A Disappointing Stay: Misleading Claims and Little Regard for Guest Comfort…read more We paid $350 per night for three nights at this property, and unfortunately it was not worth the cost. In hindsight, we wish we had given more weight to the one star reviews before booking. We were also struck by the pattern in the owners' responses to negative reviews: rather than acknowledging the feedback, they tend to respond defensively toward the reviewer instead of addressing the underlying issues. **Dietary Accommodations** One of our party has celiac disease and cannot eat wheat. We informed the owners of this by email in advance and again upon arrival. No accommodations were made; instead, we were told about a friend of theirs who also has celiac disease. This turned out to be moot in any case, since breakfast was not served until after 8:30 a.m., too late for guests heading out early to hike. Guests leaving before then were offered only one cereal option, presented in an unlabeled plastic container with no way to confirm it was gluten free. Given that breakfast was included in the room rate, we did not feel we received what we paid for. **Room Temperature** Upon check in, we were told that California law requires thermostats to be kept at a minimum of 78 degrees. Our second floor, southwest facing room was extremely uncomfortable in 105 degree outside heat, and we were advised to leave the door open and use a fan, which did not resolve the issue. We researched this claim afterward and found no such mandate for private residences or businesses. California's Flex Alert program, which recommends 78 degrees during grid strain, is voluntary and time limited, not a legal requirement. When we asked the following day whether the temperature could be adjusted at night, the owners told us they were comfortable at that setting and suggested we take a cold shower before bed. As paying guests at a premium rate, we expected a reasonably comfortable room regardless of the property's utility costs. **Overall Impression** We have traveled extensively, including all 50 U.S. states and destinations across Europe, South and Central America, and Africa, and this was an unusual experience. Based on what we were told about the thermostat policy and our overall treatment as guests, we would encourage prospective visitors to read the critical reviews carefully and to weigh the owners' responses to them accordingly.

Amazing! This place felt like visiting one of your favorite family members as a kid. Beautiful…read moreviews of the Merced River, warm home-cooked breakfast, fantastic park information, cozy rooms/beds, and the sweetest owners. I felt sad saying by to Ron and Liz because they made us feel so welcome and at home. I'm glad we found this place and can't wait to stay during our next Yosemite trip! Thank you so much for everything.

We arrive and right away we were greeted by Steve. He walked us to our room and gave us the run…read moredown. He was very attentive without being overbearing. My husband and I had great conversations with him during breakfast. The roo. Was exactly as we expected and the tub was great for Epsom salt baths. The location is pretty central to hiking, lakes, waterfalls, small towns, etc. Sometimes you don't know what you are going to get from a place that is not heavily populated with US, IYKYK. Steve made it clear on his views and that he wanted to make sure that ALL of his guests felt welcome. We will definitely make a trip here again. We Highly Recommend!

Thoroughly enjoyed our 2 night stay at BlackBerry Inn while attending a local wedding. The team was…read moreinviting from the start to departure - helpful and accommodating. The room was very nicely appointed and the morning coffee and breakfast were wonderful. Enjoyed sitting on the porch and reading in this idyllic setting.

After hearing the story of Lyle's Room at the Groveland Hotel, my aunt and I decided we had to go…read moresee it for ourselves. We drove over three hours and arrived so excited. We were welcomed by Roy at the front desk, who was such a pleasant and kind gentleman. We asked him about Lyle's Room, and he generously shared the history and stories behind it. To our surprise, he even offered to give us a tour. That was completely unexpected and made the experience even more special. As Roy walked us up to the room, he told us more about Lyle and the stories connected to the room. Being able to go inside was amazing. The room was beautiful, and the entire hotel has such a unique, historic charm. Every part of the property felt warm, peaceful, and well cared for. I stayed in the Orion Room, and after hearing the stories about Lyle knocking things off the dresser, I made sure to keep my things nice and clean while I was there! I will say, though, I got some of the best sleep I have had in a long time. The staff was incredibly friendly, and the hotel has so much to enjoy. They have a great wine selection, a beautiful bar area, and a wonderful restaurant. I enjoyed wine and dinner outside in the back, surrounded by trees, a waterfall, and cozy fireplaces. It was absolutely beautiful. I will definitely be coming back. This place offered a kind of peace that I would love to give my body and mind again. Thank you to Roy and the entire Groveland Hotel team for making our visit so memorable.

We had an overall positive, albeit very unusual and interesting, stay at the Groveland Hotel!…read more My husband, our pups, and I stayed for one night on our way to Yosemite. We let the hotel know in advance that we'd be arriving late, past office hours, and their contactless check-in process was very easy - they made sure to let us know via email exactly what to expect upon after hours arrival. Our envelope and room key were easy to find, and that's when we noticed we had been assigned Room 15: "Lyle's Room." It is an older inn-style hotel; the room itself was clean, charmingly decorated, and the bed was comfortable. Our dogs were totally fine and relaxed. The only thing I found a little unusual was an extra sink being inside the bedroom area near the dresser and facing the bed, but I chalked it up to the design of an older historic hotel. That night, while we were winding down and watching something on our phone since there was no TV in the room, I noticed the sink turn on and off a couple of times for about 1-2 seconds each. I figured it was just old plumbing. Other than that, nothing else out of the ordinary and we slept peacefully. The next morning is when things got interesting. We left for an early morning hike, and when we came back and put the key in the door, the entire doorknob fell off. We couldn't get into the room. When we went to the front desk, they simply said, "Oh, Lyle!" and called maintenance. Once maintenance arrived, he let us in and fixed the doorknob. While we were packing up, my husband went to take a shower. Everything was fine until he tried to turn the shower off and realized the knob just kept spinning. The shower would not shut off!! We quickly got dressed and notified the front desk right away, while the shower continued running. Then steam started wafting into the bedroom, and we realized the water was very hot with no way to cool it down or stop it! Maintenance came back, worked on it, and realized he needed a completely new part, so he had to leave and return while the water kept running. The staff and maintenance handled everything with a great attitude and great, responsive service despite the chaos. We later found out it was the maintenance guy's first day on the job, and everyone joked that Lyle was just giving him a hard time on day one. After the fact, we learned more about Lyle's Room and its haunted reputation, and honestly, we are believers after having no idea about him! It felt like Lyle was making himself known and having a little fun. We did some post-stay research, and we found out that Lyle is actually known for causing mischief in those exact ways - water issues, room access problems, and little disruptions like the ones we experienced, which made the whole experience feel even more eerie and oddly fitting! Overall, the Groveland Hotel is a nice, charming, older hotel, and we'd stay again. Clean, comfortable, and just enough amenities for a decent overall stay in a small town. That said, I don't think we'd stay in Lyle's Room again, haha. At first, I wished we had been given a heads-up that the room was famously haunted, but on second thought, I probably would have requested a different room if I had known. So maybe it was better this way - definitely a memorable stay! Thanks Groveland Hotel, and Lyle!

AMAZING experience. We came over the weekend and were blown away from the second we got there…read more The property is STUNNING, the rooms are so clean, private, and modern. And the service was top notch. We also ate at the restaurant for dinner every night, but since we had our dog with us they sat us outside and made sure we felt comfortable. That's probably my only knock, is that if you're marketing it as dog friendly, there should be some better restaurant options for dogs. But honestly they were very accommodating. We thought we were going to be bummed to be so far out of the valley floor, but it turned out to be the perfect escape from the crowds. We will definitely be coming back.

We stayed in Cabin B8 from June 21-24 and were incredibly disappointed with how a serious issue was…read morehandled. Beginning on our first night, we repeatedly found black bugs crawling on our pillows and in our bedding. We reported the problem immediately, and over the course of our stay we continued documenting it with photos and videos as it kept happening. On both the first and second day, we asked to be moved to a different cabin. Rather than relocating us, we were repeatedly told the issue had been resolved after the bedding was changed, the room was inspected, and the cabin was treated. Unfortunately, none of those efforts solved the problem. Despite the bugs continuing to appear night after night, we were never moved. By the final night, we no longer felt comfortable sleeping in the king bed. I slept on a small leather couch, while my husband slept in the other bedroom with our nephew. This is the part that I still cannot understand. The staff kept telling us we are in the forest, so bugs are normal, acting as if we were being difficult (about bugs crawling by our faces every night!!!!) If insect activity is common enough in this environment that the resort has established pest management protocols, then staff should have known that simply changing the bedding was unlikely to resolve the issue and should have relocated us after the first recurrence. If this was an unusual event, then repeated bugs in a guest's bed should have prompted an immediate relocation anyway. Either way, leaving guests in the same cabin was the wrong decision. After returning home, I contacted the General Manager with a detailed account of our experience. His response (again) focused largely on explaining that Firefall Ranch is located in a natural mountain environment where insects can occasionally enter accommodations. While I understand that insects exist outdoors, my complaint was never about seeing bugs outside. It was about repeatedly waking up with bugs on our pillows and in our bedding while remaining in the same cabin despite reporting the issue every day. The resort also referenced a $150 credit that was placed on our folio during our stay. We never requested compensation, and given what occurred, I found that gesture to be an inadequate resolution rather than a meaningful one. Honestly, it was offensive. Had we simply been moved to another cabin after the problem continued, this review probably would not exist. I am sharing this experience so future guests can make an informed decision. Based on how our situation was handled, I cannot recommend staying here.

100/10 starts for this family owned and operated bed and breakfast perfectly near the entrance to…read morethe park and the town of Groveland, a cute little historic mining town with shops and restaurants. Being in a beautiful home away from the city is what I needed (and the great sleep I had showed that)! The breakfast was superb both days and they even packed us a to go breakfast for the one day we went to the park early. I will definetely be back and bring friends and family with me!

We just spent a perfect 2 days at the Yosemite Rose Bed and Breakfast…read more. We rented the caretakers cabin, and it was so cozy and comfortable. The place is super dog friendly, they even have a ranch dog on site to welcome your puppy. The main house is the bed and breakfast, and is decorated expertly to invite all who enter a charming and warm welcome. And while the trip into Yosemite National Park, with our reservation and $20 was a complete and total disaster, the time we spent in Groveland more than made up for it. The caretakers cabin does not offer the breakfast part of bed and breakfast, but we were still treated to home made cheese cake prepared by our hosts and it was just ever so tasty. While we were enjoying a lovely cross breeze threw the cottage, a guest puppy found us and invited himself in for a bit of a quick sniff before his mom found him with his new friend Bernie(that's our dog). Our stay was just wonderful. Just a thought, the upstairs bedroom with its queen and 2 twin beds (all done in very comfortable and warm décor) does have steep steps on the outside of the house, not a problem for us, but could be an issue for anyone who is mobility challenged. We were also entertain by the abundance of non-human entertainers, there were horses, a pig, and some turkeys tending to there newly hatched babies. The morning song birds announcing the day were music to my ears, and the abundance of bees and butterflies gave me hope for our planet that all is not lost. after the past year and the pandemic, this little gem did the trick at changing my perspective back to a place of hope and goodwill. I highly recommend this to all you weary travelers.

My first time experiencing a bed and breakfast and Kim has set the bar SO high. I HIGHLY recommend…read morea stay here at the Bradford Place Inn and Gardens. I pride myself in leaving factual yelp reviews so here I go. -Location is PERFECTLY a short block away from the hustle bustle of the Main Street for coffee, bagels, meals, shopping, or maybe even a scoop of ice cream -Check in/out process was so warm and hospitable -We stayed in the Prospector Room because we were traveling with our dog, so took value in the private patio. Our room was cozy and spotless. Thankful for the AC unit as we visited on a hot weekend. Our dog enjoyed relaxing in the shaded patio. Our bed was comfy, more on the soft than firm, but did not hurt my back whatsoever. -OMG THE BREAKFAST. Kim is an UH-mazing cook. Perfect portion, flavor, not too heavy/complex, but certainly delicious. I am glad to have visited Sonora, but not sure if I'd make it an annual trip, to replace it with Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, or Napa. Nothing terrible happened, but I didn't have my socks knocked off either. Maybe it was the hot weather...not sure! If you plan on visiting Gold Country, do stay at the Bradford Place Inn and Gardens! We will.

We found this hidden treasure on Yelp and glad we stayed here. It's located about one-half block…read morefrom the Main Street of Sonora (Tourist area). Kim (Owner) was so wonderful, sweet and very accommodating to my wife's dietary needs etc., when preparing our delicious breakfasts. Each day, our breakfast was prepared fresh, warm and delicious. Breakfast (forgot to take a picture, too good to wait) included a protein, fresh fruit, warm pastries, ice water, orange juice and coffee. Just the right amount to get your day off to a good start... We loved this old Victorian home, it's beautiful. Some rooms, like ours, have a private patio area connected to your room. Very relaxing... Although, we don't have any pets, this place is "pet friendly". Next time, we're in the area, we'll be staying here again. Kim is such a gracious hostess and good person. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND you staying here... I found this place to be very reasonable, relaxing, beautiful and includes a delicious breakfast, compared to a typical "no tell motel"!!!

Wow! exceptional vacation rental. This rental is far and above the best VRBO type vacation rental…read moreI have experienced. EVERYTHING in the house is first class. Kitchen is extremely well stocked for preparing meals, very comfortable beds (I have severe spine issues - 13 herniated discs and beds are super comfortable and supportive) and furniture, all wall switches are labeled, directions from the owners are extensive and thorough, terrific welcome notebook with lots of useful info and visitor usable hiking trail info (multiple copies so you can take one with you), snowshoes, excellent kitchen gear. The property is simply 'turn-key' if someone was wanting to rent it for several months - nothing is absent. Communication was ongoing for the duration of my stay, making sure that everything was what I needed. I am hoping to rent this home again next year, same time of year, and likely reason to visit Yosemite annually for years to come. Every word in owner's description is genuine. Awesome rental!

So so so wonderful!…read more Everything is super clean, everything is available and ready for you. Also this is the closest location to Yosemite Valley than anywhere else. They said wifi can be sporadic but we never had any issue during our 4 nights stay. And since other hotels and venues posted the same kind of warning it must be a location thing. The owners Holly and Jeff are the best. Any questions get answered immediately. This was the first time my family and I come to Yosemite and stay at a vacation rental, and I never felt any concerns because they were so good. Thank you Holly and Jeff for making our trip very special!

We had a one night stay here. Overall its okay. Some things…read morecan improve. First, on the day of check in, I received an email that my credit card was not accepted and that I have to call the hotel to confirm my booking. I never had this exprience in any other hotel. I called and they asked for my card details and the booking is confirmed. Is this usual process? It caused anxiety, is this the way how the hotel comfirms the guest is coming? Hoping for a response on this. Second, security latch in our room is broken. This is a security issue, even though there is a digital lock. I had to place the chairs on our door for 'more' security. Third, soap and shampoo in the shower are almost empty. I tried to use it but nothing comes out in the push bottle. Didnt bother to ask, luckily I brought my own toiletries. Fourth, top of refrigerator is dusty. Front desk lady was accommodating. Beds and sheets are clean. We had a room on the second floor on building 3.

Was in town for a quick two night stay. I booked directly on the lodge's website (2 queen…read morestandard). Check-in was smooth and easy. There are quite a few parking spots too, but we did stay on a Wednesday-Friday. We were luckily given a room on the second floor, so we didn't hear any hard footsteps through the walls. I also didn't hear much noise from adjoining rooms either and had a good sleep. AC worked quite well - it could be a tad loud at times. The room itself was quite clean when we arrived. Mostly everything worked well (we never used the tv or housekeeping). There were some things that could be improved in the room - nothing quite major but worth noting: - The toilet paper in the bathroom was not brand new. It was almost 75% used. - There was also a tissue box under the bathroom sink which also seemed 90% used as it ran out after using 2-3 tissues. - The drain in the shower could not be propped up by itself. It would always fall back down, so I'm not sure if it is supposed to be like that or we couldn't prop it up correctly. Other than that, the room was good.