Yavapai East Lodge

We stayed here, as I read so many reviews that staying off property is a hassle. PROS: -Centrally located. You’re in walking distance to bus shuttle, general store, etc. -The grounds are nice and elk just wander by -Plumbing, AC, and all amenities functioned -Parking is plentiful, so we were near by our car -Decent amount of towels and they provide soap, shampoo, and conditioner -The bed wasn’t bad, but I was so tired after a day of biking and hiking -I dug the wooden room keys! CONS: -This place needs to be refurbished. It’s pretty shabby. The hallway smells like the inside of Disney’s “It’s a Small World”. It’s old. I think my the building is wooden and the floors creak. -The bathroom vanity is insanely low. I’m only 5’10” and the top of the vanity only comes up to my upper thigh. -The water pressure is comical. Good luck if you have thick or a lot of hair to shampoo. -For some reason, the AC warns itself up during the day. We’d come in at 4pm after a day of activity, and the room is a balmy 76 degrees. At night, the room cools off, but it’s weird. -The AC is loud when it runs. If I wasn’t so dead tired, I’d been up all night. -The furnishings are old and beat up -No elevator, but the stairs aren’t bad This place was perfect for us, but if you have higher standards, you may loathe this experience. It’s really shabby.

The Yavapai Lodge is rustic but pleasant. It is located among the trees, making the view relaxing. The bathroom does need some updating but was clean. The value is as expected for being in a national park. The location is perfect for not being in the middle of crowds but very close to the rim and anything you want to do in the park. The East buildings are within walking distance of the Tavern/Restaurant and Market. It is a very quiet area. The cleaning staff were friendly and helpful.

Overall, it was a nice room with decent space and very clean. There was a large window that looked out on the woods, and the best part of the room was an elk walked right by my window. Apparently this is quite common. The staff at the main reception building were friendly and moderately helpful. The dining area was decent but could use some updating. My biggest complaint was after I went to sleep an alarm in an adjacent room went off. I turned the TV on and tried to tune it out, but it was a pervasive noise. I called main reception and they said they would have security look into it when they were able. They never did - I still heard the alarm the next morning. Fortunately, I brought earplugs, or I may not have gotten much sleep. You may not have this particular experience, but if you need something from main reception, do not count on a quick response.