Firefall Ranch at Yosemite — Hotel in Sonora

Where to start…well, first of all the location is really far from Yosemite National Park. Keep that in mind when booking. It’s on a large plot of land that feels very exposed, hot (in July), and reminiscent of Arizona. The hotel is a nice expansive property overall. It has a good pool for toddlers, with some areas for them to stand and play. They also have loaner pool toys, which is very nice! There are also some games around the property that are appropriate for older kids. They offer s’mores kits nightly, which is really nice. The location is in the middle of nowhere, which makes eating at the hotel most convenient. The hotel food is not great. We had breakfast included but nobody could ever give us a straight answer as to what is included (dollar amount etc). I guess we’ll find out at checkout? Some of the breakfasts (pancakes) state that they include maple syrup. When syrup was brought, it was very clearly not real maple syrup. When we questioned the server, he was indifferent to our question. We actually ran into the restaurant manager the next day, where we challenged her on the fact that the syrup is not real maple syrup. She denied the allegation. We’re certain that they are false advertising. It is not real maple syrup. A lot of the food was mediocre, and way overpriced. The coffee at the restaurant is repulsive and they don’t offer any espresso drinks. We are almost certainly under-ordering on our breakfast package, but unfortunately we are having to pay for our lattes every day at the general store. The general store is way overpriced. I understand that this is a remote area, but they’re gouging their customers. $3.50 for a Larabar. That’s over 3x what these cost normally. That’s unnecessary. Most of the staff is also really unpleasant. There was one man at the front desk — Jamie — that was absolutely genuinely kind and positive. He was consistently friendly and helpful and so pleasant! What a gem. There was also a few women in the restaurant that were friendly. However, we also encountered many sour personalities during our stay. The service is susprisingly poor for a AAA 4-diamond resort. The housekeeping was terrible. Some of the worst we have ever had. It was a towel changing service — that’s it. My husband shaved and got shaving cream all over the mirror and faucet. It was not even touched when we came back to the room. When we called to complain, they told us — in so many words — that this is just the way it is here. It did get better after our fourth day here, perhaps due to our complaints or a change of staff on shift? But even then, we are paying for three occupants and only ever received two sets of washcloths and hand towels. So annoying! Again, hotel management needs to acknowledge that proper daily housekeeping is expected at this price point. On the plus side, the beds and rooms are comfortable overall. However, there is no water provided in the rooms. When hotels do not offer water bottles in an effort to be sustainable, they normally provide reusable water bottles. These can be loaned or gifted to guests. We’ve seen hotels do it either way. However, in this case, no bottles were provided. They had a refillable dispenser, which had a filter replacement warning on it for the first 2 days we were here. I had to ask them three times to change before they actually did it. That’s unacceptable. They even had the audacity to suggest we buy bottled water from their store!!!!!! That was offensive. Expecting your guests to either buy water or drink unfiltered water while staying at a 4-star hotel is just not ok. To sum it up most succinctly, this hotel charges far too much for what...

While getting our children ready for bed at Firefall Ranch Yosemite, our three-year-old pointed out a bug on the master bed. We discovered a large, rust-colored insect crawling across the sheets, which closely resembled an adult or 5th instar bed bug. Upon further inspection, we found a second, smaller insect—likely a 1st instar bed bug.

We immediately notified staff, who assured us over the phone that the bugs were likely harmless “springtails” and sent maintenance to investigate. The on-site employees initially claimed the bugs were a tick and a springtail, but after we showed them comparison photos, they acknowledged they did not appear to be ticks. They did mention past issues with springtails; however, the insects we found looked and moved quite differently. Later, we found an actual springtail in the bed—further confirming the distinction.

We had collected the bugs in a glass and brought them to the front desk ourselves, where we met with the general manager. He immediately insisted that the larger insect was a tick and the smaller a springtail. He then crushed the larger insect with his finger, releasing black fluid. We later discovered this same black residue, along with reddish-brown stains, on our sheets. Despite the fact that the bug had six legs—not eight, like a tick—the GM repeatedly denied it was a bed bug. This level of dismissal was both frustrating and concerning, as it seemed more about avoiding responsibility than addressing the issue.

Eventually, the staff agreed to launder all of our clothing and relocate us to another room. However, no alternate room was available on-site. After more than an hour, they arranged a cottage at their sister property, Evergreen. While packing, we discovered a third insect—nearly identical in appearance to the first adult bed bug—and preserved it between layers of tape, unsure whether staff would follow through on their promise to have the first two bugs tested.

Unfortunately, the new accommodation was significantly inferior. The Evergreen cottage was remote, had only one bed and a pull-out couch for our three children (who do not co-sleep), and was not an equivalent replacement. Our children also discovered a winged insect in the bathroom, further distressing them, and we found three pubic hairs on the bathtub edge. Given the late hour, unsanitary conditions, lack of adequate sleeping arrangements, and absence of empathy from staff, the entire experience was deeply disappointing.

The following day, we met with Joe Juszkiewicz, Director of Operations for First Light Resorts. The interaction was deeply frustrating. Though he claimed to have over 40 years in hospitality, his handling of the situation demonstrated a lack of basic guest care. He confirmed that a fourth bed bug had been found and touted that the room had been taken offline. However, his initial offer to only refund the night of our relocation was entirely inappropriate.

It was only after I showed Joe the linear bed bug bites on my arm, and after nearby guests overheard our conversation, that he agreed to refund the full stay. This resolution should have occurred immediately, not after visible evidence and...

We stayed at Firefall Ranch for two nights in October, and while the property itself is beautiful, the overall experience left us a bit disappointed.

On the positive side, the staff were friendly and the cabins were big, cozy, and inviting. the ranch grounds is cool - they got bikes for you and the mini golf course was a ton of fun.

However, for a property that’s nearly $700 per night, the attention to detail and level of service didn’t quite meet expectations. The rooms also didn't come with robes and slippers, which I thought was strange for the enviornment and price.

When I booked, I mentioned that I was planning to propose to my girlfriend during our stay. The person on the phone was very enthusiastic, and offered the “romance package” (champagne and chocolates) and said they’d notify the on-site restaurant to do something special for us. Unfortunately, neither of those things happened. After checking in, I had to call the front desk to confirm my order and follow up about the chocolate and roses that were supposed to be in our room.

obviously not a huge deal but small touches like that are what typically make a stay feel memorable. the chocolate in the romance package ended up just being a single milk chocolate bar too lol.

Dinner at their fine dining restaurant was alright, but there's hardly any difference between their casual and fine dining restaurants. same menu (which tbf they did say so), but just in a private section with slightly more refined decor.

We were told reservations were hard to get, but the dining room was completely empty at 7:30 p.m., and nothing about the experience felt special, and no one said anything about our engagement. Food was decent - 6.5/10. Breakfast 6/10.

Lastly, while most of the staff were pleasant, one of the employees working in the deli seemed disengaged and a bit standoffish, which stood out among everyone else. Shoutout to Matt and Nick for being very accommodating of our little doggo.

Overall, Firefall Ranch has great potential — the setting and amenities are dope — but the guest experience could be better with more consistency and attention to detail from staff. Bathrobes and slippers in the room would be super nice too and match the...