Tioga Lodge

We stopped at this lodge to visit Mono Lake and were quite disappointed with it. It looks nice on the pictures but actually feels more like an old motel. It's also right on I-395 and 2.5 miles away from Lee Vining, so it's the worst of both Worlds = traffic noise + non walkable. The view of the lake is nice but again scarred by I-395 right in front of you. The onsite restaurant is also overpriced so we ended up going to town. The beds were comfortable, but the traffic noise again was bothersome and the old building was poorly insulated. It also got very hot inside the room (much more than outside somehow even with windows opened) and there are no A/C. Would recommend to skip this one.

We stayed two nights at the lodge. We enjoyed the location and many things about the place. It was clean and adequate, especially given the small number of choices in the area. I was not expecting a luxury facility, but $244 for a two night stay is not an insignificant cost and I did expect a few of the following.

The wi fi signal didn't adequately reach our room. It was only usable from the porch by our iPhones and our iPad which was very inconvenient and not as expected when they advertise internet access. My lap top computer did work inside.

Their was no coffee maker in the room. Their restaurant wasn't open so those who need to start the day with coffee beware!

The pillows were flat and needed replacing, and there were no tissues in the room.

We returned to our room one morning at 9:30 AM and couldn't get in to our room without getting wet from the sprinklers. We returned again at 3:30 to sit on our porch. Within 10 minutes the sprinklers were on again and we were forced to go inside. Even once they were off, our chairs were wet and unusable. Disappointing.

Lastly, when we were ready to check out at 8:30 in the morning, their was no staff on the premises. There was a sign saying they were gone for the day with no direction for guests and no one answered the phone. As a guest, I expect a staffed facility.

I would stay here again. If you forget how much you're paying for the room, you'll likely find it just fine.

We thought we'd give the Tioga Lodge a try this time in Lee Vining.

We started off being checked in by a spacey young woman, less than competent.  Our bed squeaked, and had a mattress topper that was 3" less wide on each side than the mattress, which was not only uncomfortable to lie on, but effectively turned the queen bed into a double.  The bathroom wall was falling apart, its fan was annoyingly loud, the toilet paper hidden behind the door, and there was no place to set our toiletries or hang anything.

We were told that breakfast would be served starting at 7:30.  We arrived at 7:40, and helped ourselves to tea and coffee.  There was no one in the kitchen or any where to be found. Some yard worker wandered in after we gave up and were leaving, telling us they had him working outside but he didn't seem to be either the cook or waitstaff.  We  packed up and went down the road for breakfast.  Great location, but terribly execution.