Luxury takes on a different tone in the mountains — more rustic, but not skimping on any indulgence. Service? Only the best will do.
Feature image: The Ritz-Carlton
Cedar House
Located in the mountain sports mecca of Truckee, Cedar House Sports Hotel inspires guests to treasure the great outdoors. The ski-chalet architecture reflects and respects the surrounding landscape, incorporating both recycled and pure materials. You can “Build Your Own Cocktail” at Callaghan’s Bar and feast on locally-sourced seasonal cuisine at Stella restaurant.
HIGHLIGHTS: Accommodations range from European-style efficiency rooms to luxury suites with separate spaces for lounging and sleeping. Pets get their own dog bed, bowls, and a toy.
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe
If you can bear to leave the comfort of your spacious room or private waterfront cottage, treat yourself to a little tranquility following an outdoor activity recommended by one of Hyatt Regency’s Adventure Specialists. Take a relaxing dip in the heated outdoor pool, and then pamper yourself at the Stillwater Spa and Salon.
HIGHLIGHTS: Enjoy award-winning cuisine from your choice of seven on-site dining options before gambling the night away at the resort’s Grand Lodge Casino.
PlumpJack Inn
There’s a lot to love about this lodge-like resort near the north shore of Lake Tahoe. You’ll find ski-in ski-out access, on-site snow rentals and shopping, outdoor hot tubs and swimming pool, upscale and casual dining choices, and even a Bocce court. Accommodations range from intimate guest rooms to the lavish Penthouse Suite.
HIGHLIGHTS: Dogs are welcome for an extra fee, and there are nearby hiking trails abound. Bonus: PlumpJack’s philanthropic endeavors support cancer research and fight childhood poverty and hunger.
The Ritz-Carlton Truckee
This luxurious, mid-mountain retreat has it all: stunning views, upscale dining, outdoor activities, and an award-winning spa. Snow bunnies will love the ski-in, ski-out access in winter, while summer visitors can splash and snack poolside in a private cabana. Family-friendly programming on-site includes a daily Resort Scavenger Hunt, Telescope Tuesdays, and Dive-in Movie Night.
HIGHLIGHTS: Guests get access to the exclusive lakefront Lake Club, featuring beach access, a private pier, fireplaces, an outdoor whirlpool, plus complimentary kayaks and standup paddle boards.
The Landing
Listed among US News & World Report’s Best Resorts in Lake Tahoe, this award-winning property’s standard guest rooms feature fireplaces, heated bathroom floors, and California King pillow top beds. Lakefront Suites offer awe-inspiring vistas and oversized private balconies. Resort amenities include lake view dining and live music nightly at Jimmy’s Restaurant, a Bed & Breakfast for Two package, and restorative spa treatments.
HIGHLIGHTS: A lakeside beach beckons from just across the street, and the lively downtown area lies a mere three blocks away.
The Lodge at Edgewood
Majestic may be the best word to describe The Lodge’s floor-to-vaulted-ceiling views of Lake Tahoe. But it is more than just a pretty face. When not luxuriating in impeccably-appointed rooms and suites, or dining at one of three distinctly different restaurants, guests can take in a round of golf, schedule a spa treatment, join a yoga class, or belly up to the S’mores Bar. A deep commitment to sustainability and philanthropy rounds out the character of this unforgettable alpine retreat.
HIGHLIGHTS: Situated along Edgewood Tahoe’s legendary golf course and carefully masterminded by famed architect Frank Gehry, Brooks’ Bar & Deck perfects the gastropub concept by embellishing it as a gorgeously wooded gathering place. Serving up gourmet comfort food and other expertly prepared pub-inspired fare. Brooks’ Bar & Deck is the perfect place to oversee a game of golf or enjoy vistas of Lake Tahoe itself from the comfort of a broad, generously seated deck that places drinking and dining guests in the thick of the action.
Desolation Hotel
Billing itself as a micro resort, Desolation Hotel arrived on South Lake Tahoe’s lodging scene in 2021, offering 21 modern townhomes and suites, a saltwater pool and whirlpool open year-round, sauna, fitness center, laundry room, poolside bar, and onsite restaurant serving elevated brunch and dinner. Adventure awaits outside your doorstep — both the beach and Heavenly Valley Gondola are walking distance — and four-legged friends are welcome too, with dog-friendly amenities like pet food and water bowls.
HIGHLIGHTS: Desolation Hotel provides plenty of creature comforts, blurring the lines between hotel and luxurious residential property. Every room includes a private balcony with a soaking tub; a kitchenette with a Bertazzoni gas range, microwave, disposal and fridge; fireplace; Belkin speakers and wireless chargers; Frette linens; and a 55-inch TV with Apple TV+. Townhomes include private garages with EV charging ports.
Wylder Hope Valley
If Wylder Hope Valley’s incredible setting doesn’t win you over — a remote, aspen-ringed valley 30 minutes from South Lake Tahoe near Kirkwood Mountain Resort — its rustic yet luxuriously appointed lodgings sure will. Sorensen’s Cafe’s serves up hearty fare like its legendary beef burgundy stew (on the menu for 40 years) and berry cobbler. The property’s onsite perks include an outdoor fire pit, wood-fired sauna, general store and outdoor equipment rental shop.
HIGHLIGHTS: Wylder Hope Valley offers plenty of diversions to keep guests occupied, including cross-country skiing, moonlit snowshoeing tours, sledding, hiking on the property’s Popo’s Trail, a kids’ fishing pond stocked with trout, lawn games and swimming in the West Fork Carson River. Regular history talks focused on the Eastern Sierra bring the region’s historical figures and events to life. Nearby, there’s also downhill skiing at Kirkwood Mountain Resort, and plenty of mountain biking and hiking trails to scenic alpine lakes.
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