We're planning a trip to California in August & want to visit Yosemite. We seem to have 2 options for places to stay: either Curry Village Tented Cabins in the Valley or one of the hotels outside the Valley. (I've excluded camping - it's not an option we'd consider!)

Can anyone give us an idea of the benefits (or otherwise) of staying in the Valley (& putting up with Curry Village facilities) against staying outside the Valley in the comfort of a hotel?

Susie

The Yosemite View Lodge, just outside the park on Route 140 is an excellent and convenient choice. It's close to the Valley and is a very comfortable hotel/motel. Rooms include kitchenettes and there are two restaurants and a store on the property. We were quite satisfied with the accommodations. Call now. It might already be too late!
Phone: 209-379-2681
email: [email protected]
website: www.yoisemite-motels.com

I had bad luck with my accomodation from the above site. We prefer Tenaya Lodge or Apple Creek if we can not get in the park.Tenaya is not the Awahnee but my kids love that the pool has underwater music! It makes an effort at imitating the grandness of the Awahnee. It is not cheap though..although NOTHING is cheap in the valley.

Susie,
We stayed in one of the cabins in Curry Village last year and really enjoyed it.
It's basic but comfortable and it's great to be in the middle of the valley with the sounds of the waterfalls in the distance. We were there in April so I assume that means we didn't have to put up with the crowds I'd imagine arrive in the summer,but we're planning to stay in one of the cabins again this year when we go next. We did stay one night at the Yosemite Lodge as well. The lodge was nice and very comfortable,but we actually preferred the cabins. You just feel a bit closer to the wildlife and the sounds and smells of the wilderness.

Susie,

Just remember that if you stay outside of the Valley you're going to have to drive or shuttle in, but only if that's where you plan to spend most of your time. I know it get's pretty crowded during August, so you may want to take the inconvenience factor into consideration when deciding on your accomodations. I would also suggest the Yosemite Lodge in the valley. It's probably totally booked up, but i've been able to get reservations there when it's been booked by calling every day for cancellations and picking up other people's discarded single days until we got all the days we wanted. Good luck and have fun! It's beautiful up there!

I would urge you to consider that it will be busy in August--I have always gone at other times--but i think driving into the park would be a pain--one thing you may want to consider that i have enjoyed is staying in one of the tent cabins in the park itself, not in the village--this would be less busy if you could book a tent