Exterior

Reviews of Gena's Sierra Inn & Restaurant

2.5 out of 5
Gena's Sierra Inn & Restaurant
37692 E Kings Canyon Rd, Dunlap, CA

Reviews

7.2

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 55 out of 175 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 47 out of 175 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 29 out of 175 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 27 out of 175 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 17 out of 175 reviews" "

7.6/10

Cleanliness

8.2/10

Staff & service

6.6/10

Amenities

6.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Kristen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Remote inn. Perfect for a hiking vacation.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2024
Response from Gena's Sierra Inn on 14 May 2024
We appreciate your review!

10/10 Excellent

Alexey

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice local hotel with dining option
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Gena's Sierra Inn on 14 May 2024
Thank you so much!

4/10 Poor

Kajol

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Upon entering the room, we were startled by a large spider behind the curtains, which was quite alarming. Regrettably, the room did not match its depiction on the website. The bedsheets were noticeably stained and the TV’s speakers were malfunctioning. Additionally, the adverse weather during our visit resulted in power outages, affecting both the electricity and water supply due to reliance on pumps. Unfortunately, the lack of a generator exacerbated the situation, rendering the amenities non-functional. Overall, our experience at Sequoia was marred by these issues.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2024
Response from The Team at Gena's Sierra Inn on 11 May 2024
You are correct that the rooms descriptions are not very good on the third party travel agent website. They seem to think their AI does a better job describing the units than the actual property managers. Please contact your travel agent and let them know how you feel about that.We send a request to each guest on the date of their arrival to let us know if there's anything that needs attention with their units so staff can take care of any problems. We're more than happy to fix anything that isn't the way you desire.As for the utility company power outage, there's not much we can do about that. We're located in a rural area where issues like this are part of the experience of staying in remote, economy-minded accomodations. You're alternative is to book at one of the National Park resorts who will charge more than twice as much so they can install massive backup generators. We offer safe, clean units at economy minded prices without the expense or frills of resorts.

10/10 Excellent

Constance

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved the rustic feel and available kitchen and free laundry. Boyfriend ran a youth hostel for many years and felt the same vibe. Outdoor furniture needed to be cleaned but recent weather may have been big contributor. Room was very comfortable and clean. I would return.
Stayed 1 night in May 2024
Response from Gena's Sierra Inn on 14 May 2024
Thank you so much for your kind review!

8/10 Good

Joan

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The couple who manage the location are super friendly and so helpful. We stayed in the Creekside Cottage. We were impressed with the cleanliness of the cottage. The bed was super comfortable. The shared kitchen & laundry was also very clean and well equipped except for plates. The cottage could use a few hooks for hanging jackets, etc.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024
Response from Gena's Sierra Inn on 14 May 2024
Fantastic suggestion about the jacket hooks!! We'll take care of it. I'm sorry there were no plates, we'll have housekeeping take care of this immediately.Thank you for choosing us.

2/10 Terrible

Jaime

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This is the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Booked 2 nights. Barely made it through the first night. My kids were scared to sleep there. The floor under the carpet was soft & you stepped in holes. The ceiling was bowed in. The bunk beds were rickety. There was 1 plug in but the cover was sideways so you couldn’t use it. The bathroom was so dirty. I reserved a cabin but when I checked in found out it didn’t have a bathroom. So I had to pay an extra $20 for a room with a bathroom. I feel like they should have paid me to use that shower. The food is worse than a hospital cafeteria. The pillows were so old & as flat as a pancake. It smelled musty. It was just a terrible experience. If I hadn’t been up all the previous night & drive 6 hours there’s no way I would have stayed the night. For the love of God stay anywhere else.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Gena on 29 Apr 2024
We're sorry you didn't like your accomodations. We look forward to taking your comments up with staff to address each issue to seek ways to improve.

10/10 Excellent

Nassar, Seal Beach

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Clean and well maintained. We stayed in a bungalow with three kids. Every one loved it.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024
Response from Gena's Sierra Inn on 24 Apr 2024
Thank you for the great review!

8/10 Good

Cindy

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Easy to check in. Room was clean. A little rustic and small, but okay to spend the night. I would have like a little closet or area for our luggage, we had to put everything on the floor. Restaurant next door was nice but a little pricey. Food good and awesome service. Area around is very nice and quiet.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024
Response from Gena and Chris (Owners) on 20 Mar 2024
Thank you for the great review.

10/10 Excellent

Sondra

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Gena and Chris were so kind and amazing as were the staff. We loved the delicious home cooked food and chill atmosphere. They were really nice to our children and the pets on property were charming. We loved it and would totally visit again!!!!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Response from GandC on 14 Mar 2024
Thank you so much for the great review. We really enjoyed hosting you and hope to see you again soon! The cats and dogs here send you a paws high 5!

6/10 Okay

Oscar

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities
We did not have central heating and hot water. And they did not provide enough blankets for the bed. Or to get warm.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024
Response from Chris and Gena on 14 Mar 2024
We're sorry that the unit was unsatisfactory. We have fixed the fireplace thermostat and upgraded the hot water heater. Now there won't be a need for extra blankets. We did enjoy hosting you and wish you all the best!

8/10 Good

Theodora

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024
Response from Gena's Sierra Inn on 24 Apr 2024
Thank you for the rating!

8/10 Good

Susan, Roswell

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024
Response from Gena and Chris (Owners) on 20 Mar 2024
Thanks for the nice rating!

2/10 Terrible

Michael

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Lipstick on a pig comes to mind. Horrible mattress, a space heater for room heat, horribly noise from highway. No water for a shower in the am.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024
Response from Gena's Place on 14 Mar 2024
There's really no excuse for having no hot water and an inadequate heater. We're disappointed that we didn't offer you better service. We will learn from this mistake and take the opportunity to improve.

10/10 Excellent

La

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
..
Response from Gena and Chris (Owners) on 20 Mar 2024
Thank you!

8/10 Good

Doug

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

6/10 Okay

Kristie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Burners don’t work in kitchen
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Gena on 29 Dec 2023
We were not aware they didn't work. I'll have them replaced. Very sorry for the hassle.

2/10 Terrible

Yarden

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023
Response from Gena on 29 Dec 2023
We're sorry we didn't meet your expectations

10/10 Excellent

Christine

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
What an adorable place. Our stay was in the mini cabins and it was so cute! Loved the ability to use kitchen area and staff was kind and friendly. Loved the location and really a gem.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Gena on 28 Nov 2023
Thanks for the compliments!

2/10 Terrible

Gerson

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
I made my reservation and when I got to the place they didn’t have a ay rooms available !
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023
Response from Gena on 28 Nov 2023
This double booking is a result of the travel agent failing to check our inventory before allowing you to book through their system. We don't deserve the 1 rating. This is your travel agents fault.

10/10 Excellent

Richard

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Gena on 29 Dec 2023
Thank you!

6/10 Okay

Kent

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
This hotel room was older style but maintained well, except the electrical system was substandard and went off for a day while we were there due to storm-damaged wiring earlier. We moved to another hotel. The staff were helpful but not available much during off-season.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Gena on 28 Nov 2023
We are sorry for the power outage. We are resolving the issue.

8/10 Good

Kore

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Small quite place very clean
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Gena and Chris (Owners) on 6 Nov 2023
Thank you for the review! We appreciate your stay!

8/10 Good

Beau

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Gena and Chris (Owners) on 6 Nov 2023
Thank you so much for staying with us.

10/10 Excellent

gail, miami

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
They were very communative prior to check in with infomtion about check in. Nice to be informed
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Gena and Chris (Owners) on 6 Nov 2023
We appreciate the compliments!

10/10 Excellent

Scott

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Chris on 17 Oct 2023
Thank you!

8/10 Good

Eduardo

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Gena and Chris (Owners) on 6 Nov 2023
Thank you for the positive review!!

10/10 Excellent

Noy

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Check in and out was easy.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Chris on 17 Oct 2023
Thanks so much!

10/10 Excellent

Tim, San Ysidro

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We enjoyed our stay. Comfortable but small and rustic(old). Great location, next best thing if you're not staying in the park. We didn't have much interaction with the staff but they were friendly and helpful.
Response from Gena and Chris (Owners) on 6 Nov 2023
We appreciate the kind review!

10/10 Excellent

Martha

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Gena and Chris (Owners) on 6 Nov 2023
Thank you for the 5 star review!

8/10 Good

Linda, Flushing

Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Chris on 17 Oct 2023
Thanks for the positive review.

10/10 Excellent

James

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very economical for the location (right outside the park). Fun good connected resturant. Con: Refrigerator didn't work (even after checking plugs)
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Chris on 22 Sept 2023
Hello Thank you for the review! Our refrigerators at the appliances are all unplugged to save electricity. Housekeeping also turns them off and therefore you must turn the power switch on which is located inside the refrigerator.I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to interact directly. We would have been happy to show you how to turn it on.

2/10 Terrible

MISS

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fraud
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Gena on 22 Sept 2023
Hello Melissa,I'm unsure why you would say that we are fraudulent? You said you wanted a refund because you are not in the area to stay at our hotel. You reported to us your card stolen and requested a refund to the same card. You said that your Expedia account had been compromised and that someone else booked your room because you didn't get a chance to cancel before the 100% refund cancellation policy expired. That policy protects small businesses like ours and is very important to follow.We told you we would be happy to refund you to a different card that your bank would issue since you should have canceled your original card that you reported stolen.Instead you sent me a screenshot of your purchases in another state halfway across the country that you claim you made using the same card you said was stolen.We reported the incident to Expedia since you claimed your account was stolen in an effort to protect your account from fraud.Now it seems like the story is changing and the facts are not lining up.The fact that you would leave a negative review claiming fraud on our part when we are just trying to protect you, feels very unfair.

6/10 Okay

chao

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Gena and Chris (Owners) on 6 Nov 2023
We're sorry we didn't meet your expecations.

2/10 Terrible

Sun Min

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good location.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Robert

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good budget choice
Good budget motel within easy reach of Kings Canyon NP. Nice amenities like coffee maker (they provided 2 servings), refrigerator, and microwave. AC was adequate but noisy. Very convenient to have the restaurant next door; menu is basic but adequate. The only downside worth mentioning is the location right on the highway gets noisy after 530 AM due to park construction trucks roaring by, but they thoughtfully offer free ear plugs :-) You need to get up early anyway to score a parking space in the park by 730.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Chris on 17 Oct 2023
Thank you very much!

2/10 Terrible

Richard

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Not clean and shower drain was clogged. No staff and no food.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Ruth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We loved Gena's and the general area
I expect this place is not for everyone, but we loved it. It is just our casual vibe. We stayed in one of the cabins after spending the day in Sequoia NP. Unit was cute, comfortable, convenient, and cost-effective. Be forewarned that the cabins do not have a private bathroom but the shared bathroom facilities were close by and clean. (We stayed midweek--only 3 of the 6 cabins had tenants; perhaps we would have had a less positive experience with shared bathroom if all units were full.) I assume the motel room units have private bathrooms--not sure. We loved restaurant for dinner & breakfast. Food excellent, portions generous and, again, a great vibe. (I have a vision of returning some time ideally with our grown childrens' families, renting out 5 of the 6 cabins. Think it would be a really fun base for being together and exploring the area for a few days.) In addition to the national parks, we checked out the Cat Haven sanctuary just east on 180 about 1/2 mile. Highly recommend their very interesting tour for all ages. Finally, there is also a Greek Orthodox monastery (convent of nuns) where we stopped by and received a private tour, but be sensitive that access may not always be possible. It is a holy and reverent place for Christians and sincere seekers. I do not recommend this for non-religious "tourists" or young children. Out of reverence, as one finds in many worldwide religious sites, there is a dress code--no shorts for anyone, skirts and headcoverings for women.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Gena and Chris on 25 Aug 2023
Thank you!

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Disliked: Room comfort
Not amazing but functional for a short stay
We got one of the basic rooms and it wasn't overly clear that the bathroom was shared. That was a bit annoying as it felt more like a camping site. It's bearable for a quick stop stop between Sequoia and Yosemite but don't expect much.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Gena and Chris on 25 Aug 2023
Our cabins are designed to provide comfortable lodging at affordable rates. We do not intend for guests to stay in our units if they are looking for high end amenities.Our rates are family friendly, our amenities are limited to save you money for visiting the National Parks.

10/10 Excellent

Maureen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Highly recommend! Very close to Kings Canyon entry. I stayed in Room 5, just myself and it was perfect. I feel like two people would be comfortable but 3 might be a little crowded. Very affordable - Gena's restaurant was also great! Super convenient, good food and variety of options, staff is very friendly!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Gena and Chris on 25 Aug 2023
Thank you!

8/10 Good

Michael

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great staging point for a multi day trip into King's Canyon, affordable, clean, showers!!!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Gena and Chris on 25 Aug 2023
Thanks!

10/10 Excellent

Jose

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Cute, cozy, nice to stay and well kept … Highly recommend!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Gena and Chris on 25 Aug 2023
Your comments are very appreciated.

10/10 Excellent

Kelley

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Gena's Gem o' the woods
What a cool, wild, funky town mountain get away this is! I loved my mini cabin and communing with others in the communal bath house! The staff was exceptionally accommodating and wonderful, and we had a great time.We"ll probably stay longer next time. Reminded me of Colorado in terms of its rustic charm. ❤️
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Chris on 4 Aug 2023
Thank you for the wonderful review! We enjoyed hosting you and we can't wait to see you again.

4/10 Poor

Erin

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Be advised--you may be booking a shed! I thought I booked a normal room, but it was a converted garden shed with no windows and no bathroom. The staff at Gena's were super friendly and helpful, and I do not blame them at all--this seems to be a problem with Expedia not listing the details of the booking correctly. The place was very clean and the staff was very kind, but we were not comfortable staying--claustrophobia.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Chris on 4 Aug 2023
I'm sorry the accommodations weren't what you were expecting. It is true that the third party booking agents sometimes make it difficult for us to describe our own properties. But thank you for enjoying our staff. They make a lot of effort to keep the place enjoyable for our guests.

8/10 Good

Sierra

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
I liked the location and restaurant. The mini fridge and microwave did not work.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Chris, CoOwner on 31 Jul 2023
Hi Sierra, our appliances are unplugged by housekeeping to conserve energy. They just need to be plugged in again for use. So sorry we didn't get a chance to let you know this.

8/10 Good

cristina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Chris, CoOwner on 31 Jul 2023
Thank you.

6/10 Okay

Yesenia

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Restaurant was average! Everything was great. I exceeded our expectations
Response from Chris, CoOwner on 31 Jul 2023
Thank you! We hope our restaurant offers you a more impressive experience the next time you come through.

2/10 Terrible

Albert

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
It was a tuff shed I was disappointed I mean it was nice but it was to hot it had a very small ac it had no windows me and my daughter got there at check in time and had to go back home it was to hot
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Chris on 28 Jul 2023
I'm sorry that our accomodations didn't work for you. It usually takes 30 minutes for the AC units to cool down our mini cabins. We suggest dropping off your luggage, turning on the AC and having a drink or snack at our restaurant. By the time you are done, the unit should be sufficiently cool.

8/10 Good

JOHN

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Chris, CoOwner on 31 Jul 2023
Thank you!

10/10 Excellent

Ryan

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Cozy and convenient to parks
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Gena and Chris on 25 Jul 2023
Thank you!

6/10 Okay

michael

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Gena and Chris on 25 Aug 2023
Thank you.