Yosemite's Four Seasons Vacation Rental — Hotel in Oakhurst

We spent four nights at a condominium managed by Scenic Wonders Vacation Homes & Condos. Although this place is within the Yosemite National Park, not many people who work at the Park know about it because of a quirk of history. The land was acquired in the 19th Century by a Canadian Lumber company which later sold its land to a private company or to private individuals. Hence this is an area that is not controlled by the National Park. It is situated after Glacial Point, around 45 minutes from Yosemite's valley and not the 15-20 minutes stated in their brochure, so it's quite a long way away from the hub of the park, with an hour and half round trip to get to Yosemite Waterfall or the General Grocery Store. There is nobody on duty in the condos in case something happens. There is a telephone to ring but sometimes there is nobody to answer it. It was engaged on two occasions that I rang.You are given a code (your last 4 digits of your telephone and you are left to figure out where your condo is situated). The condos themselves are well appointed and spacious but nothing fancy. There is a fridge, stove, microwave, a large assortment of kitchen utensils such as pots and pans, crockery and cutlery, a large propane fireplace, with a big table and two large beds. The room comes with a terrace. There is also ample parking room for cars. The main problem for us is that it was hard to find in the dark and misty evening. The numbering of the place did not appear to follow a set pattern. Once there, it was relatively easy but at one point we did feel that we were going to sleep in our car as we just could not find the place. We booked it because we thought we would be close to the valley. There is sporadic internet connection. Vending and ice machines are available. ||We were snowed in one day and it was only at the end of the afternoon that somebody came around with some lanterns just in case the electricity did not come back that evening. Fortunately, we did not need to use them and the propane for the fire did not run out. ||The map provided to fin the Condos is not fit for purpose as it seems to assume that you know the area well. It is a rabbit warren with many houses dotted around the area. The toiletries provided were minimal ||This place would certainly suit a small family that wants a quiet life. There is nothing to do in the area apart from hiking and going to Glacial Point, which is five minutes away on the main road. However, going to the Valley is a long way and the price charged does not reflect this...

We reserved our cabin (which sleeps 22 people and seats 16 for dinner)a year in advance for our party of 12-15 adults, 3 toddlers and a little boy. We stayed in the same place about 15 years ago and loved it. It appears no maintenance has happened since then. We rented "Wonderland Summer, Winter, Autumn, Spring" at a rate of about $7000 for a week, because we wanted a big space for a family reunion. When we arrived, the manager told us we were early and that the larger duplex (Summer/Winter) was not yet ready, and then called housekeeping who said it was ready. Although the beds had lovely sheets, and the towels were very nice, there were no sheets provided for the sofa beds (which we got from their laundry room). They complained when we asked for extra towels for the toddlers. The refrigerator in the main kitchen (Summer) did not work and had the stench of rotten meat that was so bad it smelled like a dead body had been stuffed in it for the winter. I gagged every time the door opened and even with it shut, the whole house reeked. After we completely cleaned it out (not done before our arrival) and stuffed it with baking soda and newspapers, it still smelled so bad at the end of the week we could only put in canned beverages which we washed before opening.. The extra refrigerator on the porch worked moderately well, but did not maintain a level of cold that was food safe. The one in Winter, however, froze food in the non-freezer part. There were five barbeques provided, of which one worked. My brother fixed a second one so we could make dinner. There were gaping holes in the wood siding of both hot tubs and the bubbles for the cleaner one did not work. The children's slide provided aims down the top of a gravel hill, so anyone young enough to fit on the slide would get hurt. Besides the filthy carpets, exposed electrical outlets, broken floor tiles, and the stench of rotten meat, we found tin foil flashing around the doors, and had the pleasure of hauling our own trash (in our own cars) about a half mile away to the dumpster at the office. What grossed us out the most was when our toddlers showed up sipping on a tippy cup from a previous tenant.

It used to be lovely, and service there used to be great, but the owners either stopped caring or are no longer able to care. Although the location is lovely, it is both overpriced and undermaintained. We were really disappointed, but since we paid a month in advance,...

Wonderful! Travelling from the UK for the trip of a lifetime, we spend 3 nights in Yosemite at the start of August with friends from San Francisco - 4 adults, 4 kids.||||I'd left it until March to book anything but was able to find Bird's Eye Vista, operated by Yosemite Scenic Wonders, and I'm so glad I did.||||The photos on their website really do not do the place justice, and I'd suggest to Scenic Wonders that they take some new ones. It has three lovely bedrooms, plus a 'spare bedroom/living room', three bathrooms and and a huge living / kitchen / dining area with high ceilings and all the comforts you need. Plenty of cooking utensils, loo roll, toiletries, towels, etc for 8 of us. No wi-fi, but that was actually a bonus in my book. And spotlessly clean throughout.||||All the windows had mosquito nets over them, which was essential in August to let the air in and keep the place cool. We weren't actually bothered by bugs at all while we were there.||||The keypad code that lets you in worked fine, although I did find locking it again on the first day a bit hit and miss.||||The kids loved exploring the property and enjoyed having so much space. The BBQ on the balcony was perfect and the sunset view over the trees so good.||||Location-wise, I was really happy with Yosemite West. I was desperate to stay in the park and not have to queue at the entrance each day, and I'd spent months beforehand worrying about summer traffic in Yosemite and how to avoid it. Yosemite West was the perfect location in this regard.||We arrived on Thursday 1st August and stopped at Tunnel View on the way in. Friday we got up early and drove about 20 minutes to get to Yosemite Valley before 9am. We got parked with no problems and spent the day using the shuttle buses to get to different hikes, waterfalls, swimming and so on.||||Saturday we went up to Glacier Point in the morning. Glacier Point Road is only a 5 minute drive from Yosemite West and we avoided the traffic easily. After lunch back at the house, in the afternoon we drove about 25 minutes south to Mariposa Grove to see the amazing sequoia trees.||||Then back for another BBW and to enjoy the view from Bird's Eye Vista.||||It was the most amazing stay, giving lifelong friends, now living on different continents, the chance to spend a weekend together with their families in one of the most beautiful spots on...