On August 20, 2020 we received a mandatory evacuation notice for Scotts Valley, CA due to a raging forest fire close to our home. We worked our way east and spent two nights at the Tenaya Lodge, just outside the South entrance to Yosemite National Park. This is supposedly a very up-scale hotel and the facilities were very nice, but not worth the several hundred dollars per night that we paid. The restaurant food was just so-so. Access to the Park is severely limited due to the virus. An advanced reservation is required to enter, but we found it to be impossible to get one. We even drove to the Park entrance and pleaded with the staff (claiming we were forced evacuees) but to no avail. To be so close and not be allowed in was extremely disappointing. I went to Travelocity to book subsequent nights and found the River Rock Inn in Mariposa, CA. This historic inn is Mariposa's oldest motel and was constructed in 1941. It is about a block off the main road (hiway 140) and is quiet and peaceful. We did not know when we would be allowed back to our home, so our reservation had to be open ended. I talked to Stephanie Erikson, the owner, about not specifying a check out day and she was very accommodating. Our room, actually a two-room suite, was great; very clean with comfortable beds. Free Wi-Fi that was very reliable, Direct TV, refrigerator, and a wall mounted air conditioner that was quiet - unlike the AC unit in the Tenaya Lodge. The housekeeping was excellent and our hosts, Stephanie and Keith made us feel very welcome. Their customer service was excellent also. We liked it much better than the Tenaya Lodge. There are several good restaurants in town so we ate well! We discovered a great way to get to Yosemite: a bus service called YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transit System) runs frequently from Merced to the Yosemite Visitors Center. There are three stops in Mariposa - one only 80 yards from our room. It takes about 90 minutes from Mariposa to Yosemite Valley. AND, the best part is that no Park reservation is required. Just get on the bus, pay the driver, and you are delivered to the Visitor's Center. Since the park shuttle bus is not running now, you can rent bikes at the Center (with a smart phone app) or hike around the Park. YARTS told me their busses have room for only one bike. Finding the River Rock Inn was the best part of the evacuation. After 5 nights there, we were allowed back to our home. Actually, the fire never got closer than 5 miles from our house. We were very lucky and grateful. read more

stayed there 2 days Aug this year. Room had cobwebs & dust everywhere. Broken tiles on floor. Major tripping hazard, No Fire detector. Violation of State law. Furniture in need of repair. Manager never on site . Keys in door when we got there. Housekeeper said usually doesn't use this room read more

I was really excited about this place. The photos and vibe on the website looked so nice! Unfortunately, what we got was not what was on the website. We were booked in suite 5, which does NOT look anything like the room shown on the website. It is old, dark and dingy. Even the front door lock was loose (as mentioned by another reviewer). I had made the reservations for my friend and me, and when we walked into suite 5, we both just deflated at how junky it looked. I wanted to show my friend how it didn't look anything like the website, but their internet didn't work at all until the next morning. The outdoor area is not lit up and welcoming, but dark and deserted. We made the best of it for that night, and in the morning, I contacted the owner via text. When I said that the room looked nothing like the rooms shown on the website, the reply was, "All of our rooms are different." So why don't they show photos of all of their rooms??? They offered to move us to another room, and I requested one that looks like the one on the website. They instructed me to find the key for suite 1, and that room was great! Looked just like the website, and was exactly what we were expecting. It was weird that this room was not rented out, but yet they didn't put us in that room in the first place. I later learned that we were charged $199 for the first night junky room, and $109 for the second night room that looked like the one on the website. That was contrary to what I remembered from the price listing on the website when I made the reservation, which I believe was $159 per night. But when you receive your confirmation email, there are no prices listed at all. I know it comes out to the same price, but it's very strange that the price/total isn't listed on your confirmation email. I would have asked if I had noticed it before we arrived. I really wanted to like this inn, but next time, I'll just stay in the heated cabins in Yosemite Valley for $155/night. The one-hour drive to the valley from this place wasn't worth it for us. If you're going to stay here, ask them specifically what room you will be in and if it's one that looks like the ones on the website. If not, consider staying elsewhere. Positive: the cafe is super cute with great coffee and food and nice people! read more

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Great people who run this. They were very friendly and helpful! It's a simple motel and affordable. There's a gym down the block that you can get access to while staying here, which was an awesome perk! I also had a cat visit me. I had my door propped open to cool off the room with the night air and a stray cat waltzed right in. It didn't stay long, but it was a cute and funny encounter. Is the cat part of the staff? If so, it deserves a raise! read more

I booked a room here for my husband. He was on a motorcycle trip. There was no office. A young lady came from somewhere and told him his key is in the door. He received no receipt. He called the number for assistance. He left messages as requested. No one had responded. The website is deceiving! It is nothing like the pictures on their website! read more

"Simple, rustic, basic." I really wanted to like this place, But I think they are going through a transitional period what it was posted online on our booking site was very different from what we experienced when we got there. I recognize that this is an older building in a historic part of town which restricts their ability to do some updates but I think they need to do a better job of advertising what they do offer to set realistic expectations for guests. There is no man's front desk, you have to call a number for assistance and your key is left in the door for check-in. If you are a guest that requires assistance or have a "high maintenance " family member stay at a chain. This is not a good location for remote workers Very slow wifi/ no wifi. Sitting outside in the dark to get the internet to work is not realistic to ask of guests. Pros- historic location in downtown close, easy park access (about an hour drive to entrance) Cons- not ADA friendly, no microwave, small shower, no towel bars for drying towels, no breakfast as advertised (discount available at hippy cafe on site but food options were too limited for us). No drinking water access after hours when cafe is closed. Tap in bathroom was rusty so we could not drink it. Overall I could have made it two nights for our full stay but we only stayed one night because my elderly parents were so uncomfortable. read more

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This place was really, really bad. It takes a whole lot for me to complain about a room, and boy was this worth a complaint. How could they in good conscience rent this place out? The checkin process is contact free, which is great, but our room was not ready (the key was not in the door) so I had to organize with a mask-less employee that was using a Swiffer in another room. When we entered the room (which was a "suite", room 5), it was dingy. It also smelled so much like chemicals, we were unable to stay in there for much more than a few minutes. We figured it had just been cleaned, so we quickly dropped our stuff and were on our way thinking that the smell would improve when we returned later that evening. The room looked very run down. The beds were sagging in the middle, the bed frames/headboards were so squeaky that every time you moved, you heard a loud squeak. I didn't look in the mini fridge. I was pretty leery of leaving my stuff in the room since there is only a loose doorknob lock, not a deadbolt or anything, so I took all of my valuables with me. When we got back, it still had the overwhelming chemical smell. I spilled a little water on the floor and when I wiped it up, the tissue was completely black, indicating that it had been AGES since the floor was mopped. If there was such a stench of chemicals, how in the world was the floor still dirty? My wife said that the chemical smell was an "assault". She later joked that it seemed like a meth den and/or a place where someone may have been murdered to have such overwhelming fumes. It was really that bad. I found a large black hair of the worst kind on one of the CLEAN towels. The beds and pillows are wrapped in plastic and make a ton of noise, like my kid's toddler mattress. The foam mattresses are so soft that you slide right off of it if you sit on the side of the bed. The battery in the TV remote was dead. The shower was very small (Not a huge deal, I love historic properties and was expecting that), but it was FILTHY. There was a plastic anti-slip mat in the bottom that looked like it had NEVER been moved, let alone cleaned. The shower curtain was grubby as well. No trash can in the bathroom. THERE WERE ZERO SMOKE and CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS in the ENTIRE SUITE. It was impossible to connect to the WiFi despite trying multiple times. We ended up leaving within 15 minutes of returning to the room that evening. When I called to check out because we couldn't stay in these conditions, the owner was aghast that I would be upset with these issues. She asked about specifics and when I told her about the issues, she couldn't believe that I felt this way. She said that she'd move us to another room but there were no others available (which I found suspicious since there was only one other car in the lot at 9pm and the entire property was silent and dark). I said no thank you to that regardless of availability. We were charged for BOTH NIGHTS despite that not being the cancellation policy ("Cancellations must be made 48 hours prior to arrival to receive a full refund. If a cancellation is made after that time you will be charged a one night stay"). Big thanks to the Best Western staff down the street. They accommodated us and took great care of us. Plus that room was CLEAN! Yes, this is considered a 1-star hotel, but I couldn't even give it that. I don't understand how this place has such good reviews. There is so much potential with this historic property, too bad the owners are missing out on a great opportunity to have a super nice spot. read more

Cozy little motel located in the tiny town of Mariposa. My parents and I stayed in one of the two suites. The room was very clean and comfortable with a separate living room area with seating. There was even a fridge. The wifi was a bit spotty. One minute it worked. The next minute it doesn't work. The breakfast was the worst that I have ever had. They only had toast, bagels, muffin, and granola. The only good thing was the coffee. It is a wonderful place to stay at if you are going to Yosemite. read more

For the price, I was expecting more bang for my buck. I never saw a human being. 100% contactless, your name is on a chalkboard and the key is on the door, good night and good luck. I don't need a full-service concierge, but some tips about Yosemite and local haunts would have been nice. The shower was the stuff of nightmares. If you're over 5'5", you'll have to hunch over, and you'll likely knock over the weak magnetic strip on the shower head. Also, trickling shower pressure, and the hot water ran out consistently every night after a few minutes. We took cold showers every night. Washing out shampoo in cold water and then having to face the freeze for conditioner was a bummer. Thin blankets. There was also noisy road work directly outside of the hotel all through the night, but that's not the hotel's fault. Still, earplugs or a head's up would have been a nice human touch, but again, there was no human to be found. On the other hand, the city is lovely and the location is really beautiful. The grounds are pretty and the cafe is cute. Dog-friendly. I was accidentally overcharged and the process to get my money back was easy. On the phone, whoever is running this motel is professional. read more

A very pleasant and comfortable stay in this small Mariposa Inn. Extremely nice owners were welcoming and helpful. Breakfast in the small, sunny cafe was simple and delicious- especially appreciated was the fresh fruit (berries, cut up peaches), homemade granola and good coffee. We joined the fun on Taco Tuesday for street tacos prepared by owners and staff accompanied by a live bluegrass band. Highly recommend this Inn and the town of Mariposa (see photo) as a stop to Yosemite. read more

River Rock Inn - Hotels Near Me - Mariposa, California

"Ok" is what it says when you click on 3 stars on Yelp, and basically, "Ok" is what this place is. I can't tell if the $200 we spent a night is too much or just the cost of staying in a town near Yosemite in June (high season). Probably the latter and give them the benefit of the doubt. Regardless, the hotel feels a bit old and worn. It was clean enough though. The total saving grace is that the coffee shop right next door is amazing, so I'm putting in a 5 star review for them! read more

Friendly staff-real people who care! Stayed one night in room 8 on a Sunday night in March. Don't expect resort style-this room is basic fair but remarkably clean with comfy beds and quiet. (except or the frogs croaking which i personally liked.). Free breakfast. We brought our dog and there was no additional fee. 45 min from Yosemite. On Monday we stayed at Tanaya Lodge which is also about 45 min from the main attractions in Yosemite (even though they are 5 miles from the "entrance". Don't let this fool you as it did me). If I had to do it all over again, I would have stayed at Mariposa all three nights. Thanks again ladies, it was great! read more

River Rock Inn - Hotels Near Me - Mariposa, California

we stay at this cute little place on Dec. 30,31st and enjoyed our stay in the cute town of Mariposa on the 31st we meet the own of River Rock at the bar she owns in town and she was such a pleasant sweet woman, she invited us to there New yrs. eve party. We went and had the time of our lives Stephanie and Keith are the owner of both of these places and they were so much fun. read more

I hadn't been to Yosemite since I was a child, so it's fair to say that on my recent California trip, spending time there with my fiance was high on the list. Of course, back then I actually lived in the Central Valley, so Yosemite was always a day trip. But this time around, we had to find a place to stay. And as much as I would love to kick it at the Ahwahnee for a couple nights, I don't have that kind of budget. So I did some scouring and came across River Rock Inn. Mariposa seems to have a lot of little privately-owned inns, and we wanted more of that rustic charm feel and not the corporate chain ick. But with rustic charm can come undesirable things, like bed bugs. So I put my fate in the hands of fellow Yelpers, and was not disappointed. We made our reservations in advance by a few months and the replies to our emails were all super prompt. A credit card number was required but no hold was put on it - this is more for the case of people violating the cancelation policy. When we realized that we would pull into town way past check-in hours, a quick email to Vicky and she informed us where to find our key. So when we did roll up at 3 a.m. after driving from Los Angeles, we were able to get in our room and go to sleep without any hassle. The room itself was purple, decently sized, with a little electric fireplace, and a bathroom (although no separate door). It had the home-y kind of lived-in feel but was still clean, which is good. In the mornings, there was coffee, water, juice, a variety of fresh fruits, homemade treats, and granola to eat. It's not an all-out buffet, but it was better than your standard danish continental breakfast by far. We ate our food out in the sun at our leisure, and were greeted by friendly employees walking by in addition to being subjected to the occasional disinterested glance from the resident Bernese Mountain Dog snoozing by the BBQ. As for the deli, pretty top-notch. I was impressed to find vegan and vegetarian sandwiches available, and they weren't boring either. We only got one for our day and split it along with our various other road trip snacks, but it was delicious nonetheless. Like others have said, it was also pricey for Mariposa, but just having the option is progressive enough for me. All in all, we enjoyed our time spent here (as well as its proximity to Prospectors across the street), and if we end up staying in Mariposa again, this is probably where it will be. read more

Had lunch here today. I had the Catstroville, a pesto chicken sandwich on their bread and it was excellent. My partner had The Grove sandwich which was also very good. Everyone from our server to the cook to the bartender was very friendly and made sure we were happy. I'd visit again without a doubt. read more

River Rock Inn - Garden decoration - Hotels Near Me - Mariposa, California

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Deli Garden Cafe Mariposa, California 1pm Friday 20 April 2012 Four and Half Stars Passing up the corporate sandwich establishment down the street, we decided to eat a sandwich from the River Rock Inn's Deli Garden Cafe. This delightful place was uncrowded and had a great casual vibe. I ordered the Rocktrami ($7) and the Sandwich Goddess behind the counter combined Rye Bread, Pastrami, Sour Kraut, Swiss, and Honey Bacon Mustard into a delicious handheld meal. The sandwich itself was a little small but nevertheless filling plus the $7 price included a green apple or a bag chips. I also tried a 25 cent Noah Oxygenated Water, Spoiler Alert: it tasted just like water. Overall, I loved this little sandwich dispensary. read more

River Rock Inn - Rocktrami - Hotels Near Me - Mariposa, California

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Great and quiet place to stay a few nights while visiting Yosemite national park. Try their sandwiches!! They are amazing! read more

River Rock Inn - Hotels Near Me - Mariposa, California

This review is for the lodging. Jill, the owner, is so friendly and welcoming that it just stands out. Most lodging staff are so impersonal, or worse, negative or hostile. Running across someone who takes the time to put a personal touch on things is so refreshing. She runs the place more like a bed and breakfast than a little motor-court. The room was clean and had a welcoming feel to it. The bed was comfortable. There were tasty cookies waiting for us and muffins for breakfast. The coffee was good and there were two different kinds of creamer. The shampoo and conditioner were top-notch. Outside is a lovely deck and patio, with tables to sit at. And dog friendly to boot! I will be staying here whenever I am in the area. read more

My family and I finished an epic day in Yosemite and arrived late in the evening. We are a family of 4 and loved our stay. They left the key in the door for us. We had room #9 and it had the cutest patio to sit in. It's a quaint and subtle pace to stay. We loved it & the cafe attached is the best...we had our coffee and breakfast from there and ate in the patio! We fell in love with Mariposa, because of this place. read more

I stayed one night & the check in was very convenient. Our key was left in the door along with our room number. The Inn is old & worn down. The shower seemed dirty & had some hair on the floor. The coffee shop is awesome for the morning! Overall a good stay just expensive for a one night. read more

What a great surprise. Completely untraditional salads and sandwiches we had delicious salads with quinoa, brown rice spinach hummus. Great for vegetarians and non. read more

Lunch on the patio with friends. Staff so friendly and the sandwiches we had were delicious. My relatives who live in Mariposa were well know to staff and they even showed up while we were there. Fun time. I definitely will go back. read more

This place was a great place to stay on our trip to Yosemite. First of all, the rooms were neat, tidy, and well kept. There was lots of room, and 2 separate spaces perfect if you had 2 parties and only wanted one room. Not only was the room nice, but the ambiance of the area and town, and the whole Inn and cafe was really nice. Super cozy feeling, and definitely makes for a good vacation/weekend to Yosemite. However, the thing to rave about it how friendly the staff is! Our man Adam, came back to do some handy man work late at night on Thanksgiving. Shows the dedication of the staff, and really why this place deserves my 5 stars. Most places would not go that far to please customers (as a lot of people know first hand). Overall, we all really enjoyed our stay and this yelp is much over due. They deserve all the praise they get. Really hope they keep it up, for my next stay! read more

Owners are rad! Rooms are clean and modern! Food and drinks are on point! Can't say anymore.

Do not stay here. These people are thieves. I reserved 3 rooms. Never showed up cause I had some issues with the covid virus and they charged me for all three rooms! That's theft l. I don't care what your policy is. You charged me for something I didn't come close to using. Is this how you guys pay your bills? What a pathetic company! I'll tell everyone who comes up that way to avoid this roach motel like the effin plague. read more

Self righteous hippies. To start. The sandwiches are by far the best in town. BUT when they skip out on ingredients because they refuse to serve veggies not grown in their own garden I have to draw the line. Do you know how hard it is to find a decent vegetarian dish in a conservative redneck one horse town? For a short time the river rock cafe was my light at the end of the tunnel. Sure the prices were regoddamndiculous, but the quality made up for it. But now I have to pay $8 for some bread lettuce cheese and a smear of pesto and avocado? Good grief And spare me your speech about how other providers tomatoes are poison, yet you have no problem selling potato chips and beer? Goodby Vicky hello Subway read more

Very comfortable, quiet, cozy and charming room. This little hotel is just a half block off of the historical main street with plenty of downtown restaurants, shops and beer/wine tasting, pubs with musical entertainment. We're locals, and came here to stay for a "date night", and it was so nice to have a couple of drinks downtown and just walk back to our room. Hotel has satellite TV, a mini fridge and coffee maker, and their Deli Garden cafe has food that is off the charts with plenty of vegetarian options. Mariposa is a fun little town close to Yosemite and a great place to relax after hiking and site-seeing. Lots of history in town because of John C Fremont and the gold-rush. read more

This review is for the lodging. I didn't eat in the restaurant. I picked RRI kind of at random for the right balance of price ($109 midweek) to park proximity. As always, my review is written in the context of comparing it to other inns in this price range. First of all, everyone was exceedingly nice and friendly, which was a big change from the place I stayed in the previous night in Lee Vining! They even upgraded me to a suite for free (due to a clerical error on their end, but still!). As a result, my room had a separate living room area with seating. The rooms were clean, pleasant, and very quiet. RRI benefits from being centrally-located in Mariposa, but off on a little side street, so there wasn't any highway noise. The place is independently-owned and dog-friendly, and the little cafe is charmingly-decorated. Parking is easy. There is free wifi throughout. The (included) breakfast is the best I've had in a while -- high-quality granola and yogurt, fresh fruit salad with delicious summer berries, and a variety of creative breakfast breads. My only complaints are: (1) This isn't the hotel's fault, but it's farther away from the Yosemite entrance than I expected, because the road is two-lane and windy the whole way. Depending on how many slow drivers you get behind, it takes 1-2 hours to get to the Curry Village parking lot, even though its only about 40 miles. Just plan accordingly (I didn't, and had to bag a particularly long planned hike.) (2) Apparently it's the policy that rooms are not made up each night. I don't expect clean sheets and towels every day, but making up the bed and taking the trash out would have been nice. I didn't try the restaurant, but looking at their menu I see veg-friendly and even vegan items. There is also a Subway across the street, and Happy Burger has a surprisingly delicious black bean burger (see my separate review). Whether you are going to Yosemite, or just want to spend a day relaxing in their lovely little outdoor patio/garden, I would definitely recommend RRI. read more

Cute, cozy, warm and inviting. A perfect place to stay in the wintertime (or anytime) on your trip to Yosemite (which is only forty minutes away). Room rates vary depending on the season. When I stayed in early February it was 55/night, with complimentary pastries, coffee/tea, fruit each morning and awesome service. There are only a few rooms here, but they're super cozy and perfect for two. We stayed in the Bella Noche Room, which was simply decorated with everything in a dark maroon. Equipped with a television, a fridge, a heater/fake fireplace, and small bathroom (to which there were no doors, only a curtain!). Comfy bed, soft pillows, I couldn't ask for more. The place seems to attract quite a few animals, too. Every night you can hear frogs croaking on the premises from your room. There's a dog that likes to take naps right in the middle of the parking lot. And oddly enough, every morning we went outside we were greeted by a big white dove that made the rounds perching on all the cars in the lot. By far the best part of the stay here was the pleasant surprise Friday night. I guess the Inn/Deli has Appertivo Nights every Friday from 5-8 with local music, a modest but good beer and wine selection, (Arrogant Bastard from Stone, Fat Tire, Great White, etc.) and deliciously free food (panini bites, stuffed peppers, soups...mmm). Lots of locals here who are friendly and make you feel right at home. The first night we arrived, we were at a loss for anything to do in Mariposa, the kind of small town that falls asleep at 5 o'clock on a Friday night, but luckily, Appertivo night offered music, food, and great company. Any time I head up to Yosemite, I'll definitely be staying here. read more

Super friendly people in the cafe that is in the "lobby" of the inn. We really enjoyed the breakfast of homemade goodies, fruit & coffee. Room was small in a perfect kind of way. Next time through this will be a must. read more

Fantastic place to stay while visiting Yosemite! Staff is welcoming and friendly, rooms are nice and spacious and the sandwiches are unforgettable - best lunch after climbing Yosemite falls :). Mariposa itself is pretty charming and has everything you could possibly need for a good days' hike. Safe the money for the overpriced accommodation closer to the park and enjoy relaxing River Rock Inn instead! read more

River Rock Inn - Free breakfast!! - Hotels Near Me - Mariposa, California

Overall I really enjoyed my stay here. It was a cozy hotel with a great host. I looked forward to the breakfast every morning and coming back to a comfortable and clean room after being in the park all day. The only thing that I would note is that there is no Microwave in the room, which makes traveling with meals or food difficult. Our heater really didn't work, or was too complicated for us to figure out properly so we had some cold nights but overall I would highly recommend this Inn to anyone and when I return to Yosemite I will stay here again :) read more

River Rock Inn - Hotels Near Me - Mariposa, California

My boyfriend and I stayed here for our trip to Yosemite last weekend and loved this place! We drove up from the Bay Area in the morning and decided to check in after our visit to the park. I was so worried that the check in process was going to be bad since we didn't get back to the inn until 8ish. But, it was super easy! The room itself was pretty big and clean. Breakfast was provided in the morning which felt like we were right at home. And Jill was extremely nice! The only cons are that the water pressure in our room wasn't the greatest (but that didn't matter too much since we only spent one night there) and like most other hotels, it's a bit of a drive to Yosemite. I wouldn't take away stars for either of those though. Thanks for having us, Jill! We will definitely be back soon! :) read more

After a week of jumping from hotel to hotel throughout Northern California This was by far our favorite It felt like I was staying at a dear aunties house. Even had freshly baked cookies waiting for us on the dresser. It was very homie and the staff was very friendly. We sat talking to Adam after breakfast for a while and we really enjoyed his company. Continental breakfast was fresh and coffee was great. Rad location A+ I highly suggest read more

I was here on taco night.. Oh my god. I am from Massachusetts and probably have no real yard stick for good tacos....but seriously these were the best I have ever had. I got the veggie and fish. Incredibly fresh and flavorful. The outdoor area was very very pretty with tons of chairs and christmas light type things going on....awesome live music too. If I lived here I would be a regular read more

This was my first time visiting this restaurant. The food was delicious and the prices were very reasonable. I recommend this little place to anyone looking for a place to have lunch with a friend and be blessed. The servings were just enough and the service was very pleasant. This was encouraging enough for me to return. read more

My partner and I live in Yosemite National Park, and this is now our monthly get-away spot. For the same price or less than much lower-rated accommodation, you get a lot more personal service. The woman who owns the motel and cafe is really sweet- almost motherly. She always seems to be around, asking if you need anything else and chit-chatting a bit. I really felt like I was visiting a relative. Quite cozy. The room we stayed in was dark purple-themed. Everything had been painted over, including the window A/C unit, which was cute. Small TV with cable, stand-up shower with no liner, but full bottles of shampoo and soap to use, like at a hostel. And the nicest towels ever. The decor was dated and mis-matched, and there were a couple of big cobwebs, but even though I noticed, I didn't mind at all. We actually work in housekeeping at a pretty major hotel, and this room was a lot nicer than a lot of the rooms we deal with on a daily basis. Still, this is where I take back that 5th star. Not because I care, but because if you're looking for some posh, spotless place, this isn't it. It really is a bit like staying with your aunt or something. The bed and the sheets were awesome. Big points for that. I had a hard time leaving. We stayed until the very last minute before check out. In the morning, you get a small breakfast of what appear to be homemade pastries, yogurt, and granola. What's really nice (and possibly dangerous) about the set-up here is that there is a bangin' cafe right next to your room, and you don't get charged for anything until check-out, so you can add anything to your tab. We ordered a late-night sandwich after sampling many beers at the Prospector across the street, and it was seriously the best sandwich I've ever had. I went back and gave the deli girl a hug. (She was awesome, too). Let's see...what else? It was totally cool to have Phillip, my parakeet, in the room, and he enjoyed it, too. There's a $25 fee for pets, but he didn't count. There is a $100 fee for smoking in the room, so be careful about that! Otherwise, everything else is really reasonable. Free WiFi and a really lovely patio, too. We will definitely be returning. read more

Worst customer experience! In October while driving from San Diego heading to the River Rock Inn in Mariposa, we got stuck in the Saddle Bridge fire in Santa Clarita as evacuation alerts were going on. The 210 and 5 were both completely shut down. Due to the smoke (my husband has cardiovascular disease) and inability to travel, we did not want to proceed further. I tried calling the Inn 3 times and could not reach anyone. I finally reached one of the owners, by phone two days later to let him know we tried to cancel our reservation due to the fire. Kieth referred me back to Booking.com to inquire about a refund. I did contact booking.com. Per booking.com, the River Rock Inn will let you cancel for free, without penalties. We've cancelled your reservation and emailed you a cancellation confirmation. I never received the refund and called the owner, Stephanie back. She was argumentative and told me there was no reason to cancel the reservation, there was no safety issue? Hmm Fire? She indicated that they are small business owners and have a strict refund policy. Stephanie told me she would call me back. She never did, I emailed her. She never responded. How poor is it that a small business owner will put their customer's safety at risk for $179.67. Sadly this business had no concern for extenuating circumstances that were beyond our control. This speaks volumes to their lack of customer service and business practices. Look elsewhere to stay when you are heading to Yosemite! read more

We read the reviews and were really looking forward to staying here. However when we arrived, it was pitch dark as there was little light in the tiny parking lot to see where we were going. Thought that was a bad sign and we were right. The room looked nothing like shown on Hotels.com. It was sparse and dark. Both bedspreads were low quality and had actual stains on them. The closets did not have doors and inside had water stains (or some kind of stains) on the walls. (When they removed the doors, no one even bothered to paint over the unpainted spots on the trip where the door hinges used to be.) The door to the bathroom would not latch. And the bathroom itself was hideous. So tiny only one average-size person could enter. Barely room to turn around. The shower was dark, mildewy, with a sloping floor, and again, tiny. It was located immediately next to the tiny sink - so you could wash your right hand in the sink and your left hand in the shower. The toilet was also within "arm's reach" but behind the door in a cubby. Adding insult to injury, the lighting started flickering during our short 10 minute stay. With a building this old ("oldest motel in Mariposa"), the last thing you want is outdated and dangerous electrical wiring. We fled to another motel which was much better and about $10 more. We then asked for a refund and the motel refused. Do yourself a favor and try America's Best or Best Western. They may not have the "character" of this place, but they are safe, clean and don't feel like you're living in the shack at the back of the property. read more

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"Exquisite rooms" as their sign says is a stretch, but I loved this place. In an area with many chain hotels, the place was a treat. We arrived at 9pm and the place was packed with locals, although the streets were empty. Folks, go home, it is 35 degrees outside! What a great environment and the owner is clearly the life of the place. Great spot! and cheap! read more