El Capitan Hotel

3.5 star property
VIP Access

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Photo gallery for El Capitan Hotel

Lobby
1 bedroom, premium bedding, down duvets, in-room safe
Reception
Theatre show
Exterior

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • 24/7 front desk

Explore the area

Map
609 W MAIN STREET, Merced, CA, 95340
  • Merced County Courthouse Museum
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Merced County Fairgrounds
    ‪18 min walk‬
  • Merced College
    ‪4 min drive‬
  • Merced, CA (MCE-Merced Municipal)
    ‪9 min drive‬
VIP Access
Curated for quality and service, VIP Access stays consistently receive our highest guest ratings.
  • Expect exceptional service
  • Extra savings and perks for BONUS+ members

Room options

Suite

  • 52 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 King Bed and 1 Double Sofa Bed

Arbor Lane King

  • 28 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Main Street Double Queen

  • 33 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

Junior Suite

  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 King Bed and 1 Double Sofa Bed

Main Street King

  • 33 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Suite - Accessible

  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 King Bed and 1 Double Sofa Bed

Arbor Lane Queen

  • 33 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Similar properties

About this property

El Capitan Hotel

Hotel with 3 restaurants, a quick walk to Merced County Courthouse Museum
This smoke-free hotel features 3 restaurants, a 24-hour fitness center, and a bar/lounge. WiFi in public areas is free. Other amenities include a 24-hour business center, a coffee shop/cafe, and valet parking.
El Capitan Hotel offers 114 air-conditioned accommodations with laptop-compatible safes and coffee/tea makers. Beds feature down comforters and premium bedding. 49-inch flat-screen televisions come with cable channels and Netflix.

Bathrooms include showers, bathrobes, slippers, and designer toiletries. Business-friendly amenities include desks and desk chairs, as well as phones; free local calls are provided (restrictions may apply). Additionally, rooms include hair dryers and irons/ironing boards. Housekeeping is offered daily and hypo-allergenic bedding can be requested.

Recreational amenities at the hotel include a 24-hour fitness center.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Our customers tell us they can't get enough of the comfortable beds at El Capitan Hotel. During your stay, you're just a quick walk from Regal Hollywood - Merced. You'll find features like free WiFi in public areas, plus 3 restaurants and a 24-hour gym. This property offers pet-friendly amenities like food and water bowls.
  • Free WiFi in some public areas
  • Enjoy Californian cuisine while dining at Rainbird
  • Cooked-to-order breakfast served daily for a fee
  • Valet parking available for a fee
  • Services include a concierge, a porter, and luggage storage
  • Onsite recreation includes a 24-hour gym
  • Guests really like the accommodations for the comfy beds and cleanliness
  • 7 minutes by foot from Merced County Courthouse Museum and a 1-minute drive from Merced County Fairgrounds
  • Dogs welcome for free
  • Pet-friendly amenities are available, including food and water bowls
There are 3 restaurants on site, along with a coffee shop/café. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. Business amenities include a 24-hour business center and 4 meeting rooms.

Public spaces have free WiFi. The business-friendly El Capitan Hotel also features a 24-hour fitness center, concierge services, and a front-desk safe. For a fee, parking is available.

This 3.5-star Merced hotel is smoke free.

For a fee, guests can enjoy cooked-to-order breakfast daily from 6:00 AM to 11:30 AM.
Rainbird - This restaurant specializes in Californian cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Reservations are required.
Native Son - This café specializes in Californian cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar. Open daily.
The Courtyard - This bistro specializes in American cuisine and serves lunch, dinner, and light fare. Guests can enjoy alfresco dining (weather permitting). Open daily.
Mainzer - This diner specializes in American cuisine and serves brunch, lunch, and dinner. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar. Open daily.

Languages

American (Sign language), English, French, Spanish, Vietnamese

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Height restrictions apply for on-site parking
  • Covered valet parking on site (USD 15 per day)

Food and drink

  • Daily cooked-to-order breakfast available 6:00 AM to 11:30 AM for a fee: USD 20 per person
  • 3 restaurants
  • A bar/lounge
  • A coffee shop/cafe
  • Couples/private dining

Restaurants on site

  • Mainzer
  • Native Son
  • Rainbird
  • The Courtyard

Things to do

  • 24-hour gym

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Porter/bellhop
  • Wedding services

Business services

  • 24-hour business centre
  • 4 meeting rooms

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Assistive listening devices
  • Braille/raised signage
  • Lift (203 centimetre wide door)
  • Low-height door lock
  • Low-height view port in door
  • Sign language-capable staff
  • Stair-free path to entrance
  • Valet for wheelchair-equipped vehicles
  • Visual alarms in hallways
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair accessibility
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible business centre
  • Wheelchair-accessible concierge desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible lounge
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible path to lift
  • Wheelchair-accessible public bathroom
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant

More

  • 2 buildings
  • Ballroom
  • Built in 2021
  • Communal living room
  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Blackout drapes
  • Down comforter
  • Hypo-allergenic bedding
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Designer toiletries
  • Dressing gowns
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Slippers
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 49-inch flat-screen TV with cable channels
  • Netflix
  • Streaming services

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Desk
  • Desk chair
  • Free local calls
  • Heating
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Laptop workspace
  • Laptop-compatible safe
  • Phone

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

  • Pets are welcome and stay free
  • Only dogs are allowed
  • Maximum 2 pets
  • Pets cannot be left unattended
  • Food and water bowls are available

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Kids stay free! Children stay free when using existing bedding.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
  • Cribs (infant beds) are not available.

Payment types at the property

Important information

Fees

Guests will be asked to pay the following charges at the property:

  • Service fee: USD 5.61 per accommodation, per night

We've listed all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Fee for cooked-to-order breakfast: approximately USD 20 per person
  • Covered valet parking fee: USD 15.00 per day

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
This property affirms that it follows the cleaning and disinfection practices of GBAC STAR (Hyatt)
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property.

We should mention

  • Children stay free in the same room as the parent or guardian when using existing bedding.

Property is also known as

El Capitan Hotel Hotel
El Capitan Hotel Merced
El Capitan Hotel Hotel Merced
El Capitan Hotel part of JdV by Hyatt
El Capitan Hotel Merced a Joie De Vivre Hotel

El Capitan Hotel Reviews

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 1063 out of 1300 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 165 out of 1300 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 41 out of 1300 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 10 out of 1300 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 21 out of 1300 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Staff & service

9.4/10

Amenities

9.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Eren, San Diego

Business traveller, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I love this hotel....
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

tim

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Josue

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It’s a very cozy, warm, and inviting space that lets you decompress and rest.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Luis

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great place

Great place to stay at whenever you’re in Merced. Stayed here multiple times and always had a great experience.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Casandra

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Patrick

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Reasonable if imperfect choice in Merced

Overall, decent place. Convenient for bike race I was participating in, cafe food in the morning was good. Parking situation odd and not clearly described, room pretty dark with one small window but somehow still pretty noisy even though it was on the courtyard so beware if you are a light sleeper. Comfortable bed, liked the decor, people were nice and check-in efficient. A little on the expensive side at the rate I paid.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Dennis

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ronald

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Dog is so happy and so were we

We stayed there just for one night. We loved it thank you so much. Our dog enjoyed it too, and he still plays with the gift you gave him.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Joseph

Stayed 28 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Scott

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Rosio

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Don’t Bother With Other Hotels - This Is The One

Having grown up in Merced prior to moving away as an adult, I was aware of the hotels that were around town but did not have experience staying at any of them. When I saw the reviews for El Capitan, it was an easy decision to give it a try when traveling back with my wife and kids. I was pleasantly surprised by how well done the renovations were! Our room was incredibly spacious, clean, and had several design touches that created a comfortable yet chic atmosphere. After staying here, I have no desire to stay at any of the chain hotels! The staff was professional and knowledgeable, our rooms were actually cleaned thoroughly (which cannot be said of some chain hotels), and it was a very calm, quiet atmosphere. The hotel restaurant had very fresh, delicious breakfast items at a reasonable price. This isn’t the place to stay if your criteria includes a free continental breakfast, but I’d much rather pay for some fresh scrambled eggs than some free reconstituted powdered eggs. The only downside was the parking garage being a bit of a walk from the hotel lobby, but there is a valet service available to mitigate that. Again, well worth the short walk to stay at such a nice hotel. Will be recommending this place to any family and friends who are looking for accommodations!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

bruce

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Adrienne

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Really liked the hotel. Clean, friendly staff, awesome view, like the building itself.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

chris

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Rosario

Travelled with pets, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Checking in was so easy and best part, PET FRIENDLY 😊. The hotel itself was so beautiful and clean. The staff was amazing. My only complain would be the the walls are very thin. We were able to hear the neighbor. Other than that, beautiful place to stay!
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Jonathan

Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

8/10 Good

Daryl

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

6/10 Okay

Cathy

Travelled with partner
Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service
I’ve stayed here quite a few times and I’ve always loved it. But this time, I started to notice the decline in quality which is really sad because I love this hotel. It is me and my partners favorite. The first thing we noticed was that one of the side tables was broken. It was missing a part of the leg so it would wobble quite a bit. I also found leftover hair from previous customers, and I know they were not mine because the hair was blonde and I have black hair. The blonde hair was also stuck in the blow dryer. I also noticed that the sink handle was slightly broken, it worked, but it twisted Past the 90° angle it normally is at. The toilet holder was also slightly broken. I noticed that our bedsheet cover had a hole in it almost like a burn hole from a cigarette butt. It was washed but the hole was the first thing I noticed on the bed. So all these items still worked but just wasn’t in the shape and quality that I know this hotel to be. I feel like if I’m paying $140 for a night the room should at least be completely clean and everything should be in the condition that they were originally in. Also at night, we asked the front desk for extra towel towels, and we saw her make a note of it. While waiting for the towels, we fell asleep and two hours later we still did not have the towels. So we had to call them again at midnight for extra towels, which we did eventually get them.Just felt a little sad because this wasn’t the quality that me and my partner are used to.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Audrey

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We loved our stay here! The room was nice and spacious. The large soaking tub was such a plus. And we especially loved that they had a little sign welcome our dog in the lobby- it made our day.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

MaryLou

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Victor

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Phillip

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Philly V

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jerrold

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

The place to stay in Merced

All aspects of our stay at El Capitan from Valet parking, check in, Rainbird Restaurant, to room cleanliness and check out was excellent
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025