Yosemite’s Scenic Wonders Vacation Rentals

We stayed in Sports Chalet… gas fireplace did not work and the bottom bedroom and bathroom smelled like a musty sewer. Would not recommend.

This is my first time using a vacation house. I was a little nerves in the beginning; turns out it was a great experience there! According to some reviews it could be inconvenience due to cleanness of towers or rooms but we did not encounter that problem; everything was clean and neat. The only problem to my family is the acoustic insulation in the house. When showering or flushing toilet, the sound got significantly amplified, became very noisy in entire house. Also on 1^st floor can clearly hear one walks on 2^nd floor. However, I believe it’s a common issue for all the old wood houses, not only in this vacation house. The check-​in /​check-​out process is also very convenient that only one call from management office to confirm our check-​in, and a call to management office to indicate we are checking-​out. Like others mentioned, the policy is very strict. Although the rental company suggests to use travel insurance, but to be honest insurance can only help to very limited situations. Most of time the insurance will not cover the loss of paid rental fees, so after read the fine print carefully, I opted not to buy travel insurance on this specific reservation, but adjust my business travels carefully to accommodate vacation schedule. I was staying in Park-​Place house.

We just came home from our 7^th stay in the Loft Condos. As always, the accommodations were what we expected. Hardly luxurious, but fully meet our needs. Our unit, A204, was starting to look a little tired, but I was told that it was among the last group being renovated. Hopefully they will add some more comfortable seating in the living room.
I have learned over the years to bring certain things with me: our own towels (the towels provided by the management are tiny and incredibly poor quality), our own dishtowels, and I usually remember to bring my own sharp kitchen knives (forgot this year!). I have also found it helpful to bring zip loc bags, foil and kitchen wrap. The one thing that I wish is that they would provide us with some basic kitchen cleaner. We end up leaving the kitchen far less clean than I would like.
If you are looking for a place to stay in Yosemite that rivals the Awahnee, this isn’t it. But for basic family accommodations in a great location (right in between the valley and Glacier Point) with great scenery and wildlife (a young bear visited several times), this is a great option.

BUYER BEWARE! I unfortunately needed to cancel a family vacation at Yosemite that I had been looking forward to for a year. I tried to cancel my reservation 9 days before arrival. Per the policy, prior to 7 days you have to forfeit 25% of your total cost (all paid up front). I understood that I was going to lose $ 222 but expected to receive $ 666 back per the policy. Scenic Wonders refused to refund the 75% on a technicality. In May of 2014 I booked my weekend in May 2015. A few days after booking I called back and asked to move the reservation out to the following weekend. This «reservation change «negated their obligation to refund my 75% now. Highway robbery and a poor way to do business.

We stayed in Yosemite Escape and loved it. Easy check in and out. Everything we needed was there. A beautiful few days with the family. When you choose your rental, be sure to look at the property map. It was important for us to have a sense of privacy and not be looking directly at another home. Yosemite Escape was great for that but some of the properties are near each other. I will definitely go back.

Stayed at the Sport Chalet for a weekend with our Church’s Youth Group. Everything went great. The cabin and service was everything it should be. I think what made our trip so much better was the fact that they provided all the utilities we needed such as garbage bags, kitchen ware, fire wood and more.
Being my first time I had to call them numerous occasions to get some questions answered. They always answered the call and questions. They’re customer support was great.
The only thing that could have been better would be having their office open during the day. I tired to go in to talk to someone in person (phones get no reception), but it was always closed. They do have a voice box by the door and someones always answered, but I wish I could have spoken to someone in person.
Pros:
— Clean
— Beautiful
— Customer support always available
— Many utilities provided
Cons:
— Finding a staff in person might be hard (or at least it was for me)

We stayed muir house. It had no a/​c which took a little while to get get used too. Location was perfect inside the national park which obviously avoided the long queues we saw of Cars trying to enter. We cooked two meals in the cabin without any issues. One bonus was that the satellite tv worked so we could watch the World Cup games over breakfast.

This cabin was AMAZING! The hot tub, my favorite part! =)
We had a great time with a large group (we stayed in the «scenic wonders» cabin) at no time did it feel like we were too cramped. The multiple living rooms and the additional kitchen was awesome to have, and made the cooking experience very simple. The view was awesome! We also had a visit from some wild life. It was extremely close to Badger also, witch made the commute much better as we were able to get ready and head out, not dress in the parking lot. Beds were temperpedic! AWESOME! Extra pillows and blankets weren’t needed but great to see that they have furnished the cabin properly. I can’t rate them any higher. From the booking process to the check out. All very kind and courteous people. As small of a detail as it is, they had coffee. I forgot mine and was dreading paying 20 bucks for a small container at a convenience store. Very nice gesture. All in all it was a wonderful experience. Hot tub was great after a day of skiing, so was the fire place! I will be back both in the spring and next winter. PRAY FOR MORE SNOW!
Cheers,
Mike

We were very glad to find a rental home within the park roads. It was a lot less expensive than a hotel and we had room to spread out. That said, the house we got was pretty tired and kind of strange. Also, there are lots if houses here and they’re close together so you don’t have much privacy. And the houses are all in the woods so you don’t have a view. Another annoyance: the house across the road was being renovated so we has that noise during the day. And on Sunday morning he people in the house behind us were using 2 chainsaws. I would rent here again but I will be a lot more careful about which unit I book. The photos were deceptive so ask a lot of questions.

No phone access available (T Mobile, Verizon, or A T & T) and very poor internet access for a maximum of one hour in the middle of the day only. We stayed three days at a condo and access never improved.

We stayed in one of the condos 30 minutes away from the actual scenery. The place had everything we needed for cooking. It was so comfortable after a long day’s hike. One of my favourites was the bunker bed.
Their staff were very friendly and helpful. They even provided us with some games to keep ourselves entertained.
The only disadvantage was we could not use the wifi from our room. Had to go near the hallway to use it.
Overall it was a very pleasant experience staying at Scenic Wonders.!!

The Scenic Wonders crew is service oriented and make sure you are completely satisfied. We had a mishap with our reservation and all I had to do was convey to them how I felt. They are a 5 star service provider and will make sure your stay is everything you expected it to be.
We stayed at Quail Crossing. Newly built or remodeled with a modern, open layout. Single floor and easy access. Comfortable queen size beds in three bedrooms with private bath. An extra bed in the laundry room w/​private bath. Pull out sofa bed in living room. No need to bring anything from home, this place is equipped.
Well done guys, looking forward to seeing you soon!

We stayed at Eagle’s Retreat for three nights in September 2013. The pictures on the website looked way too good to be true, but the size was perfect for our small group of three. We were thoroughly impressed the minute we walked through the door! The kitchen was enormous, the bathroom was gorgeous and the bedrooms were perfect! There was a table out on the wrap-​around porch which made for wonderful breakfasts — lots of wildlife and great views (even if you’re looking down at a couple other homes).
When we originally started looking for rooms in the Yosemite area (about 5 months before trip) we found very little to choose from in the Valley and prices were more expensive than we wanted to pay and the big hotel was booked. After a bit of searching for rooms outside the park I found Scenic Wonders (booked directly through their website). The customer service was great, they answered all my questions quickly and when we completed our reservation they sent us all the information we needed for our trip.
We bought groceries in Merced (We came in on 140 since 120 was closed due to the Rim Fire) at a Target w/​food section to help keep costs down while in the park. We packed lunches each day and were really happy we did. Food is expensive everywhere and there wasn’t a lot of healthy options. There are lots of picnic areas around the park — but watch out for squirrels in the Valley! Too many people don’t read the signs about feeding wildlife so the squirrels will try to steal food right off your plate! The awesome kitchen was well stocked so we didn’t have to dishes after every meal (even though we did). There were plenty of pots and pans and utensils. Our only complaint was that there wasn’t any oil with the salt/​pepper/​spices.
It is a bit a drive to get to Yosemite West where the homes are located, but it was great being about halfway between Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove. While we loved our time in Yosemite, there was a lot of people everywhere doing the typical tourist thing (I want to see _​_​_​_​but have no frickin clue what I’m doing). It was so nice to end each day in a very quiet secluded area. While you could see four or so homes around us and there were people below us (worked for Scenic Wonders we believe) it was so quiet! We found the house more relaxing than the park.
We’re looking forward to being able to go back out Yosemite next year or the year after that since we were there during the Rim Fire and some of what we wanted to see was still closed. We will definitely go back to Scenic Wonders in the future!

Stayed there over July 4^th weekend. Condo was reeked of dust and my party sneezed non stop for the first 2 hours. Housekeeping never showed up at all during our stay so had to keep reusing the towels. the condo was like a sauna. It was cooler outside at night than inside so could not sleep. It may be nice in winter but stay away during warm temperatures. Plus there was nothing secluded about it you are in a condo subdivision and the parking lot is small. All the cars try to park close and saw one hit and run in the parking lot while we were there.
STAY AWAY.

We stayed in one of the houses 20 minutes away from the beautiful scenic locations in Yosemite. This was a great location because it was spacious, comfy and had all of the amenities we needed. We even used the BBQ 2 days in a row. I would also like to mention that the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. Thank you so much for providing us with a place to stay during our memorable trip.

Six of us just stayed at Yosemite Pines. There were two kids and four adults and this worked out perfectly for us. The fireplace was great to have and we were able to roast some marshmallows for the kids.
I’ve stayed with Yosemite Scenic Wonders about 4 times now and have been impressed with Celia’s quick emails and responses. Truly appreciate her great service.
The house was clean and was well stocked. With six people taking showers, you may need to wait just a bit for some more hot water. Also, this house is great for those who have a hard time walking up stairs. The beds were comfy too. Look forward to another future stay with this company.

Stayed here at the Explorer’s Retreat Cabin with my boyfriend and one other couple for the weekend of Sept 7.
For about $ 300/​night, the Explorer’s Retreat Cabin is surprisingly big.
It has three bedrooms, one with bunk beds and one with a sizable flat screen TV. There are also large TVs in the downstairs living room, and the upstairs living room, all with DVD players. There were ipod speaker docks in ever bedroom and a fake gas fireplace in each living room.
The upstairs balcony overlooks the cul-​de-​sac and a small strip of forest and is semi-​visible from the neighboring cabin. On the balcony was a huge and possibly brand-​new grill and an sturdy outside table/​umbrella type thing that could seat 6.
In each of the living rooms were big, comfortable faux-​leather couches that could easily and comfortably sleep 2 people each.
While this cabin is advertised at accommodating up to 8 people, if you really wanted to cram in, you could fit 12– 2 couples in each of the two queen sized beds, 2 in the bunk beds, and 2 on either side of the couches. And that’s not counting an ample amount of floorspace for sleeping bags.
There was also a sort of weird circular pool table, complete with balls and ques, which could also double for a poker table. on the table were three packs of playing cards– a nice touch.
The Kitchen was my favorite part. It sported all new aluminium appliances– including a huge two-​door refrigerator, toaster, microwave, blender, electric mixer, a huge stove with a gorgeous 5-​burner grill, a coffee maker, dishwasher, and a two-​basin sink with removable restaurant-​style faucet hose. The drawers were full of clean and new cooking implements such as a full silverware set, tongs, whisks, a meat tenderizer, a potatoe masher, measuring cups, a full barbeque set, a microplane, icing wands, a full pot and pan set„ multiple mixing bowls, condiment dishes, casserole dishes, mugs, tumblers and stemless wine glasses. Provided is coffee, hot cocoa mix, packets of sugar, tea and creamer, sea salt, pepper, spike seasoning, coffee filters and a tub of Folgers coffee
Downstairs, I happily took advantage of the new washing machine and dryer. detergent was provided and both the washer and dryer were easy to operate and worked wonderfully and efficiently.
Both bathrooms were moderately large, with tubs, fresh towels, packets of soap, and a electric hair dryer.
The cabin was clean and carefully-​outfitted, the weather was beautiful, and the vacation altogether magical.
I would not hesitate to rent from Scenic Wonders again.

This is the first time I ever rented a cabinet anywhere… here is my experience… I was there ⁹⁄₁₆ — 9÷18÷11, party of 3.
I rented the place called Yosemite Escape; 3 bed and 3 bath, sleeps up to 8 people. From the outside, it looks like a cute little cabinet, but, it’s actually pretty good size inside. The little dinning area, kitchen, «family room,» and one bathroom are on the first floor. Three bedrooms and two bathrooms are down stairs. One full size bed in each room expect for the room at the end of the hall way (the biggest room), it has two full size and one single bed in there.
Overall, the rental was pretty clean and nice; it also has everything the website says it provides. However, when we got there, the place smells, I’m not sure if it was from cooking or the fire place… just bring air freshener. They provide only salt and peppers, so, if you want other seasoning, «fancy» seasoning, or hot sauce… bring your own.
BTW, there’s only one TV in the «family room» area and no wi-​fi… actually you don’t even get cell services.

I stayed at the Yosemite Summit vacation rental in May. Here are my thoughts:
The place overall is really nice and comfortable. It was a nice and relaxing place to be after a long day of hiking. Lots of bluebirds, deer, and coyotes came around to greet us. There was plenty of room for my husband and I. I think another couple or a few kids more would be the maximum for comfort, though. We brought all of our food for the week and were able to store it and cook it without too much hassle. The shower in the master bedroom had no hot water, so we had to use the other shower. Here are some things I wish I would have known before we got there:
— Literally all the towels had mysterious stains on them, which was gross (see my pictures). I’m sure they are «clean» but it’s still disgusting. Bring your own if you can.
— The unit has satellite tv, but the reception is poor and the channels are VERY limited. It would have been helpful to have a list of available channels instead of having to search the hundreds of channels for the 10 that we actually got. Ask at the front desk to see if a list is available. Also there is a dvd/​vcr player. The television is big, but not great quality.
— If you like to drink wine out of nice crystal glasses, bring your own. They have a few wine glasses, but they are tiny cheap glass ones.
— There was no patio furniture.
— Some pantry items are provided (see my pics), but I was glad that I brought a lot of my own.
— The fireplace is enough to warm the whole house! It is very effective.
For the price of staying here, you won’t get a better deal in Yosemite, which is why I had to give it four stars. It beats paying a fortune for a tiny, plain room in the valley; and it beats camping!

We stayed for 2 nights (9÷22−24) in the Big Bear rental, Great!
I booked on-​line with short notice and was well pleased to get a spot so close to the Valley, the Glacier Point Road, etc. I brought family from Texas. They were delighted. The kitchen had all we needed (including coffee).
The place was spotless, well maintained and roomy.
The Texans seemed disappointed that the gas fireplace was turned off, and there was no VCR player. The manager said they had recently taken over the site and would fix everything.
We well enjoyed it and recommend it to others.