her that the only available spots where valet and a courtesy should be accommodated given the circumstance of it being late and the only spots available to park was one of a surplus of valet spots. She went on to say there was more self-parked spots at a further located parking lot... it's 9:30p and you want me to go move my car a street farther away from the hotel and or pay for a service that was not provided. I paid, and was extremely disappointed that it had to go down as it did. Will I stay here again? Heavy sigh... the room, the location, and the price was great but the lack of customer services has me questioning my return. Do I recommend this spot... again heavy sigh. Just know that if there isn't a self-park spot drive back to the front of the hotel to have your car valet so you get the service that you will be charged for. read more

Stayed here on 10/14 the night before a board meeting at the UC. Got the king size bedroom. Finding the parking structure was easy but finding the entrance was difficult. I walked in a half circle just to find the entrance. Front desk staff was nice. The room itself was nice. The shower was different only because it wasn't fully enclosed. I was only here for a night and didn't see anything negative about the place. I'll be sure to use this place whenever I come back to town. read more

See all

I love this hotel. I'm so thankful they came to Merced. It's great to have a nice hotel to stay at. The rooms are clean and comfortable, and the vibe is fresh. The staff have all been very friendly and accommodating. They are so thoughtful that when my son left his fave stuffed animal there, they contacted us and then shipped it to him with a cute note. I've stayed here 5 times, and it will continue to be my choice for stays in Merced. read more

What a charming hotel just an hour outside Yosemite. Needed a stop on the way to SF Friday night and was so glad my husband picked this hotel. The decor is fantastic and rooms super comfy. We had breakfast at native son attached to the lobby and it was fantastic. My avocado toast was delicious and fresh. Kids loved the salmon and lox so much. Everyone was super friendly and it was actually sad to leave. Will for sure revisit this place when we do a Yosemite road trip. Highly recommend! read more

See all

Amazing stay! Found parking just outside the front doors and were greeted with a welcome bag!!! Our room was very roomy and comfortable and it had a very modern feel. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Only downsides were the train noise and there was no remote in our room (which they brought one to the room). Would definitely stay here again! read more

See all

Stayed over the long Christmas weekend, and it was a perfect stay! The price was great, and the staff was fabulous - even dealing with everyone's holiday drama, they were always smiling and beyond helpful. I valet parked each night and felt safe leaving my car with them, the rooms and entire hotel were so esthetically pleasing and the bar was charming. Would definitely stay again! read more

This is a beautiful hotel. The only drawback is parking. There are not enough self parking spaces. The parking garage is shared with the city workers, police, and Valet. The room is Junior suite and in the perfect location it is also located at the very end of hallway which I like so not many people passing my door. My room faced Main Street and the outdoor patio which made a nice view. The people behind the desk were very polite. Be ready for a 100.00 hold per night for incidentals, my stay was 11 days so $1,100.00 hold on my card!! That is really high for a room with no bar or food in it to purchase in it. I do wish there was a bigger refrigerator for the longer stay maybe it's something they can think about for the larger rooms (which I had). I came for business so no adventure while here. read more

The hotel is super clean and very nice. The outside courtyard is secured by tall solid fencing and gates which block the views of the homeless and the trash. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The bar and restaurant are very fairly priced and the food is good. My only complaint is not necessarily the hotels fault. Maybe the building itself? But the ridiculous population of Merced and their desire to put annoying rice burners and straight pipe every vehicle makes it extremely difficult to sleep. There is no sound dampening in this building! The vehicles vibrate the walls, floor, bed, the pictures on the walls, you name it and it vibrates. And the people around here drive loud and fast ALL NIGHT LONG! And if the wannabe race cars aren't driving the streets, there's a train which travels down the road 3-4 times during the night also. I have been at this hotel for three out of my 6 night stay and have gotten 5 hours of sleep total so far. When I first got to my room here, I saw the hotel provides you free foam ear plugs to sleep with. Haven't tried them yet while sleeping, but I might have too. Overall, the hotel and its staff is great! If it wasn't nearly impossible to stay asleep it would have a 5 star review. read more

Booked a room for Saturday 08/10/24 through Agoda.com website for one night. I canceled the room on 08/08/24. And they didn't give me a refund. Be aware! read more

Ice machines on every floor. Elevators that work. Shower floor cleaned. These are what I would recommend. The question is would I stay there again no. read more

What an amazing jewel of a hotel! Front seat and valet set the tone for outstanding service. This historic hotel has been remodeled to perfection. It offers modern updates but remains warm and inviting! Every area was spotless. Bedroom was spacious with mini refrigerator and bedding that was like sleeping on a cloud! We ate at the Rainbird restaurant read more

The hotel is very nice. We like the detail, workmanship, and decor of the hotel and rooms. The staff is friendly and helpful. We will definitely stay here again. read more

Wow wow wow. What a gem! It seems like they just underwent major renovations and the new layout / appearance is my jam! I checked in here after a day trip to Yosemite. This was the cherry on top of my experience Design: modern, sleek. I love the dark contrast to white walls, and all the artwork. I love the indoor plants, and even free seeds to grow your own. Experience / Service: Free valet, and receptionists were very friendly and attentive. I love all the nice touches from check in gift to the pour over coffee set up. Amenities: I'm very impressed by all the beautiful common areas - indoor lounge and gathering areas, outdoor seating with fireplace, gym w Peloton bikes. I also like the on-site cafe / bar and excited for the restaurant to open. Location: right on Main Street and walking distance to all the downtown venues - movie theaters, coffee shops, other restaurants. I would highly recommend if you are passing through or doing a staycation! read more

El Capitan Hotel - Double queen - Hotels Near Me - Merced, California

See all

First off Staff is amazing and Hotel is very pleasing to the eyes, Surronding area is very cute and fun. The Eyes have it but oh oh oh, The Ears are the big problem. Thin walls felt like the people in the other room were in our room. Music from the promanade permitated tel 10pm like the band was in our room playing smooth jazz. I felt bad for my neighbors because I have an infant son of 2 months so we left the hotel at 10 pm to find other accomodations so as not to disturb others in their rooms, If i can here their normal conversations and TV they can here my fussy and sometimes crying baby and I did not feel right about that. Cars on the street use the side road as all i can assume as a practice NASCAR track, Muscle cars vrooming at all hours. My biggest complaint though is the maintance, which I understand needs to be done to keep the place up. However painting, sanding and vacuuming at 10pm outside my room is bad management of employees in a Hotel. That was almost unforgiviable. 10pm and paint fumes coming into the room and wetdry vac being employeed. The employee at the front desk did attempt to get me another room, we were already packed and ready to be done with The El Capitan at that point, I did express my appreciation for her attempt to get us into a quiter room but I was already packed and ready to go. They obviously know there are noise problems due to the fact there are earplugs next to the bed. So if you know there is problems with noise why add to it with loud maintanance at times when most people are trying to unwind and sleep? Few suggestions Insulate the walls, find a way to sound proof it was not a great experience So we left at 10pm and found a quite spot. Again I cannot express this enough the only reason you did not get 1 star was your exeptional staff. Friendly and cordial and super helpful. Just not a lot they can do about mismanaging maintance and terrible noise levels. Will not be coming back to this spot but hope this review helps others who are looking for a quite place and hope that management does address the noise issues and maintaince working times. read more

Came to Native Son Cafe for brunch and was pleasantly surprised by the courteous staff and ambiance. Both hotel staff, as well as cafe staff, were welcoming and attentive. Food was fresh and delicious. The candied walnuts and cranberry toast were the highlight of the cheeseboard. It paired perfectly with the strong taste of the three cheeses. Menu was minimal, but decently priced. Average portion size. My first time here and definitely won't be my last if I'm in the area again. read more

See all

My dog and I had a great stay here! He loved the doggy bag they gave him, and we both loved the beautifully decorated room. The staff was the best! They went above and beyond to make sure we had the best experience possible. read more

See all

Wonderful stay! Beautiful hotel! Pros: clean, comfy beds, large rooms, great location, restaurants in hotel and around the area, beautiful lounge areas. Cons: absolutely none. read more

This boutique hotel is really charming, well decorated. I love all the amenities including a robe, electric kettle for making tea so you don't have to use a dirty coffee maker for hot water, lots of nice sitting areas around the lobby and courtyard. The staff is super friendly. I love the native sons shop downstairs for a drink or snack, because there really isn't a lot nearby to walk to unless you go a couple of blocks or more. The only downside that I can't believe isn't mentioned in many other reviews is the NOISE. The walls here are paper thin. I can distinctly hear full conversations from neighbors on both sides of my room. One neighbor left his tv on ALL night (not that loud, but you hear EVERYTHING). You also hear all the street noise and cars outside. They give you earplugs by your bed so clearly I'm not the first person to experience this. read more

Me and my boyfriend booked for a whole week at this place and was super excited since it looked alot fancier then alot of other 5 star hotels we been to especially in Merced since it is small out here. But our stay here proved that looks can be deceiving. The place looks well but the experience has been quite the opposite. If you are here to stay for quiet and peace this is not a good option like many reviews on here the place has bad insulation so there is no privacy in your rooms if you are speaking about anything confidential don't do it here neighbors can hear everything. You also would feel walking on egg shells here since people will call and complain no matter what, we have gotten calls to our room interrupting our sleep about noise on days that we were not even present in the room. We were on floor 2 room 221, after reading several reviews to find we were not in the wrong nor crazy this floor is known to have noise problems especially in the area of our room. We felt uncomfortable for our stay couldn't even watch tv had it down low couldn't even hear it and enjoy wifi that we pay for since they charge 5 dollars each day of the stay, felt we were in a library rather then a hotel. The place is also on a noisy street hear trains and cars as well as people which wasnt the problem to us since we never complained even though the place is high for charges for a area as such. There is earplugs near bed so they are fully aware of their paper thin walls and loud street noises but yet they love blame guests for the problem. There also were party events really early in the morning and late at night around 10 pm! playing loud music right outside that kept us up but we still didnt say anything could barely sleep. So we were confused to get calls about us when we used inside voices and made sure keep the TV down it was very odd and felt discriminated against. We tried to explain it to the guy on the phone which found out later was the manager, and he yelled at us and said there was different people calling on the phone complaining about us I told him it is the insulation and we were not here the other day, I literally went to work the other day before so that was impossible and went to the movies with bf the other day have movie tickets for the time of complaints. He proceeded to tell me that its must be true he can tell by the tone of my voice mind you I used manner saying sir and please listen mind you we were woken up Hella early in the morning by him for him to complain to us about their problem of vilentilations! Like we got work and cant even sleep! but either way we should be allowed to speak in room, we gotten call before saying complaints about us talking loudly??? Which was not true we were talking regular inside voices and we also could hear the other guests speaking as well we just didnt blame them for the paper wall thins about or called about because we have common sense and are not petty but learned you cant be too nice. We paid over 600 dollars for our own privacy of our room including 500 deposit and extra 25 dollars for amentities, so got no sleep because other people can make noises and false accusations from discrimination. We canceled emmediately and booked for best western inn highly recommend them where we never had gotten any issues it quiet here and get no noise complaints from other neighboring people everyone here is respectful as much as we were. Don't let looks trick you into the expense it is not worth the headache, highly boujee people that act sidity no free breakfast for the price expensive cafe no microwave, have to call to get one, small refrigerator, sink take forever to drain, horrible insulation, loud area, party events past curfew where people cant sleep, discrimination, useless room service since dont have much to give such as ketchup packets. We are very experience going to nice high end hotels that's why we were looking foward to coming here but this was no where near the nice hotels we been too. Not even the generosity. I cried leaving this place couldn't bare the rudeness and misunderstanding. Came to enjoy our selves ended up leaving in distraught. If you don't plan on talking and being mute all day I still would not recommend this place your sink dripping droplets would be a inconvenience for them and too much noise. I will say there was some nice employees that handled our situation well and gave us a refund before we left. To conclude the mess of the place guests spend large amounts of money for great experience we are not here to cater to the employees or to a rude manager you are to cater to us make sure we have good experience stop with the entitled attitudes and mistreatment and misunderstandings when yall are fully aware of the paper thin walls do better, I will never return here or ever recommend this place to anyone they are big bullies with huge egos for a place the looks appealing but poor building construction and customer service! read more

Great to see merced shed some light in the downtown area. Atmosphere inside the hotel was dim & elegant. Met up with a long time friend & had some amazing finger food. Crab cakes & lamb sliders were definately something new. I find the courtyard to be too hot & humid even though there were tarps over us, I don't recall seeing an outdoor fan anywhere. No crowd just us and some people behind us so it was quiet, I don't remember having issues with the traffic noise. Bench seating was a bit uncomfortable I packed my food Togo but realized I forgot about it after I got into my car. thought the waitress mightve thrown it away after we left. went back to the courtyard to grab it and notice that the waitress didnt even clean our table. She was busy conversating with the other waitress in their little corner. As a customer I find it unprofessional and unproductive. Front desk reception can use some improvements such as "greeting" Other that, nice place, would come again. read more

El Capitan Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Merced, California

See all

I used to live in Merced and now visit often for visits. I could not be more thrilled about this hotel and the surrounding store's, restaurants and boutiques. The preserved architecture and new renovations are so rad. We had the suite on the second floor for our family of four plus our pup and it was PERFECT! The hotel even called us after our departure to let us know our so had left his watch there in the room and sent it to us by mail! So kind! The hotel offers valet which is not found at any other hotels in Merced and in my opinion a must have. There were many places to work in peace through the hotel. My husband had a few "quiet calls" and zooms which was easy to accomplish. The gym was pretty bad ass. It doesn't look like it on line but it is in person. There is local art hung through out the hotel which is wonderful. The food at the restaurant is not my first choice. The pricing is comparable to LA and OC county restaurants where we live. We didn't try the high end restaurant because we just didn't have the time but did try the cafe food. It wasn't worth the money for us but definitely high quality ingredients. We just didn't dig the flavors and the specialty coffees weren't the best. The drip coffee is great though. If you stay here which I highly suggest and want some authentic damn good Mexican food, I suggest. Lupians, La Morneta (check their times) and Victorias Drive through. All are very close to the hotel. If you are looking for good content photos, you won't be disappointed. We are excited to stay again and plan on exploring more of what they have to offer. You won't be disappointed, I promise! If you want any other restaurant suggestions for Merced or Atwater, please feel free to dm me. Cheers and happy stays. read more

See all

Bummer of an experience this time around. El Capitan has been one of my favorite hotels in the Central Valley over the last 2 years, so much so that I typically choose it over my Marriott Platinum Status if I am in Merced. I booked a room just for 1 night and didn't check in until around 8pm as I was traveling for work. Once I got to the desk to check in, the front desk told me they didn't have my reservation. I spoke friendly with the guy at the front desk and let him know I had stayed here many times and that there was no worries as he got me another room. Then, for whatever reason, I probably got put in the worst room in the hotel, and definitely the worst one I've stayed in on this property. It was the last room of the hall on the second floor, backed up right against the street. I may as well have slept on the freeway that's how loud it was! Loud cars ripping by all night long was hard to get the good night sleep I came for. You would think after not having my reservation even after I showed a confirmation number that he may try to give me a decent room. If you ever are assigned room 223, I highly recommend you ask for a different one. read more

Great hotel by far my favorite in Northern California. We had a room facing main street I was concerned but sound proofing was good. Room was well maintained. Overall everyone was great. Walking distance to many area restaurants. Stay here you won't be disappointed. read more

What a gem! My wife and I stayed the night shortly after they opened. We knew it was a new hotel but we're surprised at how smooth everything ran. None of the confusion usually associated with grand openings. Every single member of the staff we encountered was polite and accommodating. Our room, while small, was great! The beds are comfortable and I slept like a rock. And (my favorite touch), When I woke up I heated water and made myself a pour over coffee right in my room! The whole set up for coffee and tea is there - free! I just returned from Las Vegas where a room that was twice as much charged $16 for the in room coffee! We loved that! In addition, we ate dinner on their patio. It was delicious - we ate: bone marrow, ceviche, and the Caesar salad. The crab cakes looked amazing. We asked the guests next to us how their dinner was and they raved about them. Next time! And there will be a next time! Definitely recommend The El Capitan! read more

El Capitan Hotel - Dinner on the Patio - Hotels Near Me - Merced, California

See all

Fantastic Hotel on all levels! Truly amazing with an incredible staff to boot. Christina at the front desk was incredibly helpful and accommodating. Also the security and valet gentlemen were incredibly polite and professional. I can't say enough good things about this hotel it is a gem among the finest hotels I've been to! El Capitan you get a A+ "Nuff Said!" read more

See all

Nice place. Recommend just doing valet parking ($15/night). Didn't have difficulty other reviews mentioned finding hotel. Had a drink in Native Son (yeah, Valerie!) and dinner at Rainbird which was excellent. Liking it! read more

Great pet friendly hotel for a reasonable price. They even give you a doggy bag with treats, toys and doggy poop bags. Everyone is very friendly and I want to take everything home to remodel because it's so cute! We will be staying again soon. read more

See all

I was excited to stay here & was very pleased. This hotel gave me modern meets farm house vibe. The Junior suite gave me a cozy Airbnb feel. The staff was really nice from Valet to front desk to housekeeping. I was a little surprised when the cafe ran out of certain foods on a Friday night BUT I will say I assume it was partly due to being fully booked with near by college graduation. Whenever I come to Merced I plan on only staying here. read more

See all

Let me just start off that I am in love with the interior design of the hotel. I want to come back again and check-in just to relax. They have a breakfast and coffee shop in the hotel, which is so convenient. They also have a study area for guest and a bar ! The service is 10/10 everyone was very kind read more

We really enjoyed our stay here. Everything is very modern, the tv let's you chrome cast from your phone which was great for watching Netflix. The curtains are remote controlled by the door. I also love that the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash are the large refillable ones in the bathroom so you aren't limited to the tiny ones (i use a lot of conditioner). The hotel is also located in the middle of the town down very close to the all the restaurants. If I ever go back to Merced I would stay here again! Oh and free parking! read more

El Capitan Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Merced, California

See all

Very dog friendly and Accommodating. we stayed for Thanksgiving and went to the bar in the evening and had a very charismatic server named katherine. read more

El Capitan Hotel - They put a little list of dog visitors that are staying. so cute. - Hotels Near Me - Merced, California

After having a glass of wine at Vinhos Restaurant in Merced, we walked down to try Rainbird restaurant, but unfortunately they were closed on Sunday night. We entered in Hotel and decided to give a try couples of drink in El Capitan. We ordered 2 glasses of wine ( Sierra wine and Pinot noir) with Salmon dish. Everything was good read more

El Capitan Hotel - Salmon with broccoli - Hotels Near Me - Merced, California

In general I like this hotel. Rooms are nice, bed fine, love that they have Pelotons. Two notes for travelers: no microwave in the room so be aware. The wifi can get stuck a bit in the room so if youre using zoom be cautious! The valet is free and the valets are super nice and so fast! I like the lattes in Native Son but for my gluten free friends, there aren't options so be warned. I do think it should be noted that the hotel staff might need some sensitivity training. My partner and I checked in and the hotel clerk said to her "oh where's the guy you checked in with last week??" And thank goodness I'm secure in our relationship because she could've created a major problem in our relationship. The assumption was obvious (2 women couldn't possibly be in a relationship) but seriously? Discretion. I get that you are trying to connect but that wasn't the way to do it. And today my partner called and said she had another awkward interaction with the same woman at the front desk. The front desk woman mockingly said in response to conversation my partner was making "oh there was a pandemic." Not okay. Again, this person's level of tact isn't there and her lack of sensitivity about things needs to be addressed. read more

A beautiful hotel on Main St, everything about this place is top notch. The changes in my hometown are overwhelming but this was definitely one of the best. I will always book here from now on. read more

We stayed here on 01/01/22 for one night room #310. We booked this room through Hyatt. There is so much to say but I will make it short. When we arrived the gentleman outside (valet) was outstanding it was almost red rug service we were very pleased. As soon as we entered the building we were welcomed by front desk.We needed additional sheets and a crib the gentleman that brought them up was very professional and great customer service. The next day we went down for breakfast at the Native Son. We had a breakfast burrito that was egg, chorizo, potatoes and cheese. You have to try this burrito. I have to say we travel a lot and have stayed in a lot of hotels but this place tops everyone else so far. Thank you read more

See all

John M. Overall good motel in rather obscure location. Bed and bath just fine. TV working and appreciated. No amenities like fridge , microwave, or ice machine. Reasonable rates and not much on deposit. Location is close to downtown as well as a transition point to get to west side of city read more

Great hotel for the price. Room and lobby was modern and clean. The guy working at the front desk was nice and helpful. Beds were comfortable. Overall very nice hotel in downtown Merced that I would visit again in the future. Only stayed here for one night but there were no complaints. read more