Extremely comfortable bed, linens, and beautifully appointed hotel room and bathroom. Luxurious, at the business class level I think. It’s a little nicer hotel than I usually stay at, I was able to use some reward points to book it while dropping off a student at UC Merced for her first semester. There isn’t anything much closer to the university, 15-20 minute drive. I was able to park directly in front of the hotel, in July, multiple times. They also have a very nice parking structure out back, which I appreciated for the shade. Everyone was friendly and professional. The breakfast room was very good downstairs, and convenient.

Everything was fine! There was some construction on the main street in the morning, but it looked like an emergency repair. One side of the hotel faces the main street, so you might want to ask for a room in the back if you don’t want the sounds of people or cars. I didn’t hear much though, and it was July. The back would only have a view of the parking structure.

This darling hotel far exceeded our expectations. We were greeted with the friendly & helpful valet before we entered the hotel. We didn't opt to use the service, there is an option to park your car in the garage behind the hotel or on the street. Since there was little traffic and plenty of room, we chose the street option. The hotel was thoughtfully and creatively decorated, and the room had everything we could need (including a clothes steamer). The pillows were so comfy!!!! We ate dinner in the onsite restaurant - it was amazing! In the morning we enjoyed coffee in the onsite coffeeshop, again wonderful! I cannot say enough good things about this gem in downtown Merced!

Wow! This place is stunning! The decor is amazing! The facility is impeccably clean! I wanted to stay an extra day just to enjoy the beauty of the hotel! I couldn’t believe that it was in such a small town! I’m trying to find a reason to return. For those who complained about noise, I heard one train in a distance (and I do live around trains, so I know how annoying they can be), it was not annoying at all! I enjoyed knowing that I had several choices for restaurants. Two of them are accessible in the hotel itself, and one associated with the hotel is less than a block down the street, which was the one I went to since my event ended later in the evening and it was open. The food was delicious. As for my room, I had all the amenities I needed, and the bed was comfortable! Although I didn’t use it much, I enjoyed the choices of the TV and being able to hook my iPhone up to it and enjoy the apps I like to watch. In the morning, I was able to make a cup of tea in my room, and I went down and looked at the breakfast choices, which most would be marveled at. If I didn’t have to rush to go to my next destination, I would have enjoyed a restaurant breakfast.

Beautiful spacious room and convenient bathroom, both very clean. Kettle and fridge in the room. The parking on the street was actually for free (not for 15 USD per day like it's mentioned on the hotel's booking page). The ways to Yosemite and Sequoia parks take approximately 2 hours each with no traffic so it's quite convenient if you want to visit both.

There is a train rail right outside the hotel and the trains run every couple of hours all night long, honking annoyingly loudly. There is also a very bright flickering light on a fire detector on the ceiling in the room which was disturbing while falling asleep.

The staff, as always, were fantastic. They are always friendly and professional. Giving a warm welcoming. The room was spacious, clean, and well maintained. The amenities were well stocked. The bed was comfortably firm. Really good deal on a room for a last minute reservation on Valentine's Day.

Valet Parking was full, but this was not their fault as it was Valentine's Day and their hotel is on Main Street. We ended up in a two bed suit instead of a one bed suit due to late check in. Again, not their fault there was no parking nearby until later because of the day and location. There really is not much to put here as a detractor.

The El Capitan Hotel offers a clean and well-maintained environment with lovely rooms that make for a comfortable stay. One standout feature is the distilled and sparkling water dispensers by the ice machines, a thoughtful touch that adds extra convenience. Additionally, its location makes it a fairly easy and convenient place to stay for those planning a trip to Yosemite National Park.

One major downside of the El Capitan Hotel is the complete lack of vegan options, despite having multiple eateries on-site. If you're vegan, you'll need to bring your own food or eat elsewhere, which is super disappointing and inconvenient. Additionally, the hotel does not have dedicated parking, requiring guests to park in a public structure next to the property. Parking was limited, and we were only able to find a spot because we happened to catch someone leaving as we were about to give up and looking to park elsewhere.

The hotel smelled wonderful like a high end resort, the food at the Rainbird has to be some of the best hotel food I’ve tasted in a while. And it was like this last time I was there. The server was amazing for my mom, he went out of his way to try and accommodate her food to get puree it since we had forgotten her teeth at home.

No iron in room. And it’s a little loud at night outside (not sure why, it’s not like there’s a whole lot of activity going on at night, as kids we called Merced Merdead) but they do give you earplugs lol! That’s it.

Staff were friendly and helpful, the room was clean and comfortable, and it was perfect for a 1-2 night stay. I don't think I'll find myself in Merced again, but if I do, I would definitely opt to stay here. Food downstairs in the morning was also great. I also really liked the decor of the hotel. Very nice.

Where we have to park but it wasn't that big a deal. just didn't love it. arrived super late at night so that's why it bothered me a bit.

I have frequented the hotel on numerous occasions. I like the location and the staff. The rooms are clean and the beds are comfortable and the staff typically accomodates my requests regarding room.

I think the price is a bit high and I wish you had a rewards program for guests who return often. I think your hotel is lacking there as I need to visit Merced a few times a year and I have stayed several times already in the past 18 months.

The charm of the property, decorations, hang out spaces, comfort of room, access to food, kettle in the room.

Silly thing - there isn't a check in parking space up front, so it was a bit confusing where to park short term and long term, as the spaces were full in the lot and are likely full most the time. Access to water to fill water bottles and couldn't find the ice. I did find the way to fill bottles near the downstairs bathroom. Really it was a great stay and will stay again.