Apple Blossom Inn Yosemite — Hotel in Oakhurst

My first comment about the Apple Blossom is that Candy was very welcoming and helpful during my husband’s initial phone contact before we made our reservation and when I emailed her about the amenities at the Inn, she got back with me quickly with complete information. This is always a good sign. We like and appreciate when we can reach out to the owner of the property prior to our stay. She indicated during that conversation that if we got up early to go into the park that she would have breakfast items available to us if we couldn’t be there for her normal for breakfast that is served at 8:30 AM. |The bed and breakfast is tucked away a little off Highway 41 and at night is a little tricky to find until you establish a landmark. We took the scenic route, 49, to the Inn on our arrival day and unfortunately ran a little bit late due to treacherous mountain roads, but we gave Candy an hour notice that we would not be there by 7 PM and she simply asked that we call when we arrived. We were there by 7:15 and she was at the building and came out to greet us as soon as we arrived. We appreciated the personal touch she gave to her guests. She showed us around the Inn and handed us the keys to our room upstairs as well as showed us our private bathroom across the hall. I will say that I did not understand initially that the bathroom would be across the hall but having stayed at bed and breakfasts before where we had a shared bathroom, I was still happy to have our own space. She has nice bath robes in the closet of each room so if you need to travel back-and-forth it’s easy to slip on a robe and not be concerned if you bump into the other guests staying upstairs in the second bedroom. Both the bedroom and bathroom were clean when we arrived. I tend to be very particular about neatness and having items in my accommodations that are fairly new and updated but I would say the apple blossom has more of a 1980s feel but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Candy opened the Inn about 15 yrs ago and has run it pretty much on her own. One of the days during our stay there was a power outage that affected the entire county, all the way up to the fancy lodges in Yosemite. I believe her guests were all out and about so no one was inconvenienced, but she was very concerned about getting her rooms turned around for her new check-ins and the fact that guests would not have a/c or water if they returned before power was restored.|On those subjects, water pressure is a bit low and shower heads a bit low and the tub does not drain quickly as stated in other reviews but did not find it a big issue. The air was comfortable in the building but at night you would want to close and lock your bedroom door so there is the option of leaving a small window open with use of ceiling fan or use the room a/c but it was very loud. The one night I turned it on I literally could not get to sleep due to the noise, although my spouse was already asleep and it did not wake him. Newer, quieter units might be my suggestion or better ventilation into the rooms from house unit. |My biggest disappointment was I would like to have sat on the quiet balcony outside our upstair room but it was full of leaves, white chairs were dirty and had spider webs. My suggestion would be to keep up that space for guests who want to sip a glass of wine out there under the stars. Also I would have liked a more comfortable upholstered chair to sit in in the room as ours had a wooden swivel chair that seemed a bit unsafe as I tripped over the leg. But the room was clean and nice. Bed comfortable. |I will say that the first morning we came downstairs, Candy immediately asked if there was anything we needed. |Candy was very diligent to get breakfast started and finished on time and had it displayed on an easy serve-yourself table inside the kitchen. She had coffee going and juice options as well as tea and hot chocolate options. We had a broccoli and cheese quiche which she said she got from a local baker. On the other mornings we got freshly made pancakes and French toast along with a bowl of wonderful fresh fruit of which included blackberries that they pick there on the property. We were slightly disappointed not to get apples from her apple trees on the property but she explained the situation with deer getting to her apple trees. She has beehives also on the property and has been known to serve some of her honey but I did not see any while we were there and then reading prior reviews I see she used to include bacon or sausage with breakfast and we had no meat while we were there but I won’t say that that’s a necessity for me. She did have yogurt and granola out which was a somewhat healthier option although maybe a plain Greek yogurt would be a better option is not so much sugar for those of us that try to avoid it. After breakfast is served, she immediately cleans up the kitchen and leaves her guest in private but there’s always morning conversation in the kitchen with either Candy herself or the other guests. We made friends from both Texas and California while there and met some other guests that were staying from Florida like us. We were able to chat and find common interests and also get advice about what to do in the area or simply what other fun activities the other guess were doing during their stay. I did not speak with anyone who was in anyway unhappy about the accommodations and one of the couples had been there several times over the years as they have family in the area. Because the mornings are fairly comfortable this time of year, instead of serving people inside the living room area we had breakfast out on the deck near the hot tub.|We did see the hot tub, while on that subject and mention from the other couple that I believe they used it but it was kept covered and I do not recall candy offering use of the hot tub to us directly or any instruction on how to use it. |Many people traveling to the inn might be surprised to find out that the TVs at the inn are only for use with VHS movies. Frankly, we did not have time to watch TV as we were out and about enjoying Yosemite so it really did not affect us and there is Wi-Fi there so my suggestion would be have your smart phone or tablet available as you can watch TV on those devices as an alternative.|Candy does supply games and one family had a game of Monopoly going and admitted that that was the first time they’ve had sat down to a board game in a long time and they spend at least two nights playing it in the downstairs living area. So not having a television probably brings families together and what could be bad about that? |If you are the type that likes a hotel room that comes with all the modern amenities then I would say an Inn like this is probably not for you ... but if you like a nice wholesome surrounding (home away from hime feel) and other people to meet and get to know, then this is the perfect spot for you. You definitely get a personal touch here and after you stay here you realize the hard work and commitment the owner has to her inn and guests. Any bad reviews seen on the Inn were likely due to misunderstandings or language issues as we discovered there are many many foreigners that visit that area at this time of the year and it’s understandable just see how there could be a lack of communication or miscommunication. I guarantee if you have any issue once you arrive, Candy will do her best to accommodate you. We enjoyed our stay and I would likely stay again if we go back to that area. I First thought that the rooms were pricier than what we have experienced in the past but then it is California and typically prices are higher there then other parts of the country. Overall, I think anyone staying here...

We stayed at this B&B for six nights this past summer. It’s a small B&B so the two rooms our group rented comprised about half of her occupancy. Both my sister-in-law and myself worked for many years in hospitality (restaurants & hotels) and my husband and I are in the process of opening a resort in Alaska.

Having both worked so long in this field we felt compassion for this one woman operation run by Candy. We were paying about $250 a night for each of our two rooms.

Candy refused to provide breakfast on any of the days her inn was not at full capacity. I’m not kidding. All cookies provided were simply yanked from a premise package from Von’s. She complained one morning that another guest had made coffee when they left at dawn. She actually instructed us to reheat the remains of their cold coffee in the microwave, refusing to permit us to brew a fresh pot.

Our two units were not particularly clean. Candy lectured our 3 kids (in front of us) that they’d “better just reuse towels during the week because no more are coming!” Really? Oh my. That lecture was directed at our girls but intended also for us.

Our shared bathroom had a mat still soaked from the people before us. We could see their footprints. Candy was angry when we brought it into the main house and we asked if we could toss it into the wash.

Candy complained throughout our week long stay that she “hasn’t had a day off since April!” We did our best to befriend her during our stay, clearing our own tables, cleaning our own units daily, engaging with her in kind and hearty chitchat. Neither of our 2 rooms had a working tv. The TVs in both units were broken and had 12 inch screens circa 1980s. We never complained.

It was noteworthy to us both that Candy never had a kind word to share about past guests or even her own sister. She painted a picture of past guests who “were liars...out to sue (her)...distructive of the place”. She also boasted of her plans to cut her younger sister from their mother’s will. Oh my. Hearing these stories every day we both committed to keeping our kooky host happy. We humored her as best we could.

We’ve both been reviewers on Yelp for years. It bothered us to see the cards Candy hands out to guests at checkin and checkout. She claims to be conducting “a review contest” promising “a $500 shopping spree!” For good reviews. This would account for the many glowing 5 star reviews of her inn.

During our stay my sister-in-law accidentally left her wallet in the town Italian restaurant. It was never found so she was forced to cancel her credit cards. She and her husband (my brother, a surgeon) own a Surgery Center. She and her husband made arrangements directly with Candy to pay for our stay via his VISA card over the phone. Candy put this off until check out morning.

About two hours before checkout time we all came down to the main house for breakfast and to pay. The inn was full that day so Candy actually prepared a meal. She asked us to let her finish with breakfast before calling to pay our bill.

After breakfast my sister-in-law contacted her husband for his VISA info. My brother told us he was transferring the $2,700 or so Candy required into that particular Visa account when he reached Chase Bank at 9:30.

Nevertheless, Candy immediately tried to post the $2,600+ charge the moment she was handed their VISA numbers. We reminded her that the money was being switched into the account by 9:30 (30 minutes away). We waited right there as Candy informed us that we’d had an “amazing stay”. I kid you not, at about 9:10 am this kook of an innkeeper decided to run their card again. She then complained that “it’s costing me $1.50 each time it’s declined!” We offered to pay.

We had discussed the troubles of our stay between each other but decided not to post reviews. We had both decided this inn to be worthy of no more than 3 stars at best. When my sister-in-law reminded Candy of a number of shortcomings Candy refused to give her a receipt for the $2,600 she had just been paid. She screamed at us, “you’re a fuc-ing...

I usually don’t write reviews but doing this for you to know how unsafe we felt on thanks giving here .. we booked a stay for three nights and left after staying for one night as we saw a knife on candy’s husband belt , and a weird email from her the next morning stating that she needs my credit card information asap ( on the second day of the stay )

there was another family staying next door and left in the morning .. candy’s husband told us that they stayed with them three times , but after talking to the the family , they told us that they don’t remember that they visited this place before … .we checked in on 24th and informed her before that ,we will be bringing our assistance animal with us . As this property is listed as pet friendly on Expedia .. however after our first stay of night she sent an email that she’s has been checking into our room ( behind our backs ) and found dog pee spots and she need my credit card while sarcastically writing where is my emotional support? ,(And making fun of disability as I have a emotional assistance animal ) and that my dog is not a good dog ..

I wanted to email her back that the spots on her room were from a backpack leak after hiking but I realized that emailing back to this women won’t be any good after reading other reviews on google and decided to leave as later the same evening We checked our room and found out that cash was missing from both of our wallets that was approx $1000 ..

We called Expedia and asked for a refund and stating all reasons but candy refused to refund us .. however we left after first night stay but we paid for three nights .. I really regret making the decision of staying here .. This place is beautiful but it’s also in the middle of nowhere and you can’t reach for any help if situation arises . we thank to god that we both left the place at 10 pm at night for our safety even when we...