Murphey's Motel

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Aubrey
a month ago
A lodging experience that would make Johnny Rose proud!We stayed at Murphey s this ski season and had a wonderful stay. The location is not far from Mammoth and June Lake ski slopes, and it comes with its own scenery of Mono Lake. The motel staff were very friendly and welcoming. As for the rooms, they were fully equipped with refrigerator, microwave, stove, oven, dishes, and complimentary coffee. The shower had plenty of hot, high-pressured water. The market and convenience store are walking distance if you need anything. Thanks Murphey s we will be back!

  Alex Andrews
5 months ago
Nice little motel and a spectacular location with a friendly owner.I was in room 6 on a weekday in mid-October. The room was clean with a hot shower and a cold fridge. There were plenty of outlets, and the internet was better than my 4G connection.The town is very small, so everything is walkable, but a microwave in the room would've been appreciated in an area where hot food is unavailable after 9 or so.The only real downside is that it's not a big concrete building, so the floors will creek when walking around, which can be a problem at night if you don't want to bother the folks below, or if your upstairs neighbor is inconsiderate.

  Stephen Hensler
a month ago
Late night check in, owner waited for my arrival. Had my room lights and heater on. Very friendly. Room was spotless and very comfortable I enjoyed my stay and recommend this hotel highlySafety: Small town feel felt very safe

  John Wool
5 months ago
There is usually a person at the front desk which is not the case for several other places in Lee Vining. Rooms are 60s style comfy; pretty quiet. There is a convenience store across the street. You can walk to several coffee shops and one restaurant and a grocery store. You have access to the Mono Lake Visitors Center via a trail on the east side of town; no need to get in the car.

  Quentin Devaud
a month ago
We have spent a weekend skiing at Mammoth, and the motel is only a 30 minutes drive from the resort. It's much cheaper, but we still spent $350 for two nights.

  josh qaszq
6 months ago
Decent enough motel for the area. I stayed for 2 nights and just used it as a base camp for a number of hikes nearby, and a visit to Mono Lake. Because of the limited choices you are going to "overpay" for what you get at basically any of the lodging options (i.e., supply/demand) in the area. They will all be expensive relative to what you get. What you are really paying for is the location. Being a 30-minute drive to some amazing hikes/peaks in Tioga Pass, less than 1 hour drive to some great Yosemite hikes (e.g., Clouds Rest), and being across the street from Mono Lake. Room itself was nothing fancy but it got the job done. If you are a light sleeper or easily bothered by noises, bring earplugs or something. You will hear your neighbors, doors slamming, etc. The rooms in the back are the quietest. I didn't hear the road traffic at all. Coffee maker was nice to make some coffee before getting an early start some mornings, and you can drop your key off in the drop box if you leave before their office is open. Fridge in the room was also nice, but someone had it set at lowest temp and it nearly froze my food. Overall, nothing spectacular about this motel (and probably any of the others in the area) but more than adequate if you need a base camp for nearby adventures. You won't find any 5, 4, or even 3 star accommodations in the area. A handful of different food options are all within a very walkable distance, which was nice.

  Katia Polenyaka
6 months ago
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  Lydia Anton
7 months ago
Murphey s Motel provided our family with incredible service and a wonderful room at an outstanding price. We called just before closing, looking for two rooms (party of 5: a couple, grandma, teen niece and toddler granddaughter) because we needed three beds. The owner kindly advised us that there would be substantial savings by booking the three queen room, and assured us there would be plenty of space. They were right, the room was huge. We had all the space we needed to have a pleasant evening before we said goodnight, and there was no issue of personal space when packing the next morning.The room and the beds were very clean, the linens were perfectly crisp, and nothing was out of place. The provided soap, shampoo and conditioner were gentle on the toddler s sensitive skin, unlike most provided by transient lodging. There is a beautiful shared patio on the second floor with wonderful views. We were able to get a good night of sleep before heading to Bodie and everything was pleasant from start to finish.The most outstanding part of our experience was the customer service we received after checkout. Upon our arrival home the next day, we realized we had forgotten a beloved item. The toddler s favorite pair of shorts (if you think it frivolous, then you may not have had the opportunity to witness how much love a toddler can have for even the simplest items). When we called CJ took the time to find the toddler s shorts, collect our address and mail the shorts to us. CJ even emailed us a tracking number so that we would be able to account for their progress with USPS.I cannot say enough positive things about Murphey s Motel. They left a wonderful impression and we will be using them as a home base for our Mono basin adventure from this point forward. Thank you so much for all you do, we appreciate your hospitality.

  Christy Perisho
7 months ago
Hotels in this area are extremely expensive, that's to be expected. My main disappointment is that they no longer accept dogs. Been staying at this hotel for 35 years, this is a shame. Tioga Lodge is same price, rooms are very cute and they do accept dogs.

  Cassie Magann
6 months ago
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  Sandra Keppler
a year ago
My husband booked Murphy s Motel for my birthday this year. We stayed for a week. The room was clean and comfortable!!! The front desk staff were always available and very friendly. We really enjoyed our time in evenings out on the deck in front of motel. It was a great birthday trip with lots of exploring. We visited Mono Lake, Convict Lake, Lundy Lake, and Virginia Lakes. Also drove the Tioga Pass as far as we could before reaching the winter season closing spot! (It s now open) . We are bird watchers and love fishing ... we got to enjoy both hobbies!!! Perfect birthday ... on the actual day we saw 2 bald eagles at Virginia Lake!

  Mary Jo Lutz
a year ago
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  Jeet Desai
2 years ago
Me and 2 of my friends stayed here for the night. We wanted a place to stay on Saturday night as we hiked all day Saturday and planned for another hike on Sunday.We reached the Hotel at 9.15 pm and by then the office was closed. But they had kept the keys in the Dropbox. They also had a system on the office door that helped us connect with the authorities and guided us through the process. It was pretty high tech and organized.The rooms were clean and had plenty of hot water. I just felt the AC cooled only part of the room. The opposite side of the room didn't cool equally.I like the fact that they had a refrigerator. There were no microwaves in the rooms but there is a microwave near the ice machine.There are plenty of restaurants nearby for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

  Carol
2 years ago
This is a fabulous motel! And, very affordable! We stayed in room 31 with 2 queen beds. The building is an older building, with creaks in the floor. So, if you are sensitive to sounds like me, get a room on the second floor. The room was spotless. There was a coffee maker and really nice soap and shampoo. The beds were very comfortable. The property is located near a wonderful grocery store, Mono Market, and restaurants and super cute shops. Thank you, CJ and Joey, the owner's, for wonderful stay!!! Can't wait to come back!

  Philippe Ly
8 months ago
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  Kim K�stler
a year ago
First of all: for that price we could have taken a Hotel....but seems like there are not that many alternatives.You have to check in at latest at 8pm. Was a shame that we had to shorten our trip before just to arrive on time.It's super hot in the room. AC did not work properly. You could hear the noise from the street and also all neighbours. Our backs hurt quite a lot today.Neither during the check-in or check out we have been informed about the necesarry reservation for Yosemite Park. It's not their Business but called customer Service as they - I guess - profit a lot from that.We also told the lady this morning about our awful night. But she didn't really care.Thanks for headache, back pain and 800 kms for nothing...

  Eli George
2 years ago
Hotel was clean and reasonably priced. Room had everything we needed for a week of skiing. Would be four stars but town is not welcoming to strangers so it lost a star due to that. Multiple times I was asked what my business was being in town by other business owners. Also upon checking was asked the same question by the man at front desk and the following customer who checked in was asked as well. It is a place to sleep that is clean and close to the ski slopes. Also in winter most establishments are closed so plan accordingly for food and beverage.

  Cat S.M.
a year ago
Hair was in my bed and on the towels. Human and animal. A LOT. The office was closed already so we had to sleep there. It was really gross. I m worried they didn t wash the sheets at all. Otherwise this place was pretty cute but check the beds if you stay here and these rooms weren t super cheap hopefully they will give us a partial refund or something because the amount of hair was genuinely upsetting

  Michelle Van Allen (Shelly)
3 years ago
This motel is no-frills but is clean and comfortable - a great base to come back to after days of hiking or fishing. Rooms come with mini fridges, coffee makers, and basic cable TV. The beds are a bit hard but comfortable enough. The sheets and blankets are kind of thin, and the pillows are small, so I'd suggest bringing or asking the staff for an extra blanket/pillow if you like more.The owners are kind and accommodating. When we let them know that we had trouble sleeping due to noise from the upstairs room, they moved us into a new room without any additional cost.

  David Reimer
2 years ago
Pros:NO PETS!!! 5 stars for this alone.Clean.The mini fridge is as large as mini fridges come, has a freezer too.All furniture in excellent condition.Air conditioning unit does not have infrared sensor(greed switch) that cuts the unit off while you sleep.The room just looks nice.I stay in independent/mom & pop motels and hotels whenever possible, at least 60 days a year because I travel for work. This place stands out, it is very nice! The best I have stayed in this year.Cons:No microwave. I personally do not use them but I am in the minority in this respect, plan accordingly.Must wear mask in office while checking in.This would have made it 1 star but it appears the entire town or county is under a "mandate" or "lockdown". We needed supplies and gas but all businesses had a "no mask/no service" sign on the door, ALL BUSINESSES. The atmosphere of the town is like a mormon village, with their faith being in disposable paper masks in place of Joseph Smith. We drove across the state line for all of our supplies. Mask or no mask, if you have never been to California, gas up before crossing the state line. The price difference for a 25 gallon tank is exactly $50.

  Charlie Russell
6 months ago
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  Marisa Capellan
5 years ago
Great choice for a one night stay in Lee Vining. The owners are really friendly and helpful. We stayed in the queen room with full kitchen. It was quiet on the second floor in the nook . The room was exceptionally clean and comfortable. Decor is a bit outdated but for the price, a great deal. The water was hot and the heat/AC worked well. We loved how this motel allowed dogs, no questions asked. It s so nice to find a dog friendly place!We will keep this place in mind for our next trip to the East Side Sierra.

  Jenny Butterfass
3 years ago
Wow-Extremely helpful staff. I had to postpone a trip and they were helpful and honest about the wildfire-smoke conditions and how it might impact our quality while hiking. I will definitely re-book a stay with them. Most places are more worried about making a buck but they were helpful and genuinely cared about the quality of our stay.

  richard horak
2 years ago
Super chill, well priced place to sleep. Staff was incredibly kind and accommodating. Rooms were very clean and comfortable. Great little location to relax during a road trip.

  Mindy LePooh
5 years ago
Pricey rooms but you don't get what you paid for. There's no breakfast (only coffee maker in rooms), no microwave, only a mini fridge. The walls and floors are super thin so you hear everything from other guests: water running, fans running, people talking, snoring, etc. The bathroom fans and window AC units are extremely loud. It's just a cheap motel, but not "cheap" (we paid over a hundred twenty bucks for a queen-size room in off-season). Definitely not worth it.

  Kevin Dean
9 years ago
Nice folks; no grief about checking in early if your room is ready. Nothing fancy but clean and comfortable. The rest of the town is within easy walking distance and a fuel station is right next door. Room #6 was nice and big with a fridge and microwave. Not much of a view but you can watch the Chevron station across the street for entertainment. Basic TV and no complimentary breakfast. Good deal for the money.

  Darlene Burton
4 years ago
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  Roberto plana
5 years ago
We ve been around USA an stayed in different motels and this is, by far, the worst and mainly due to the insanely expensive price. The guy in the reception very friendly and the room really spacious and clean, but no breakfast and no microwave in the room, for that price you expect much more. Yosemite is too touristic and everything too expensive, even fuel stations, we ve been in other national parks, as beautiful as this one but with more affordable prices. Not recommendable at all.

  Jose Matutina
4 years ago
The deal with small town motels near tourist traps is a no frills getting a room for the night. With this the place serves its purpose. As long as I don't get bed bugs and the shower water is warm, I'm good. The price of $150 for a night is kind of steep for a motel of this caliber but of course the rule of supply and demand applies.

  Marvin Steil
6 years ago
Extraordinary nice staff, the room was perfectly tidy and clean and everything in a very good shape! I loved the stay and would recommend everyone to stay here for visiting Yosemite. The best Motel I had so far on a 3 week road trip trough 5 states.