Tenaya at Yosemite

I couldn't get a reservation in Yosemite Valley, so I looked at the places outside of the national park. Tenaya was pricey, but looked so nice and is so close to the park that we bit the bullet and made a reservation for 3 nights. This was the best 3 nights of our national parks trips! What a beautiful resort, with all types of lodging. We chose to stay in the main lodge hotel. Our room was a long distance from the hub of activity, which was both good and bad. The room was secluded and quiet, but we felt like we were on a cruise ship walking the whole distance of the ship to get to the restaurant. Good for burning extra calories. The room was so spacious and modern, really nice! We even had a balcony! It was big enough for a circular table and 4 chairs. The king size bed and pillows were so comfortable! We slept well after being out in Yosemite all day. The lounge has comfortable seating and a beautiful fireplace that was always on. The pool/hot tub area was our favorite spot. We came back each day after being in Yosemite and relaxed in the hot tub to soothe our feet and joints, then relaxed in the lawn chairs or swam in the pool. The pool has a kid friendly area as well. In the evenings, they light the fire pits on the lawn and provide ingredients for s'mores. There are kids games and corn hole for playing on the lawn, as well. There are lots of activities available, but we spent the bulk of our time in the national park. The restaurant in the hotel is full service - bar, indoor seating, outdoor seating, breakfast buffet, etc. The menu is limited and pricey but the food and service was good. There are TVs on in the bar and a fireplace in the main dining area. There's a fire pit near the outdoor patio seating. I was told there's a pizza restaurant on the property but it's a 5 minute walk from the hotel. After all the walking in Yosemite, we didn't want another hike for dinner. The other food option is the little market store next to the restaurant with some fresh fruit, some frozen foods, and prepared, pre-packaged sandwiches, fruit cups, etc. You can pick up anything you need for lunch or snacking throughout the day. They even have fresh pastries, muffins, and coffee if you're not really a breakfast person. The staff goes out of their way to make you feel welcome, from the front desk to the housekeeping staff. There are two small gift shops, if you're looking for clothing or trip mementos. This is more than a hotel. It's truly a resort. We loved staying here and would choose it again, even though it's very pricey. The price of the room was different each day, getting more expensive the closer we got to the weekend. There are also 5 different taxes and fees that added over $82 per day to our bill. So it's not cheap. But it's really nice and the only nice place we saw to stay this close to Yosemite's south entrance.