Sierra Gateway Cottages — Hotel in Porterville

We have stayed twice before at Sierra Gateway Cottages and love the homeyness of the cottages and how close they are to stores and restaurants, as well as the river. They each have a kitchen that is mostly stocked, but to be safe you might want to bring somethings yourself if they are not the very basics. They leave a gallon of bottled water in the fridge for you and came ahead of time to turn on the heater. The only drawback to the Sequoia cottage is that there isn't a true oven, only a counter convection oven. I can't remember if the other cottages have an oven or not. There isn't any shampoo or conditioner, so be sure to bring some. I also let the owners know that hair dryers would be nice since I didn't bring mine because places usually have them, and that the couch really needed a good cleaning. I was assured they would take care of both of those things. Otherwise, the place is very clean and comfortable. We brought our own soap and shampoo. There were plenty of towels and though the bathroom is small, it is sufficient. The wall heater in the living room down the hall actually kept the bedroom warm as well, as this was January. There is an evaporative cooler for the summer. The couch and bed were comfy. They have wifi and a flat screen tv with cable. Pets are welcome, which is very nice. Out in front of the cottages on the porch there are padded benches to sit on and relax. They have a gas BBQ for each unit and with a store across the street and next door, it is convenient if you need to grab anything. We really enjoyed the peace and quiet of the cottage. The price is great for this little gem. But be sure to book in advance as they are always full when there are events in town and fill up fast. It is a great go to for us when we want to get out of Bakersfield and still feel like we are on...

While we enjoyed our stay in Kernville, I have to be honest, the amount of money spent did not meet the expectations for the property. While your home is lovely, when it came to cleanliness, we found multiple dead bugs within the home, cobwebs, the bathroom floors frighteningly sticky, and as far as safety is concerned, you asked us to turn off the heater when we left, but there were no instructions on how to. While I understand that your property is located in the mountains in an outdoorsy area, I've stayed in other areas similar to Kernville (namely Joshua Tree) and the properties were far cleaner, and more in line with what we paid. While we were in town, we mentioned to our friends (who have lived in Kernville for quite some time) what we were paying and they explained that what we were paying was overpriced and outrageous. After we left, we explained our dissatisfaction with the property and how we were looking for minimal reimbursement. Carla came back saying that she felt it was "our intention from the start" to ask for money back. So I mentioned the unit was dirty and she came back and attacked my character. I'll never stay here again and I would never recommend this...

How very fortunate we were to have hit on this wonderful place for out little family reunion! Starting with the AMAZING Carla! What a sweet, wonderful, helpful gal, always upbeat, cheerful, helpful, the perfect person for that job. She was MOST accommodating, even researching alternative venues for our big outdoor day in case of inclement weather, as well as Catholic churches and times of services. LOVED Carla! There were 22 of us - 17 adults and 4 little ones. We occupied all the cottages (except Kern Bunkhouse). Darling, cozy cottages all! Perfect for our purpose. Clean, well stocked. We could get away from each other, yet were within shouting distance when we needed to communicate. Every amenity we needed, great areas for outdoor gathering, games, even a scavenger hunt a little further afield. Convenient (walking distance) to grocery, pubs. We all agreed that we could make this our go-to place every year. Carla even ordered spectacular weather for us. Thank you, Carla, for all your efforts. You made 22 people...