When my sister told me she’d be visiting for a triatholon in Lake Tahoe, I utilized the opportunity to check out this property on the north shore.
We arrived at the resort at around 4:45 P.M. We pulled into the valet, where they quickly came over to assist us and offer to help with luggage. The attendant noted that self-parking ran $35, while valet was $50. I told him we’d make our decision after checking in.
There was only one person waiting before us, and in no time I was ushered up to the front desk.
We had made this booking several months back using a combination of cash and a Suite Upgrade Award. Relative to what rates were looking like just a few weeks before arrival, we felt we got a bargain on this property. My wife and I had been up this way just once before, but that was on a December evening, to see relatives who were staying on the property. In the dozen or so times I’ve visited Tahoe, I never once spent the night. I just didn’t see the appeal.
I confirmed with the agent what I had read in my welcome letter: as a Globalist, my parking was being waved. This surprised me, as this was not an award stay as I understand it. I was paying cash for the nights, and not points. Maybe this was an over-generous policy, or maybe it had to do with my use of a Suite Upgrade Award, but either way it was appreciated. Atop this, we were also given our wristbands for use at the pool and the beach.
After getting us settled, another rep came over to recognize our Globalist status and give us our breakfast vouchers. She also gave us a voucher for use on specific food and beverage items at the Tahoe Provisions café. I was already a bit overwhelmed with the inclusions here, but it wouldn’t be the last time they surprised me.
I noticed online that the only better rooms available were some of the lakeside cottages, and I did not expect or receive an upgrade to those.
Our room was level with the lobby, and was just a short walk down a nearby hallway. We entered room 221 to find a gigantic space. This was classified as a One Bedroom Suite. To our immediate right was a desk with a chair, and another countertop, underneath with which held a mini-fridge and a coffee-maker.
To the left was a coat rack, and just beyond that was a spacious closet with a couple of robes.
The living room itself had a sofa chair, coffee table, and a giant leather sectional which felt like it could’ve held 8 people.
Sliding doors separated the large bedroom, which had some expansive dressers, two nightstands, and a moderately comfortable King Bed.
There were large televisions in both the living room and bedroom. To the right of the bedroom was a hall leading to the bathroom. The bathroom itself had a single vanity, toilet, and shower/tub combo.
Despite the awesome size, the suite was in desperate need of a remodel, and the furniture is long overdue for a replacement. For this reason, I wasn’t acutely impressed with our accommodation.
After settling in, we made our way to the beach to check out the premises. The beach is just a short walk from the property itself. You can either take the crosswalk or a pedestrian bridge and follow a path to the Lone Eagle Grille restaurant, just beyond which is the beach and The Nest Bar and Grille.
As it was approaching 6, we decided to head inside the restaurant for dinner.
We were offered immediate seating at the bar, or the option of a short wait to get a table. We opted for the bar and had a great dinner consisting of Elk, Truffle Mac and Cheese, some mushrooms, and a couple of drinks. Of particular note was an unnamed mocktail which Shantel whipped up for me. There was pomegranate and ginger, and it tasted like I was drinking liquid Warheads (sour candy). It was incredible! She also comped us a glass of ice wine after it took her an extra few minutes to get it to us.
We followed up our meal with some time relaxing on the beach, though it was starting to get a bit cool out.
After, we went back to our room and utilized the Chromecast for some TV watching, before going to sleep.
In the morning we woke and went to check out the fitness center. There were two sections to this area: one for weightlifting and treadmills, and another for stretching and yoga. I spent an hour or so on the treadmill while my wife completed her stretching exercises.
My sister arrived right after this to spend some of the day with us relaxing by the beach before her journey the following day.
I had already confirmed with the hotel that the breakfast vouchers were good for up to 4 people, so she joined us at the Sierra Café for the meal. I ordered a fantastic Monte Cristo, and we enjoyed some fresh squeezed orange juice. No bill signing or excess gratuity required. In fact, our waitress even suggested using the voucher to the fullest and getting a 4th entrée. As an alternative, we picked out some fruit and croissants from the buffet.
Before going back to the room, I stopped by the front desk to see if I could nab a third wrist-band for my sister. They gave me no real pushback, but they did hint that she needed to be staying in the room with us to be entitled to beach access.
We changed into our bathing suits and went across the street to the beach.
In contrast to the previous evening, hotel staff was at the ready to greet everyone for a lovely warm Saturday. One staff member led us out to the beach and let us pick where we wanted to lay out. She then used a drill to dig into the sand to put up an umbrella for us.
We enjoyed ourselves for a solid 2 hours, enjoying both alcoholic and virgin beverages (including a lava flow), testing the temperature of the water (too cold), and enjoying the views of the distant mountains, some still topped with remains of the past winters’ snow. We also had some delicious Ahi Nachos.
After, we went back to the room and spread across the giant couch to enjoy some more TV, until my brother-in-law arrived at around 3 to pick up my sister.
We spent the next couple hours watching TV again (productive, I know!). My sister took our voucher to Tahoe Provisions to use for a meal. We had previously explored our options for the voucher redemption, and they were extensive. From potatoe chips or ice cream to a bottle of wine, there was something for everyone.
My sister ended up redeeming the vourcher for a personal pizza, which she shared and was enjoyable. There was an issue with the service, and they compensated her with a free pastry to bring back as well.
Soon after that, she had to depart, and my wife and I then started considering our dinner options. I pulled up the menu for Cutthroats Saloon, and we both agreed there were appealing options. A 3 minute walk down the hall and to the restaurant, and we were quickly seated near the bar.
The atmosphere was surprisingly calm, and it seemed to be running slower than we observed at the Lone Eagle Grille the night before.
We ordered the steak and shrimp and a platter of shredded beef Nachos. Our server Mikey was excellent, and even proactively brought out extra Nachos for when I had to reheat the leftovers.
We finished the evening by picking up our complimantary S’More kit and then heating up the marshmallows at an outdoor fireplace. I also dipped my hand in the pool to find a wonderfully warm temperature, though we opted to call it a night instead of taking a swim.
On our second and final morning, we packed our things and made haste to the Sierra Café. We inquired about a to-go order, but that was only an option at Tahoe Provisions. We took a seat and ordered 4 entrees, two of which we had pre-planned to bring home as leftovers, and 2 of which we decided on the spot to bring home. I did, however, take a few bites of the magnificent French toast with blueberry compote, along with the accompanying whipped cream. Of note was that the orange juice this time didn’t seem to be the same fresh squeezed juice we had before, though it was still fine.
I had noticed on the Hyatt App that the resort fees were appearing on our room charges, but I verified at check out and they had been removed. We picked up the car from the valet and made our way home.
Ultimately:
Tahoe never appealed to me as a weekend getaway until I experienced the luxury of a private beach club and the convenience of the resort and its dining options. Unfortunately (but also probably for the best) the property is about to start renovating around the beach portion in April of 2024, meaning there will be no private beach access until at least 2026. But when they finish, its quite possible I’ll aim for a return. Hopefully they’ll make some room improvements before then, as well.
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