RUSH CREEK LODGE AND SPA AT YOSEMITE ^{* * *}

We went there in the winter, and it was snowing on our last day. It was really awesome there. There was a big pool (it was heated) and even in the snow it didn't even freeze over. People swam in it! The service is great and there is a big game room. There is a little playground for little kids but also a small zipline (made for ages 5-12). The food was good, but the kids menu was small and they had chicken nuggets for every meal (there were burgers and other stuff too, but none of the other stuff interested them). The gift shop is large, and the rooms are really nice, although there was no TV but that wasn't much of a problem. There was a gas fireplace too. There was a guest lounge and a game room (mentioned before) with a lot of games such as a pool table and a pinball machine. There were many activities to do there, such as breaking open your own geodes! Overall, very nice area and we had a splendid stay!

Incredible property. My wife and I had a great time. Excellent and attentive staff, especially the bartenders and servers at the restaurant. Highly recommend the general store coffee - it is SO good!! If we come back to Yosemite, we are definitely staying here! Thanks again for a wonderful stay.

What a lovely place close to Yosemite National Park. After being upgraded at no extra charge, we stayed in a really nice Hillside Villa.

Our boys loved the place and enjoyed playing on the playground and in the playroom. The pool and family spa were also a huge hit.
We had booked 3 nights but chose to stay an extra night. By the way, the employees were really nice and very helpful.

The food in the restaurant was good, although a little bit expensive. In return, there was s'mores event every evening.

The warmest recommendations from us.

Pros:
- Location for a multi-day trip in Yosemite and surrounding areas (the valley one day and Tuolumne Meadows on another).

- Amenities in one location: nicely stocked general store, pool, hot tub, spacious rooms, games and activities for kids and adults, bar and restaurant.

Cons:
- Lack of other amenities for a hotel that seems to market itself as a luxury resort. No water bottles, no shaving kit, no washing machine detergent. It seems like they rather you purchase things from their general store than provide these things for free.

Which in turn leads to other methods they try to squeeze some more money from you, like at their restaurant. We ordered the poke tuna bowl, and the waiter asked if we wanted rice. What they don't disclose is that the rice is a $5 "side" which is a plate of plain basmati rice.. This happened twice on two different nights with two different waiters.

- Staff attitude. Either from a lack of training or an overall culture that leads to bad service. This is the biggest thing holding this hotel back from a better rating.

Example of bad service:
- When checking out, the front desk claimed that we had a breakfast buffet when we did not. After reviewing something on the computer, the staff member just said you're all set. No apology for the mistake. And no, thank you for staying multiple nights at the hotel. You know, the usual spiel any hotel instructs their staff to say. Whether it's genuine or not, it's just to be expected. The lack of hospitality reinforces my view of the staff's attitude.

- We had dinner reservations at their restaurant and when we arrived at that time, we couldn't be seated for another 20 minutes. The host's attitude was pretty aloof/laissez faire and gave us a non-apology.

Except for a few staff we interacted with, their general attitude is that they would prefer doing anything other than what they were currently doing and generally indifferent. If this were the attitude of a government worker, then that would be expected, but they're in the service and hospitality business in a hotel for leisure that touts itself as a fun and "sophisticated" (their words) resort.

I really love the serenity of this place. When you combine that with great service, delicious food, and wonderful ambiance; it’s a homerun. I went out on a tour with Tyler today and in addition to getting some exercise and being wow’d by the majesty of the giant sequoia on our hike; I got a great education too thanks to his background in environmental sciences. Overall a great experience at this lodge and I will be back.