I lived in the area for years and miss it so much that I return each summer for a week or two. I spent wonderful two week there this summer and was lucky to stay at the Timberline Lodge. The room was newly refurbished, comfortable and great for the price. I love staying there and appreciate the amenities and the staff. Great restaurants nearby the the scenery is spectacular. Colleen is a great hostess and treats her guests so well. Planning my next visit, Utah Wanderer. read more

Well I first booked on line with booking.com and wasn't sure what to expect. We made this trip especially to see the calaveras trees. We drove up from mammoth through tioga pass which is beautiful but allow 2 hours at least as it is the entrance to yosemiti park. It was breathtaking and would recommend. We headed to arnold, ca and arrived around 5pm. checkin is 3-6pm. Our gal took a minute as she was in the back but very pleasant when she waited on us. I cannot remember her name as I was exhausted at this late hour of all day driving. She showed us to room #14. What a wonderful delight. It had an orange spread on a queen bed, and a sitting table with 2 rocking chairs and in the hall was a beautiful amber bowl sink and facet to match, a refrigerator microwave and Coffee pot. I bought I was in heaven. The separate toilet and shower was really pretty and well done. A nice tub and toiletries. We were so tired we needed to eat and replace the wind glass I brought with me for later on. We walked down the street and wound up at J.J.'s and they gave us a wine glass as I don't drink wind out of a paper cup. yikes .. We came back and already it was 5:30 so our receptionist recommended we check out Serafinos 2 buildings down as it was usually busy. We walked over and were surprised at this gem. It had outdoor seating on the quaint patio, a nice bar and a restaurant area. They seated us right away. The waitress came over immediately and asked if we wanted drinks. The wine list was awesome with single glasses of wine in the 6 to 7$ range which is surprising for so nice, usually they start at 9 or 10. The menu was great, a lot to choose from and We ordered calamari , wow. The dinners were big and wonderful and tasty. After stuffing ourselves and leftovers, we went back to room, which was quiet and really pleasant. The bed was comfy. In the morning we sat out on their hugh porch which wrapped around the building and enjoyed the nice flowers everywhere. The porch continued to a lawn area that had an additional set of table and chairs for guest who had big families. We opped for the porch. So after seeing the incredible trees wee came back and the Host Collen? I believe was cleaning off the patio. e grabbed our drinks and sat on their pebbled patio which has tables, umbrellas and a fire pit. Very nice. All I can say is this was a wonderful experience. Oh Colleen recommended Bristols for breakfast. The wife cooks so patience is recommended the husband greets you at the door in his cowboy way. It is incredible, especially the biscuits and gravy which is cooked with love. Small and cosy with a john wayne feel to it. Make sure you stop by for breakfast. One of the best experiences we have enjoyed, the trees at North and south grove, timberland lodge I highly recommend, Serafinos and Bristols. read more

For arnold it's good the beds are tough had to move around alot meaning not alot of sleep visiting sister for holidays.nice overall good room I like the furnace in room overall clean microwave was clean and also the ice container thing. If they upgrade beds it.would be ideally this was overall opion of others read more

I reserved a Family Suite in April for a wedding I was attending in June. 10 days before my reservation, I received an email from the owner who was wondering if I wanted to instead switch to a room with a king bed since I had only 2 in my party. I did not want to switch, as I knew what I wanted, so did not respond. A few days before the reservation, I went camping on the Eastern side of the Sierras and was looking forward to ending my trip with a nice stay at a lodge. At a pit stop on the way to lodge, I had about 7 voicemails from the lodge telling me they had a situation and they needed to talk to me. I called back, telling to lady I had been in the backcountry camping, and was on my way. She made a huge fuss over the fact that she had been trying to get a hold of me for "weeks" and that my room wasn't available. She told me that since I only had 2 people in my party, then a king room would be fine. I explained to her that I had made a reservation months ago and do not understand how the room was not available; I had a reservation. She kept telling me that I didn't respond to her and that she thought that I wasn't even coming! I told her that I was going to wedding, so I reserved it months prior to make sure I had a place to stay. End of phone call number one. A few minutes later, I called back and told her that my uncle and I were traveling together and a king would not do. I then asked her what was wrong with the original room and she told me there were guests in it and they were refusing to leave. I asked her how that could be possible, and she told me she was trying to get them evicted and that she has been in business for over 25 years and has never had this problem before. Why are you advertising rooms that are unavailable? She told me I was welcome to stay somewhere else and referred me to a place in Murphy's; I knew that there was a slim chance of getting a place at a comparable price at this short notice. After I got off the phone, I looked at the place she recommended and it was all sold out! Thank goodness, I kept the reservation at the Timberline Lodge...or so I thought. Once I arrived several hours later, I had cooled off a bit and went in to the office. The woman asked me if I had gotten her message. No, I have been driving through the Sierras. She switched my room again and gave me a room with multiple beds and gave away the king. It isn't the biggest deal in the world, but I was again frustrated that she changed my room again without giving me a choice. She also did not apologize and told me that she had such a rough day and that I shouldn't even ask her about it! I was tired, dirty from camping and hiking, and just wanted to get to my room. The room was pretty spacious and clean; the grounds were also nice, but there was this deserted and lonely feel about the place. After going out to dinner, we returned to unpack the car, shower and sleep. As I was bringing my stuff to the room, I noticed there was a utility truck parked below my room. My room was facing the side road and the US Post Office. Then I noticed someone talking on the phone in the truck, they were seated in the passenger side and in boxer shorts and a T-shirt. I got creeped out and hurried to gather my things so I could go in the room. Then I tried to turn on the A/C and could get it to work, so I called "0" on the phone, like the lady had told me upon arrival if I needed help. A woman answered and she told me she would be right over to help. I opened the door and turned to look out the window where I saw the guy in the truck reaching in his pants and masturbating to something on his phone! I screamed and just as she entered, my uncle told her "Thank you for fixing the A/C, but could you do something about the guy in that truck who is masturbating?" The woman looked out the window and bolted out the door telling us she would take care of it. I was thinking that she was going to call the police (as I was thinking of doing) as I closed the blinds and locked the door. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. When I opened it, the maintenance lady and some other guy were there. She asked nicely if the A/C was working and I asked if the guy was gone? I asked them if they had asked him to leave to called the police. The man at the door said, "We moved the truck and brought him inside." I was baffled and surprised that he was staying on the property and I think they were staying with him! I was angry that I couldn't find another place to stay, and that this lodge treats its guests like this. The owner made a major mistake by reserving a room that is not available, not admitting that her maintenance crew was actually living in the Suite (which is what I figured out) and allowed such behavior in front of guests. I will never set foot in that lodge again. read more

Stayed two nights. Beds are comfortable. Price is good. Showers were hot. Our room had a bed for my daughter too. It also included a microwave, mini fridge and coffee maker and cable TV. WiFi was good too Everything was close by too (Ebbetts pass sporting goods, Sarafini and the Mexican restaurant). The road noise can be tough on light sleepers. read more

Nothing fancy, but just what you'd expect for a hundred bucks a night. Rooms were clean, quaint and warm. The desk staff didn't open until about 10am, but were helpful and friendly. The wifi internet access was horribly slow, but everything else was just fine. read more

This place is awesome! It is very well maintained. The owner, Colleen is so sweet and such a hard worker. She had definitely made this place feel homey. Each room is decorated differently, there is a lovely fire pit to enjoy on the backside of the building. The rooms were clean. The bed was comfy. I can't wait to come here again! read more

Due to an issue with a booking website they charged me a gob of money for a room I thought I'd canceled weeks before. The woman I spoke to on the phone offered virtually no help aside from some condescending advice. Unsympathetic, unhelpful, standoffish attitude. If you book here just pray you don't have problems because you'll get nothing from them. read more

We went to Arnold for a wedding last weekend and stayed here, For the price I expected a lot less! The people there were great and super responsive to the only request we had. It is close to the Calaveras trees park which is AWESOME if you are a nature person. The rooms were rustic and log cabin-ish in a good way. We will go there again if in Arnold! read more

This place was pretty great. For less then a $100 you have everything you could need. Bed was comfortable and room was spacious. I loved the deck where me and a couple of co-workers could unwind after a long day. Colleen and the rest of her staff were friendly and very helpful. Its proximity to Calaveras Big Trees State Park is a plus, being 5 minutes down the road. Internet was on the slow side, but it was fast enough for the amount of work I had to do, and I imagine is town-wide. read more

Great place to stay! Rooms are clean and comfortable. Staff is friendly. Beautiful area with lots to do. We will stay here again!

We broke down on the way to a camp site. After being towed to a local mechanic we needed to get a room. We stayed at the Timberline & were very pleased! Colleen at the desk was very accommodating as we also had a trailer to park. We found the room to be very clean & comfortable. The mattress was the best! Michelle in housekeeping was very kind & helpful as well. We would most definitely stay again & enjoy the town of Arnold.. 8/28/14 read more

Spent last night there. In town on business. Reception was excellent and cordial. I was in rm 12. It was very clean and comfortable. The thermostat was easy to use and I was comfy. The bed had a clean duvet and was superb. The bathroom was spotless. I used the small refrigerator but did not use the microwave. The tv was fine. And they provided free wi-fi. It was a happy experience. read more

Just passing thru as the Tioga pass was closed. As its was late after visiting Yosemite we stayed here unexpected.... Warm welcome at the reception desk. Nothing fancy, Rooms were clean, warm and nice fireplace. The wifi internet access was slow, but everything else was fine. read more

Loved our stay at this lodge. Front desk was very friendly and knowledgeable! Room was adorable, comfortable and clean. We will be back!

I stayed in room one. We were here for one night for a wedding. There was at least 5 or 6 other rooms booked for the same wedding. The room was okay. There was two double beds and a twin. A coffee maker, roomy closet and bathroom. But there was only one roll of toilet paper and two towels...the lady at the front desk wasn't very nice. We tried to walk to the office around 9AM to get towels and toilet paper, there is a sign on the door that says they won't be back in the office till 11. Hmmm...As were leaving we tell the lady at the front desk there was only one roll of tp and two towels, she told is we should've called the front desk, okay who was going to answer? My grandma accidentally got a room with only one bed online, so when we showed up she charged her a $25 cancellation fee to change the room. When we checked out(front desk lady says to check out "whenever you want" just leave the key on the table. Yet housekeeping is at the door at 930 asking to clean for the next night?) I asked her why she needed to charge her, as my grandma called 4 days in advance to change the room, thinking that would be more than enough time. The woman says "we charge that if you don't cancel 5 days in advance, as they don't get enough foot traffic. Then she goes on to say "even if you had called a whole week in advance id still have to charge you the $25"...what? We probably won't stay here again if we decide to come back this way, others complained of the same things. Too bad, is a cute little lodge. read more

Very nice and cozy. Enough space for a family of 4. I thought they were a little pricey compared to other places in the area, though- thus the 4 stars. But Colleen was very friendly and helpful. Lots of different places to eat within walking distance and very quiet despite the fact that it's right on the highway. read more

Very comfy and clean. Yes I love having a fridge and micro along with coffee! I have stayed here two times.

We had our first visit to the area and stayed at the Timberline Lodge. For the price, it is a good deal. However, my stars are for how I feel about it, and not to be construed as a typical hotel star rating, that would be more of a three-star. The proximity to restaurants and shopping in Arnold is excellent, and you are just down the hill from the sno parks and ski resorts, but without the big price tag. We stayed in a great room that had two queen beds, bunk beds and a free-standing fireplace. This was very welcoming after a day in the snow. Everything was clean, neat and tidy. The beds were overly firm for my and my husband's taste, so we didn't sleep well, but this is granted that we like really soft pillows and soft beds. If you prefer a firmer mattress (or the desire to leap out of bed early in the morning) then it's perfect for you. The room also had a small table and chairs, plenty of towels, a coffee maker, hair dryer, mini shampoo (no conditioner) and mini-lotion. The one dig was there was only one soap and don't they usually provide one for the sink and one for the tub? But again, the price was right. Parking was easy - right in front of the lodge and the receptionist was extraordinarily warm and friendly. She even provided us many recommendations for snow play and eating. We will likely be back! read more

My husband and I needed a place to stay near Murphys. The staff was very accommodating in setting up our reservations. Everyone was friendly and made sure we were well taken care of. The King size bed was great and the room was very nice. We would definitely stay here again!!! read more

My husband and I stayed here for the 1st time recently w/ our 2 young kids. Lots of room for them to play, but extremely dark in the room! Hardly any lights.....very depressing feeling. We have a 4 and 5 yr. old, of whom is used to taking baths, not showers at this age. There was no bathtub, just a shower. I wish the lady who took our reservations told us this when I booked (she knew I had small children). So, needless to say, no showers were taken. For myself, after a long day up at the snow, I want a bathtub! I'm on vacation and want to relax.......very dissapointed. They were very hospitable, but did not accommodate our needs. I will never stay there again if I can help it. read more

2 1/2 stars, extra half for friendly. We don't expect 4-5 star service in little mountain towns, and we like the old historical places, but there were a few unforgivable misses: - the hardest bed ever. There was a queen bed and a twin. After the first night I had to sleep in the twin which was a little more comfortable - one bar of soap for two separate areas; however, the desk did give us another on request. - there was a coffee maker in the room, but after use the first morning housekeeping didn't clean the pot or clean out the used coffee pod. - an "air conditioner" that sounded like a jet engine, making watching TV almost impossible and forget using during a hot night. read more

This place was very accommodating. My boyfriend and I stayed here for one night before we hit the slopes at Bear Valley the next day. We got in to town pretty late and had got these coupons for a discounted lift ticket online. We hadn't gotten a chance to print them out so we had called ahead to the hotel to see if we could print the tickets at the front desk. By the time we got there it was so late but the lady at the front desk waited up for us so we could print our coupons! We were very appreciative. She also moved us to a better room than the one we had originally booked. The room was perfect for a mountain roadside hotel. It was cozy, with a fireplace and had that cabin feel, which is exactly what I expected of this area. Very clean. The bed was a little stiff but it was fine for one night. We got up in the morning and walked down the street to the market and got coffees and breakfast sandwiches as well as stuff to make lunch before we headed up to Bear Valley. We had a great experience here and we will be staying here again. read more

We stayed for 3 nights and had a great experience. Staff was very friendly and the room was very spacious. We had 2 queens and a double and the whole family slept very comfortably. The room had a mini fridge and a microwave which is always nice when you're traveling with the family. Arnold is a great little town and its a 10 minute drive to Big Trees State Park in one direction and a 20 minute drive to Murphy's in the other direction. read more

Rustic, with doors to the outside wrap around porch. Bed is fairly hard, shower is on the lighter side. I was pleased with how clean the place felt, though. Had a mini fridge and a microwave. Very close to Big Trees Calaveras Park. A/C kept the room cool in the summer. read more

Was a little worried by the outside and location of this hotel. The rooms were nice and clean, the shower was so very tiny, loved the fireplace,microwave and mini fridge, although the beds were horribly uncomfortably hard. We stayed a Friday and Saturday night and the road noise was hardly noticeable. If avoidable stay away from the ace hardware side of the hotel @6:30 am they were out setting up the store along with they're leaf blower!!! I thought it was very overpriced for what was offered. read more

I find it difficult to judge this lodge. All of the negatives and positives others have noted are true. My complaint is the noise. It doesn't matter what room you're in, the noise level is so high you can't sleep. If you're in the front you hear Hiway 4, if you're on the side you hear the bar, and if you're in the back you hear noise from the gas station and the post office (people come by at all hours to pick up their mail). And everyone seems to be driving a vehicle on steroids. I will not come here again because I can't get any sleep. read more

What a wonderful place to stay. Rona was very accommodating to our needs. They have a cute patio we were able to sit out on and enjoy a glass of wine. Colleen was also very helpful. Clean, nice rooms! read more

My family used to have a cabin in Arnold so my husband, my daughter and I decided to take a trip for my husbands bday to Big Trees and check out our "old" cabin. This was the only hotel in town that had rooms available (because of a concert in town.) I can see why... The room was "okay," it was clean and gave off a cabin feeling. When checking in the lady behind the desk was rude and we were trying to ask her about other fun things to do besides Big Trees and she was not helpful. We went back to our room and had to look up things to do on our phone. On the website it says that the office hours are 9am-9pm. We went to check out about 9:15 and the office was locked, Another couple was trying to check out as well and they had rang the door bell twice the lady answered the door and was shocked that we had rang the bell. She said to the other couple, "I told you we don't open until 10." We were shocked and handed her our keys. We will NOT stay here again. The room was okay but the service was terrible. read more

we stayed here the weekend we went to see hank williams jr in june this year. clean place not alot to brag about. near a cool bar and a mexican place across the road. read more

Rude doesn't begin to describe the way my friends and I were treated when we arrived to check into this lodge. 1st, the owner couldn't find our reservation and then proceeded to scold us for booking through booking.com. Then, she lectured is about how she has to pay booking.com 20% when we book through them and they aren't even in America. Then, after she berated us for the way we booked, I ask to use the bathroom as we have been on the road all afterNoon. She informs me that she does not have public restrooms and we can use our bathroom after we finish "clearing up this mess," referring to our checkin. I informed her that she was being extremely rude to us and her response was, "well you don't have to stay here." This was true but given the rural location and that there was a concert that night, we did not have a choice. I travel often and have stayed in many small and large hotels/lodges but have never had an experience that left me as insulted and speechless as this one. read more

Rooms all smell like propane, not sure how this affected our sleep. We stayed two nights and aside from making the bed they didn't empty the trash or do any other cleaning. I'd stay in a pinch but would look elsewhere, however not a lot of choices in Arnold. Wi-fi worked well in our room. read more

The front desk person was very very nice! I did think the room was dark but I liked it. It felt like camping in a cabin! I think these are great for Arnold. I would stay here again. The price was good. It was quiet clean and cute! Perfect for camping without roughing it. read more

If you want a cheap place to stay, then this is it! It's cheap for a reason. If you want a nice place to stay, then book a room in Murphys about 12 miles away. At the Timberline our room was small, clean and dark, as noted by others. There was one small table to set our belongings, but no other tables or nightstands to place luggage or books or anything else. The rocking chair in the room was huge, unpadded and out of place (think staging for real estate). The TV was very tiny and the remote had to be held up high in the air to make it work from the bed which has seen better days. We hardly slept because of the yelling, swearing and noise from the late night bar fights next door. You could pick up a rock and hit the bar from the room, or visa versa. Luckily that didn't happen (the rock) but we did not feel safe or comfortable for half the night. The shower was OK, no bath. The toilet slanted about 10 degrees. But hey, the floors were clean. The only reason I gave it 2 stars is because you can walk to Sarafina's, some of the best Italian food you will ever eat. Just don't plan to sleep. read more

WoW!!!! What can I say but I'm shocked. My wife booked this reservation. I'll be completely honest after she told me what we were going to pay per night I was preparing myself for a real dive. Boy was I wrong; it was just the complete opposite. From the first impression of building I was completely amazed. What an elegant looking place. So then we go check-in, and once again I'm expecting the worst. The staff was so warm and friendly. She told me we would be in room 2. She also told me about all great dinning places within walking distance. So we gathered all of our bags and proceeded to our vacation home not expecting much and what a shock the décor was so warm and inviting. We even had a cute little gas fireplace. It didn't feel like a hotel at all it felt as if I was home. Everything was so clean and fresh. What a great location only about 20 minutes from all the action. The following morning I went down to the lobby and checked my email with the high speed internet computer they have set up. What I thought was going to be a crappy weekend, turned out to be a weekend I'll never forget. Thank you Timberline Lodge read more