Wuksachi Lodge — Hotel in Exeter

Due to the many highly rated reviews, I was expecting more than what I paid for. $230 as a discounted AAA rate isn't peanuts, and for that price I was expecting a resort and not a motel.

First, there is no parking directly in front of the reception for guest to quickly check in. You would still have to park in the parking lot and run to the lobby to check in. I guess I didn't look as good as the previous guest, because I didn't get my room upgraded. Hotel staff greeted me and gave me some brief information to get my stay started.

Upon getting to the rooms, I had to park in a no parking zone to get my bags out. Though there were many luggage carts, there were no attendants to help unload and transport to the room. Baggage was then lugged to the second story up the stairs due to the lack of elevator.

The room was about the same size as an average yet dated Hampton inn with far less amenities. No microwave, no DVD player, different colored bulbs (maybe it's just a pet peeve of mine), each bed had only two small and flat pillows each, linen was pretty rough, and the comforter had stains on them. Corners, curtains, and ceiling fan were dusty and had cob webs. Tub was cracked, tub spout would not operate properly when attempting to switch to the shower head and the shower head was weak and seemed to not operate properly as well. Shower had a soap dispenser, yet you had your choice of lime scented shampoo or lime scented shampoo. The toilet flushed like it was made by NASA and required 300 psi to propel your flush into space (sorry I'll leave the jokes out) it was loud.

The walls are pretty thin and the hotel allows pets. The WiFi is only mediocre in the lobby and pretty much non existent in the rooms. Vending machine was down and there were no other community amenities near the rooms.

For the price I'd expect at least a continental breakfast and due to the lack of activities available at the lodge, there could have been complimentary sack lunches as well (Hampton inn does this free of charge).

I guess I was expecting a camp lodge experience with campfires going to enjoy, s'mores, and a friendly old bearded guy playing campfire songs for the guests. After all, the experience of seeing the Sequoia are a once in a lifetime experience, and I was hoping the lodging would be as well.

Lastly, if you book online you will be charged a deposit (equivalent to a one night stay), when you check out, the entire bill will be charged to your card. If you used a credit card the deposit will be credited back to your account in a couple days, if debit, 7-30 days depending on your bank.

It is apparent that businesses in these rare locations do not place customer service high on their agenda. Where else would you stay and eat so close to the Sequoia? And I guess this is why they don't have to strive so hard as other competitors.

I'm new at this review thing, though it is well overdue, customer service in this country is not what it used to be. I am not one of those guys that gives jiffy lube coffee a five star rating, and neither should the reviewers (no offense to jiffy lube coffee).

To prove my point, at the end of my stay I was greeted with my bill at the lobby and was not asked how my stay was. Not one to split hairs, but it would have been nice to be asked. Sorry wuksachi lodge, it wasn't worth the visit.

Thank you owner for acknowledging my experience, I post not only to help your business grow but to allow business owners the ability to improve and keep an edge on the corporate conglomerates that corner each market. In any business, customer experience and service should be the corner Stone to any business. Without the customer, there would be no business. The location of your lodge is in a beautiful area and I wish the best of business for you in the...

Visiting Sequoia national Park was a highly anticipated trip for me. We planned to couple visiting this bucket list location with a special visit with our adult children from different parts of the country-and we decided to splurge on an in Park lodge stay. At over $400 a night I naïvely expected an “experience” and not just a great location. I want to start by saying I am happy and relieved to say all the parks main roads are very smooth and well maintained. Aside from that and the beautiful nature, ALL the bathrooms I used while visiting different attraction spots (I have a bladder the size of a marble) were dirty, crowded, small and old. Even within Wuksachi Lodge my husband told me nothing worked-soap dispensers, hand dryers.

What I was most frustrated, distressed and angry about was the lack of communication re the conditions in and around the guest accommodations. My husband is disabled and walks with a cane, we asked for a wheelchair to take him between our room to the lodge for dinner, because the distance was too far for him to walk-I don’t recall reading anywhere about the distance between these locations-which for people with mobility issues was a trek and an issue. I think I saw a sign or notice that your lodge is ADA accessible-that is soooo false! Your inclined cement/dirt paths from bedrooms to lodge were uneven, cracked and dangerously dark and unlit throughout most of the paths. Even the stairs for those of us not disabled are uneven and require conscious stepping. I don’t recall the website stating that flashlights between bedrooms and lodge are essential but they absolutely are since its pitch black after sundown in many places and as I stated-and experienced-the “path” was dangerous and uneven in many spots.

As for the actual accommodations/bedrooms-I have enjoyed better conditions in most $150/night hotels than I did in this $400/night one. Which was very disappointing to me. I felt taken advantage of-that overnight stays cost such a premium and yet aside from the privilege of being inside the park- the accommodations were sub par and at times even dangerous. The shower was a little better than a trickle and was not very hot for very long. The beds were a little too firm for me and the pillows were very big and firm and as a smaller person -Five foot one-were very uncomfortable for me. The heating/cooling system was loud and either too hot or too cold. Of course we loved the trees and the mountains but our experience with the Wuksachi Lodge rooms and paths left me with such strong negative thoughts I would warn people away from it. They should try experiencing the grounds through the real eyes of a disabled person and their caregiver- and make the necessary repairs and improvements OR become much more transparent on their website so that people know that this place is only for the young, strong and those with night vision goggles. (I sent this same review...

This was our first visit to Sequoia National Park and we stayed at Wuksachi Lodge as it was the closest to the attractions and really the only place you can stay in the park. It was myself (age 37, and my two sons, age 9 and 12). Overall the stay at the Lodge was satisfactory.

PROS: Closest to all attractions, beautiful view from the deck, only place to stay in the park (next closest is Three Rivers, which is about an hour drive away down a very winding road).

And, here are a couple of things you need to know before going.

1. No air-conditioning in rooms (except for the superior rooms): We went during a bit of a heatwave, temperatures were about 30 degrees C, which made the rooms quite warm - even with the window fans. I wished that this was more clearly communicated in the room booking as I didn't realize there was no A/C until looking again (after reading another review). Since it was so hot, we had the fans on all night which was so loud to sleep with. My advice: Go during a cooler time of year or spend the extra $$ on the superior room.

2. Food: There are two places to eat the lodge - #1 Restaurant, #2 Pizza Deck. We had the buffet breakfast two mornings at the restaurant. The Wednesday morning was excellent, lots of food, and fruit, with great service. We went again Friday morning - and it was a completely different story. There was no batter for waffles, no bacon, minimal fruit, and the service was stretched thin. The pizza deck had great pizza and that was it - the soup was lacking, salad was not great and the sandwiches were something from a grocery store counter (made overnight and left in a fridge). My advice: Not much to say here, get the pizza for sure and overall the food is satisfactory/medicore and overpriced, but you're in a national park - so this is expected.

3. Trek to the rooms: all of the rooms are in another area from the main lodge. You will have to climb either stairs or ramps to get to your room and there are no elevators in the lodges. This was especially difficult for families with small children or elderly. Add in the fact that you're high in elevation, it really was an obstacle to get to things to your room. My advice: ask for help from the staff (I wish I did this before I lugged up all my luggage on my own with my kids - single mom here). Take it slow.

4. Drive to the lodge: This is a warning to everyone that the drive to the lodge and into Sequoia National Park is VERY WINDING. The road is narrow, with many spots where there is no railing and it's just open to the steep drop off below. You will need to be a confident driver to drive here. It definitely took me for a shock that first day, after spending a week here, I got used to it. But overall, I wanted to warn people who may not be strong drivers. My advice: take it slow, go with someone who is a confident driver.

I hope this was helpful for everyone to hear - I wish I knew these things...