Yellow Dog Inn

This review is not based on the quality of the Inn, as we did not get an opportunity to stay here. This review is solely based on the lack of customer service we received. My boyfriend and I wanted to stay here for the weekend. The only contact information listed is the owner’s phone number (there are 2 listed on Yellow Pages and Trip Advisor). I tried calling the owner, Greg Smith, on several different occasions to book a stay at his Inn. Each time I called he did not answer the phone and I left several voicemails (his voicemail message on each phone number stated his name as «Greg» so I know I was calling the correct numbers). He never answered or returned my phone calls after many attempts. I even stated in one of my voicemails if he could give me a courtesy call back even if there was no availability so I could make other arraignments. I’m disappointed in the customer service of this Inn. I ended up booking a room at the Meadowmont Lodge in Arnold and LOVED it.
After reading positive reviews I wish I could have experienced a stay at this Inn. I highly reccomend Greg and Debbie to provide better customer service and communication to potential customers.

Nice little place just off Hwy 4, the room was very cozy and nicely furnished. It’s actually just that: just a room, with your door opening onto a porch. There is no real reception area that you would actually hang out in, no live person at the front desk — no front desk, no common space, no kitchen. It’s basically a nicely furnished motel room, like you park outside your room. There is no staff on the premises, which i find a little creepy almost in a place that is so quiet with dodgy cel phone service. you find your key waiting in an envelope when you arrive.
My only complaint with all this is 1) when I read about B&B’s I expect there to be a breakfast. Instead we had to go find a place and spend another $ 25 – 30 for breakfast.
Second, we had an incident with our dog, needed to find a vet fast. Well, there was no one to ask, no phone book, and spotty or no cel service so we were really in a panic to find help fast.
I later called the owner 9who lives elsewhere) and told her it might be advisable to post some helpful information int he rooms, such as local vets and other info. SHe agreed that was a good idea.
all that said, I would stay again, it’s a little spendy but comfy, and who among us dog owners doesnt like a place that welcomes dogs?

My wife and I made a last minute decision to escape up to Arnold for the weekend when my mother offered to have the kids stay with her. She is the BEST! Anyway, I made a few calls to Arnold to figure out where to stay with just a few days notice. I was hoping to find a great rate since the sierra had not seen any snow nor travelers in a few months. I was surprised to find that the other motels/​hotels in the area were not very flexible on their pricing. Wendy at Yellow Dog cut us a break on the pet fee for the weekend since we were on too short of notice to kennel our pooch. The yellow dog was also pet friendly, which was very helpful. She also gave us the AAA discount to help with the pricing. This sealed the deal for me to book the room for 2 nights (Friday and Saturday).
I was able to book the forest room which is quite large and has a huge 2 person bath tub/​shower setup. It also has a thermostat controlled gas fireplace, which put a smile on my wife’s face. We arrive pretty late at nite and had the key waiting for us in a secret spot so we could get into our room. We realized at that point that we were the only guest in the entire building/​house. The YD has the feel of a bed and breakfast. It is very comfortable and welcoming. However, they are very hands off. Which works for us since we are more than capable of helping ourselves. If you like to be serviced or waited on, this is not necessarily the place for you. If you like being able to do your own thing without feeling like you are being watched or tracked, this place will warm your heart.
We had a very enjoyable stay and just about had everything we needed. What we didnt have that would have been nice was wireless internet, since most ATT customers have no cell phone connection in Arnold. The ice maker was broken, so we had to get ice in town. There was also no phone to receive messages from family or restaurants for confirming reservations for dinner or emergencies. I am sure that if someone called the hotel, the people who take the calls would have gotten a message to us promptly.
Other than that, everything was perfect. Since we were the only ones at the hotel, we don’t know how quite or noisy the hotel is when other guest are present. There is no continental breakfast or coffee in the mornings. There is a coffee maker in the room with coffee bags.
Please give the yellow dog a try as i think you will be pleased. We definitely enjoyed our weekend and so did the pooch!

As a person who has dogs (Huskies), I’m always on the lookout for what the hotel/​motel business terms ‘pet friendly’ accommodations wherever I travel. We recently decided to take our snowdogs up into the mountains for some reacquaintance with that white stuff their ancestors used to mush regularly in and around.
Having elected to try California State Route 4 this winter (that leads from Stockton through the Gold Rush country and up into the Bear Valley & Big Trees area), we searched the 4,500 foot elevation in the Sierra Nevada mountains along that rote for small communities. Of interest thereabouts is the small and rustic mountain community of ‘Arnold’, wherein a fellow Husky rescue friend advised us there was a ‘pet-​friendly’ place called the ‘Yellow Dog Inn’. Our friend said that whenever she takes her Siberians up into the snow country in winter, she schedules a stay at this small inn in Arnold and suggested we give it a try.
Owned by Debbie and Greg Smith, the ‘Yellow Dog Inn’ is an older, former residence that has been restored to a small 4-​room accommodation. With two upstairs room and two lower onesarrayed about a central office area, the rates presently range from about $ 79 to about $ 115 per night. Pets are indeed welcome, but there is a $ 30 per night surcharge for each pet.
The room we stayed in is called ‘The Forest Room’, occupying a spot on one distal end of the first floor. With a King bed and a nice modern bathroom, it is advertised by the Smiths as ‘the perfect place for a romantic weekend get-​away’. Of course, when there are dogs underfoot, any ideas of romance goes on indefinite hold, but that fact notwithstanding, the accommodation is certainly satisfactory. With a modern thermostat controlled gas fireplace and with well-​insulated walls, the room stays quite agreeable, despite low termperatures outside.
The polished hardwood flooring makes it relatively easy to clean up any unplanned indiscretions Rover might commit, which is always an asset with dogs – no matter how well trained they may be. The King bed was originally a firm institutional service bed, but years of presumed prior use has created small detectable hollows on each side. A small matter for side sleepers, perhaps, but a newer bed would be better for back sleepers.
The bathroom is equipped with a nice new shower and tub set-​up, as well as a modern sink, vanity, new low-​volume toilet, and heater/​dehumidifier fan. Often a contentious matter at many B&Bs, both the rate of water flow and the water heater are quite good and this makes for a great shower (or soak, if you are a tub person). Arnold has, by the way, excellent fresh mountain water.
Despite being virtually right off the highway (corner of Pine Drive and State Route 4), after about 6 PM, there is little road noise to disturb sleep and it is generally very quiet throughout the night (at least in winter). A screen of pines does intervene between the Inn and the road, so that also helps considerably.
The small office has DVDs and other material to accommodate guests and each room is equipped with a color TV and DVD player combination. Although there is no mini-​fridge (it would be a real asset), there is a coffee maker in each room and a selection of regular/​decaffeinated coffees, plus teas, is provided.
My criticisms are limited to the fact that there are no really adequate reading lamps in the rooms to help facilitate curling up with a good book, the lighting being mostly ambient and low-​powered. Then too, the TV (cable channels are provided) has a relatively small screen and is mounted on the far wall, a situation that affords considerable eye-​strain for older visitors who might wish to watch a movie; a bigger screen would be SO much better.
Aside from that and the fact that we were provided with three decaffeinated coffee packets and NO regular (caffeinated) coffee during our stay, the experience was rather nice and overall enjoyable. One of the real assets of the Yellow Dog Inn is the fact that it is very close to the National Forest boundary (a short walk), where several great little forest trails wander through the trees on the hillside, affording lots of excitment and many interesting sniff & squirt opportunities for your furry companions!
Greg and Debbie Smith are the owners (relatively new) of The Yellow Dog Inn and the maid service is provided by their daughter, Megan. The usual arrangement for a stay is typically made by phone, with the full cost of your stay placed on a charge card. Upon arrival, the key to your room is located per the instructions provided you when you reserve your room and you don’t actually have to register or conclude your stay by formally completing any paperwork. During our entire two-​day stay, we did not encounter anyone other than another party staying in one of the other rooms.
Overall, a very good experience!