Yosemite Lodge at the Falls

One of California's newest green hotels, Yosemite Lodge at the Falls is located in the heart of Yosemite Village in Yosemite National Park.

In April 2010, Yosemite Lodge at the Falls hotel debuted two cutting-edge green hotel rooms, featuring environmentally-friendly interior architecture and design.

The Yosemite Lodge at the Falls plans on transforming all 245 guest rooms to receive certification as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and Energy Star property. Currently, most of the rooms are still very motel-style in looks. Basic, but clean.

The new green hotel rooms (pictured on the right) feature eco-friendly design elements that include 100% organic cotton sheets produced in a solar-powered factory, and 40-inch flat-screen SONY Eco Series HDTVs that use only 90 watts — which as little as an incandescent light bulb.

Each room boasts a special line of Old Hickory furnishings and recycling caddies. The rustic furniture is made entirely of hickory saplings, which are 30% harder than oak. Considered to be the hardest wood in North America, they are also a renewable source that continually re-sprouts from the same stump.

Additional eco-friendly touches in the prototype rooms include:

• Kelly-Moore paints made with low- and zero-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds)
• Vanity counters made from 85% glass collected from curbside recycling bins
• Flooring produced from recycled plastic bottles with backings derived from old tires
• Energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs
• High-performing toilets that use only 1.28 gallons per flush

While you're here, enjoy views of the breathtaking Yosemite Falls while dining at the Mountain Room Restaurant, which serves organic and seasonal specials year-round. Hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and reservations can be made through (209) 372-1274. View Menu.

For a more casual experience, catch the latest sports game while enjoying cocktails and light appetizers at the Mountain Room Lounge, which boasts a Swedish-style fireplace and outdoor patio. It's open from noon to 11 p.m. For quick grab-and-go eating, check out the Yosemite Lodge Food Court, which has picnic items to go as well as coffee, pizza, and other meals. It's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner year-round.

The Yosemite Lodge at the Falls address is P.O. Box 578, Yosemite National Park, California 95389. For Yosemite Lodge at the Falls reservations, call (801) 559-4884. Visit them online.

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