After our stay at the wonderful Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth, we resumed our road trip and headed north to Lake Tahoe, where we’d be staying two nights at the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe.
Review: The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe (California)
Image: ritzcarlton.com
At A Glance: The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
- Official Website: Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
- Average Nightly Cost During Stay (When Booked): $551.75 USD
- Loyalty Program: Marriott Bonvoy
- Loyalty Category: N/A (100,000+ Points)
- Discount Applied: N/A
- Room Type As Booked: One King Bed
- Room Upgrade: N/A
- Resort Fee: $55 per night
- Parking Fee: $55 per night (valet)
Image: ritzcarlton.com
Booking/Redemption
Although Ritz-Carlton is technically a Marriot Bonvoy property, they do not [officially] recognize Bonvoy Elite status, nor do they [officially] provide any benefits (other than the ability to use Bonvoy points and earn status nights).
As such, I’ve found there is usually little to no benefit to booking Ritz-Carlton properties through Marriott Bonvoy.
I opted to use my Citi Thank You points combined with my Citi Premier Card to book this stay.
Booking nearly a year in advance at www.thankyou.com, I was able to get 1.25 cpp on my point redemption, 10% back on my redeemed points (courtesy of my Citi Rewards+ card), as well as the annual $100 Citi Premier hotel credit.
Even better, I was able to stack that booking with my Amex Bonvoy Business card for an additional $100 Amex Offer credit.
For reference, this hotel can go for $2,056 per night.
FHOP Tip: The shoulder season is a great time to visit Lake Tahoe. Prices are significantly cheaper, there are less crowds, the weather is great, the trails are empty, and most (if not all) of the State Parks are accessible without the entry fees.
Location
Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, is located about halfway between Truckee, California, and Kings Beach (Lake Tahoe), near the secluded Northstar California Resort ski area.
Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe is about a 15 minute drive to Lake Tahoe, a 15 minute drive to the Truckee Tahoe Airport, and about a 20 minute drive to Truckee.
FHOP Tip: The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe is a secluded property. It’s about a 15 minute drive from the rest of civilization. Make sure to stock up on any items you may need (ahem, snacks and alcohol) in town before you head up to the Ritz.
Parking
The only option for parking was by valet at $55 per night.
Valet area (on the left)
Lobby
Walking into the lobby, the first thing we noticed was the iconic massive stone fireplace chimney that dominates the small lobby.
Image: ritzcarlton.com
Front Desk & Check-In
We were warmly welcomed at the front desk and asked about our drive up to Tahoe.
When I presented my Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express card, I was verbally acknowledged as a Platinum Elite member and asked if I’d like to add my Bonvoy number to my reservation to earn points directly (to which I said yes).
Remember, Ritz-Carlton [officially] does not provide Bonvoy elites with any property benefits, and that was the case here as we were not offered a room upgrade.
However, we were offered welcome drinks to go along with our room keys, which we of course accepted, and opted for the white wine (vs. the red).
Welcome Drinks
Note to self: Take the sip AFTER you take the picture
Room Key
Elevator Areas
Hallway
Deluxe King Guest Room
Room Entrance
As we arrived to our room in the third floor, we entered to find a standard base level room very much in the typical Ritz-Carlton style.
Behind the front door
Bedroom Area
This room (much like the rest of the hotel) featured an attractive mix of dark leathers, light and dark woods, glass, and stone accents.
The bedroom appeared to be very clean, and everything was polished to a shine.
Office Desk
Living Area
Room Amenities
The room came with standard amenities, including Ritz-Carlton branded bottles of water, a Nespresso machine and Tea and Company teas, as well as a Ritz-Carlton branded s’mores kit for two.
S’mores kit
Closet
Bathroom
Like the bedroom, the bathroom was also very clean and polished to a shine.
Unlike all the other Ritz-Carlton’s in California I’ve stayed at, this resort did not use the standard Asprey Purple Water line of toiletries, but instead used the Lanvin Paris line, which had a pleasing, invigorating, citrus-forward scent.
Balcony
The room did have a balcony, but it was extremely narrow – just wide enough to stand on, but not wide enough for any chairs or tables.
Still, it was nice to crack open the balcony doors to let in the cool fresh air of the Northern Sierras.
View From The Room
Dining Menus: Manzanita
Image: ritzcarlton.com
The Living Room (Menus & Nightcap)
By the time dinner rolled around the first night, we had accidentally eaten too much at Tahoe Tap Haus in Tahoe City (damn you, delicious sandwiches and fried cheese curds), so we weren’t very hungry.
Nevertheless, we decided on heading to the Living Room to check out the live music and to get a small bite to eat with a couple of drinks as a nightcap.
We met the Manager of the Living Room who stopped to welcome us and highly recommended we try the French Onion Soup, going so far as to say, “it’s kind of what we’re famous for”.
He wasn’t lying, the French Onion Soup was delicious, moreover, it went perfectly with my glass of Woodford Reserve Rye.
Image: ritzcarlton.com
Image: ritzcarlton.com
Image: ritzcarlton.com
The iconic fireplace
French Onion Soup + Woodford Reserve Rye
Get this. Trust me.
Cafe Blue (Breakfast & Lunch Menus)
The next morning, we headed over to Café Blue to grab some coffee and breakfast sandwiches.
Both were good (and both were over-priced).
FHOP Tip: On our way back from the café, we noticed they had free coffee in the lobby near the front desk. Lesson learned.
Image: ritzcarlton.com
In Room Dining Menus
Drinks & Dinner In Truckee
On our second night and Lake Tahoe, we decided to check out a couple of small breweries in the town of Truckee (CA), including Alibi Ale Works and the Old Town Tap, where we ended up ordering a delicious pizza to-go (and a Truckee Brewing Company Red Ale).
This is a Red Ale
And this is a Red Ale. See the pattern?
Swimming Pool
Fitness Center
Fitness center artwork
The Bottom-Line Review: The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
Although we enjoyed our stay, we did stay at the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, during the “off season” (which was on us), so everything felt empty and only “half-open”. The Lake Club [unbeknownst to us] was closed (we later found out it opens annually after Memorial Day), as was the pool bar, outdoor dining at Manzanita, and other amenities.
All the restaurants were mostly empty, and there were only 4 people watching the great live act in the Living Room (including us). I guess that’s what we get for booking during the off season. At least the Ritz made up for it all with a $100 property credit (because the Lake Club was closed).
What we didn’t get was a room upgrade at the mostly empty hotel. True, they didn’t HAVE to do that for Platinum members – but – I’ve had other Ritz-Carltons upgrade me when they were booked to capacity when I was just a lowly Gold Elite. Just saying. And no mini-fridges in the room? That’s weird for such a secluded and upscale property.
On the positive side, both the hotel and the surrounding property were absolutely stunning. The location next to Northstar ski resort was amazing, The pool area was great, the resort had a ski lift directly from the hotel, food and drinks at the Living Room were delicious (three words: French Onion Soup), the hotel and our room was very clean, and the service staff was overall very good.
As mentioned above, the Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe is very private and secluded which is both a blessing and a curse. No matter which way you cut it, it’s at least a 15-minute drive to Lake Tahoe through empty forested roads. With that in mind, I would recommend the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, to couples looking for a romantic weekend mountain getaway, skiers looking for easy access to the slopes, or families with children looking to spend some quality time together. However, if you are thinking about exploring Lake Tahoe, there may be more optimal lodging choices in Incline Village (like Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa And Casino) or South Lake Tahoe.
Final Review 8.5 out of 10
