Kernville Inn — Hotel in Porterville

A Disappointing Stay at Kernville Inn – December 20th, 2024

I regret to inform any potential guests that I cannot, under any circumstances, recommend staying at the Kernville Inn. My family and I have been loyal patrons, primarily due to its convenience to our annual holiday dinner hosted by my mother-in-law. Sadly, this year's experience has changed that.

Upon our arrival, the encounter with the front desk manager, who was anything but welcoming, immediately set a negative tone for our visit. My sister, who had arrived ahead of me, had kindly requested adjoining rooms to keep our families close, only to be flatly denied without explanation—despite noticeable vacancies.

The following day's interactions, or lack thereof, further solidified our concerns. Upon locking my key inside my room, the woman at the front desk silent demeanor when issuing a new key was disconcerting; not a word or inquiry about our stay, nor acknowledgment of my gratitude for getting me another key. Her demeanor was the same 15 minutes later when I returned both keys.

The troubles escalated when my niece had an unfortunate fall on one of the hotel's Christmas decorations on one of their side patio areas—a reindeer. Before I could fully assess her ankle, the same woman from the front desk approached us, not with concern or inquiry, but with a hostile demand to keep "your kids off our Christmas decorations." Her tone and approach were shockingly abrasive, especially since during the interaction we we had expressed willingness to pay for any damages and were more concerned about my niece's wellbeing, and why she was approaching the way she was.

When my sister tried to explain it was an accident, the stark lack of empathy and customer service skills from this individual became glaringly apparent. Her subsequent instruction for me to "check out" and her threat to call the police were delivered in front of distressed children, leaving us dumbfounded. Not to mention she yelled at us “I am the manager”

It's distressing to observe such behavior in a hospitality role and a manager at that, where customer interaction is paramount. It's clear this manager would be more suited to a position away from guests, as her people skills severely lack the finesse required for such engagements.

As for the accommodations themselves—the double rooms were on the smaller side. My room was clean, a credit to Brandi from housekeeping, and our interactions with a friendly housekeeping attendant were a brief but appreciated respite from an otherwise unwelcoming atmosphere. Unfortunately, the myriad of rules posted throughout the room added to the unwelcoming vibes, suggesting that guests are more of an imposition than valued patrons.

In conclusion, it seems Kernville Inn has a considerable distance to go in terms of customer service evolution. We have shared our dismay with family members, who are frequent visitors due to our mother-in-law's proximity, and we are united in looking elsewhere for future stays.

On a brighter note, the town's first Krampus fair was delightful and offered some much-needed cheer after such an unwelcome experience at...

I regret to inform any potential guests that I cannot, under any circumstances, recommend staying at the Kernville Inn. My family and I have been loyal patrons, primarily due to its convenience to our annual holiday dinner hosted by my mother-in-law. Sadly, this year's experience has changed that.||||Upon our arrival, the encounter with the front desk manager, who was anything but welcoming, immediately set a negative tone for our visit. My sister, who had arrived ahead of me, had kindly requested adjoining rooms to keep our families close, only to be flatly denied without explanation—despite noticeable vacancies.||||The following day's interactions, or lack thereof, further solidified our concerns. Upon locking my key inside my room, the woman at the front desk silent demeanor when issuing a new key was disconcerting; not a word or inquiry about our stay, nor acknowledgment of my gratitude for getting me another key. Her demeanor was the same 15 minutes later when I returned both keys.||||The troubles escalated when my niece had an unfortunate fall on one of the hotel's Christmas decorations on one of their side patio areas—a reindeer. Before I could fully assess her ankle, the same woman from the front desk approached us, not with concern or inquiry, but with a hostile demand to keep "your kids off our Christmas decorations." Her tone and approach were shockingly abrasive, especially since during the interaction we we had expressed willingness to pay for any damages and were more concerned about my niece's wellbeing, and why she was approaching the way she was.||||When my sister tried to explain it was an accident, the stark lack of empathy and customer service skills from this individual became glaringly apparent. Her subsequent instruction for me to "check out" and her threat to call the police were delivered in front of distressed children, leaving us dumbfounded. Not to mention she yelled at us “I am the manager”||||It's distressing to observe such behavior in a hospitality role and a manager at that, where customer interaction is paramount. It's clear this manager would be more suited to a position away from guests, as her people skills severely lack the finesse required for such engagements.||||As for the accommodations themselves—the double rooms were on the smaller side. My room was clean, a credit to Brandi from housekeeping, and our interactions with a friendly housekeeping attendant were a brief but appreciated respite from an otherwise unwelcoming atmosphere. Unfortunately, the myriad of rules posted throughout the room added to the unwelcoming vibes, suggesting that guests are more of an imposition than valued patrons.||||In conclusion, it seems Kernville Inn has a considerable distance to go in terms of customer service evolution. We have shared our dismay with family members, who are frequent visitors due to our mother-in-law's proximity, and we are united in looking elsewhere for future stays.||||On a brighter note, the town's first Krampus fair was delightful and offered some much-needed cheer after such an unwelcome experience at...

We came with the family and stayed for two nights. The price was appropriate for a 3 star hotel, which is what we got. We got a double bed room. The doors to enter the room and the bathroom were not aligned properly and would need excessive force to open and close. Everytime someone enters or leaves their hotel room you can feel and hear it. If you try to sleep in, it will wake you up. The bathroom was small, did not have a fan, the window wouldn't open and the door lock would jamb so the kids kept getting stuck inside. There is an A/C unit in the wall and it keeps the room just cool enough to be comfortable, but not cold. Our room had a small microwave that you had to brace from the back with your hands if you used it so it wouldn't fall off the mini-fridge it was sitting on. The service to this inn is non-existant after 5pm. I checked in after 5pm, so they taped my key and paperwork to the door of the office for me. Pretty easy. But, I watched another couple who accidentally locked themselves out of their room and had to wait for over two hours trying to reach someone on the after hours line to help them. The only time I spoke with an employee was at the front desk to ask for amenities and he was a bit short with me. The pool was very clean and relaxing, but you need a key to get in and OUT. Which was, again, annoying. This place is pretty cute from the outside, but it is desperate need of QUALITY repairs. I wasn't able to sit outside of my room in the amazing looking chairs because the sewage smell was just too strong. So, for us it was just an old hotel that had vacancy that we stayed in. It wouldn't be a destination spot for sure. The location...