Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe [Master Thread]
 

don't seem to be able to find much discussion about this hotel...

we are thinking about spending a week or so in the Lake Tahoe area around Christmas, and are in particular thinking about the Ritz-Carlton. one question is, where to book: I seem to have a choice between the hotel/Ritz website itself vs. sites like whatahotel.com (which offers 4 benefits, 1. An Upgrade subj. to avail.at Check-in, 2. Continental Breakfast x 2 Daily, 3. A $100 Resort Credit, (Excl. alcohol, taxes, gratuities, True North, spa retail and Bloom Boutique), 4. Late Check-out-subject to avails.).

pro for booking via hotel/Ritz website:
- get points for the stay (quite expensive, so quite some points there)
- stay/night credit less important for me
- better treatment overall as Gold Elite (or the hotel doesn't quite care?)

pro for booking via whatahotel.com:
- free continental breakfast + USD 100 credit
- late check-out subject to availability (don't think it's available to Gold Elite esp at Ritz resorts?)

question marks:
- not sure whether the potential upgrade for Gold Elite would be better, or the "upgrade subj to avail at check in" via whatahotel.com would be better ? in general, any chance of an upgrade to Club Level, from people's experience here, esp in peak winter season ?
- did people have experience with websites like whatahotel.com? experiences on their claims about upgrade/late-check-out subject to availability...how likely are these ?
- any better way to book the stay, esp for peak winter season ? only seem to find something from whatahotel.com so far...any other potential better deals ?

thanks a lot for any advice you might be able to offer !!

(in fact, I was also debating between Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe vs. Resort at Squaw Creek too. prices are somewhat similar but it's a 450 sq ft room at Ritz while 600-700 sq ft suite at RSC. but I have also heard Ritz is certainly more luxury and you don't really need that big a room since you'll be outside often, and room/hotel "quality" is more important; and Ritz also gives me quite some Rewards points if I book via the hotel site. any personal experiences with these two resorts and comparison would be very much appreciated as well !! esp for more beginner skiers.)

cant you also get points and stay credits and any gold benefits using virtuoso? I thought you could...

I can't tell if whatahotel.com is a virtuoso agency. If it is they can definitely put your Marriott number in the reservation and you will get points. If it isn't the OP should check on making the reservation through a Virtuoso agency as they get the same benefits indicated. BTW, a club upgrade is highly unlikely under any scenario.

thanks !! indeed, with some more research in the past day...I now found out there's all these about Virtuoso, Ritz STARS, Signature Travel Network, etc...that give benefits similar to these and yet at the same time can earn points (and stay/night credit I assume). not bad !!

Thanks for the trip report - much appreciated!

Cheers.

Ritz does not upgrade MR elites to club level. Period. (well never say never but read the other posts in this forum and you'll get the picture. very rare.) Best deals for peak winter (outside specialty agencies) are just the lowest rates, the package deals with lift tix are not great, and remember you pay high taxes the higher the room rate.

Ritz v. Squaw Creek

Ritz is ski in/ski out at Northstar, a great family resort and probably the best manmade snow today in a rather horrible ski season (no real snow). Great for beginners and intermediate skiers, not so challenging for experts. There are plenty of dining options in the village (free shuttle to ritz) or if you have a car not too far to Truckee.

Squaw Creek is ski in/ski out at Squaw. If you are a very good skier then you would probably like Squaw better (I do) as the terrain is more challenging but right now there is no snow so maybe not a good choice this year unless snow starts falling. Great ski school for little kids (a little cheaper than northstar). Squaw village also has a lot of dining options (free shuttle from SC) and if you have a car there are plenty of options in Truckee or Tahoe City.

Overall I'd say it is a tough choice, I'd probably go with the cheaper one if the price difference is significant. Ritz is maybe a little more deluxe, but SC standard rooms are bigger. Note if you have a car you can easily drive from your hotel to the other resort to ski for the day, I think 20-30m, and then make your own comparison.

As for me personally, we usually stay at the Hyatt Incline because we get a cheap casino rate there, but it's a bit of a haul to the slopes. I have a northstar pass but if the chain properties (i.e. where I can earn/use points) were closer to Squaw I'd probably have a Squaw pass instead.

One final note: if weather is stormy or windy, Squaw often closes some of the best slopes due to "high winds". Northstar is much better when snow is falling. However road up to Ritz is treacherous when icy, my SUV slid into a snow bank (fortunately car and driver emerged unscathed). Road to Squaw is pretty flat.

Unfortunately, this year has been dirt in / dirt out... (vs ski in/out)

Northstar gets old quickly for an advanced skier, or if you want a lot of terrain to cover.

Another benefit of Squaw is that it is actually now Squaw / Alpine Meadows (same ownership). One lift ticket covers both resorts, with a frequent, fast, and easy shuttle between the two.

Regardless, if the snow gods don't start doing something soon, then this will be a great winter for hiking in Tahoe. :(

Yeah, a lot of dirt all over the Sierra's but for the beginner kiddies snow boarding, it was well worth it.

And, with the warmer conditions, it was great 'beginner skiing' weather! Glad you had fun, we'll usually hit Northstar 2 or 3 times per year.

This year, we haven't bothered to head up to Tahoe yet. :(

SKI & STAY PACKAGE

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Proper...ay_package.htm

Corporate/promotional code: SKI

Valid December 16, 2013 to April 20, 2014
Starting at $599 USD per night

At Northstar California Ski Resort, it snows every night thanks to the largest snow making system in the region. Experience North Tahoe's best conditions so far this season with 14 lifts providing access to 28 groomed trails, 3 terrain parks and 65 park features. With a ski-in/ski-out mid-mountain location, guests of The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe can enjoy an overnight stay at California’s only AAA Five Diamond mountain resort and the convenience of ski valet services. Stay longer and reserve multiple nights with the Ski & Stay package. Click here to learn more about current conditions at Northstar California.

Deluxe Guestroom, Mountain View Guestroom, Club Level Guestroom or One Bedroom Suite Accommodations
Two 1-day adult or child lift tickets to Northstar California ski resort
Waived resort fee

Advanced reservations are required and are subject to availability. Tickets cannot be used on the day of arrival and can be picked up at the Front Desk after 3 p.m. day of arrival. Tickets must be used during dates of stay and are not valid after the check-out date. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable and are only valid at Northstar California. Rate does not apply to groups and cannot be combined with any other offer. Early departures will forfeit entire cost of room, tax and ski ticket package.

Thanks, LarkSFO! Looks like a pretty good deal....if the snow shows up! Does anyone know if conditions are improving at all? I have a stay booked here in Feb, but seriously contemplating canceling and just going to CO instead.

I forgot to ask....does anyone know if there's a ski shuttle from the Ritz to Squaw Valley? I was planning to ski a few days at Northstar and a few days at Squaw. Just wondering if I will need a rental car. Thanks!

On your first question: If I had to decide today, I'd choose Colorado.

I don't think there is a shuttle - but really, if you are in a ski in / ski out resort, do you really want to go anywhere else? If you think you might get bored with Northstar, just book at a Squaw resort instead.

Good conditions, Squaw is a 30 minute drive from Northstar. Slippery roads? Could take a lot longer.

Colorado for sure this season.

My family and I stayed at the RC for a few days last month on points, and we had a great time. While I don't normally expect any upgrades or recognition of my Marriott status at RC properties, we did receive a free upgrade to the club level. The selection of food and drinks was actually pretty good (better than others, such as the RC Laguna Niguel), and the staff was very friendly. My wife had very good things to say about the spa, and the kids enjoyed the games outside. Overall, this is one of the nicer RCs I have seen, and we will certainly return.

We stayed at the RC timeshares this summer, which are 100 ft down the hill from the hotel (and adjacent to the lift). IMO the RC is the best hotel property in Tahoe - best staff, best food and nice common areas including a couple of pools. To be fair the timeshare units are quite a bit larger than the standard hotel rooms, but we still spent a fair amount of time at the hotel including dining. The drive to Kings Beach was pretty quick except on July 4 itself.

For ski season it would not make sense to stay here if you are planning to ski a few days @ Squaw as you are paying extra for ski in/out convenience. Better simply to move to a property in Squaw Village or the Resort at Squaw which is dated but has large rooms that are quite serviceable (and ski in/out with its own lift). However if weather is good you could easily drive to Squaw.

In sum I would definitely stay here again if I can find a good rate - and the convenience factor cannot be beat particularly if there are winter storms.

Any updates at this property? I am looking at staying during the summer and looking at summer recreation opportunities (hiking mostly) in the area as well if anyone has any input. Also curious if Platinum Members receive any consideration (or this new guaranteed late check-out) as my only other experience at an RC has been in San Francisco. Thanks!

Mini rant at the Ritz Lake Tahoe
 

Just returned from a 3 night stay at the Ritz in Lake Tahoe. 2 adults, 3 kids (11, 8 and 5).


Rant 1. Several weeks prior to check-in, called the concierge to arrange for the house car to pick us up at the Amtrak station. Received a pre-arrival email about a week out without any indication of the house car pick-up. Contacted concierge again, and then received an email confirmation. Responded that I would be taking the Amtrak on train x arriving x:xx. Requested that they monitor the train status to see if I will be late. Arrived about an hour late, and expected to see house car waiting at station. And it was. Walked up and said my last name, and the driver was like "ah, your not Smith?" Nope, I'm not. Ah, not here to pick you. Well, Smith is a party of 4, you have 5 pax...we'll just squeeze everyone in. 1 rode shotgun, 4 in the middle seats and 4 in the back row.

Rant 2. Several months ago, reserved a suite via points with a paid upgrade to a suite. Day before check-in, received call from in-house reservation manager. Was told that my suite was never entered into the system, and that the only room available (for all 3 nights) was a deluxe king room. He was very apologetic. A rollaway and the "tenting" would be complementary. After check-in, received a call from front desk manager...he apologized and gave us $100 credit, and comp'd a night.

There were several other minor issues. Other than that (and the horrible storm on the way back), great hotel and staff.

Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe - 45 day cancel policy
 

Marriott is very sneaky. The Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe is going from 70k to 85k per night AND they now have a 45 day in advance cancellation policy. Especially annoying if I'm trying to time my reservation around a good snow season.

I've reserved this hotel before, and the cancellation policy was 14 days. Now 45 RIGHT BEFORE the category shifts? Evil Evil Marriott

The 45-day cancellation policy is not across the board. There are 7-day cancellation policies in October. 14-day cancellation policies in December. It appears the 45-day cancellation policy is only for the peak of ski season. After ski season the polices revert to 7- and 14-day cancellation policies.

I've attempted to reserve this hotel before and it's been 45 days, over at least the last 2 seasons.

Vail Marriott - 2009
2015
They are quite sneaky if they started planning for this years ago.....

Thanks for the update. Much appreciated.

Cheers.

Thanks for the report @returnoftheyeti

Been thinking about going up there for a night or two get-away with the Mrs. Truckee is a fun little town and do a little hiking. However, the report doesn't sound worth the $300-400 it is most weekends.

It is well worth $300-400 on a ski weekend. But you'd be lucky to find that rate. It is not worth $500-600 per night, particularly as it is pretty tight for a family of 4. Agree with the comment about the Welk Resorts timeshare units, which are easily as nice as the Ritz timeshare units. But that will cost you even more.

The Edgewood Lake Tahoe has been picking up steam against Ritz... I'm sure a re-model will be announced soon

If you stay on the club floor, the parking is free. They don't tell you that until you check out or read bene's of club. BUT they have lots of new kids and new manager seems out of touch. The kids are energetic and try but.... Example, tables not cleared for long time, forget to turn hot lights over buffet. I stay here every Christmas and this last may be the last.

Any more info on what the program offers Platinums under the new the combined program? Lounge access / breakfast / room upgrades?

Also, I'm seeing a "Deluxe Room, Guest room, 1 King, Fireplace" that shows occupancy for 4 but only a King bed; no sofa bed? We're 2 adults 2 kids, does the room accommodate?

average stay
 

Just finished a two night stay here using 60k points each. I have stayed at other luxury ski hotels and would like to highlight a few things that may help others. Other comparable properties I have stayed at include Park Hyatt Beaver Creek(PHBC), Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch (RCBG), Waldorf Astoria Park City (WAPC).

Northstar is certainly a nice ski resort, especially for beginners and lower intermediates. We enjoyed our stay here because of the skiing. The hotel itself has no wow factor. While I "only" spent 60k points per night the hotel didn't really provide value for my points the way PCBC, RCBG and WAPC provide.


Here are the details:

• the room decor is odd and has a weird wall paper in the bathroom. It certainly does not feel luxurious. Closer to a 4 star hotel than a luxury hotel. The towels were the worst of any luxury hotel I have stayed at.
• overall the level of service is very low. Nobody to open the front door when you are checking in or out. The tissues in ski valet area not replaced for two whole days (done when I asked). Phone calls to front desk abruptly cut off in middle of request. We didn't get the thin pillows we requested. The front desk welcome drink area was out of cups. When they got the cups, there was no drink in the dispenser. Attention to detail is lackign here.
• the ski valet area is terribly laid out. Unlike PCBC or RCBG, the staff doesn't help you put on your ski boots. For people who are pay > $1000 per night, you tend to expect such things (not me).
• The food in "Living room" (lobby) was terrible with very slow service. This was not a peak holiday period, just a regular winter weekend so I simply cannot excuse them for the slower service.
• The building is not spectacular like WAPC or RCBG.
• Very few things are included in the resort fee unlike RCBG or WAPC. No hot chocolate, no fitness classes. The marshmellow time is for 30 minutes only and they make people line up for a 50 cent marshmellow. Just pathetic. At RCBG, the marshmellow time is 2 hours and you can just come and enjoy as you please.
• the ski in ski out access is not as convenient as PHBC or RCBG. Definitely beter than WAPC.
• the spa area is very generic for a luxury hotel. WAPC or RCBG have really nice spa areas. Also teh spa opens at 9 AM and closes at 8 PM. I might be hard to get in some spa time if you ski bell to bell like me (8:30 am to 4 pm). I do enjoy going to the spa in teh morning but certainly not at the expense of morning magic hour (no crowds on lifts). At RCBG, the spa opens at 8 am so I could get in 30 mins of sauna and steam time before heading to the lift.
• there is nothing aroudn the resort and if you want to go to the Northstart village you will probably ahve to endure a long ride on the gondola. PHBC is right in the center of all action. RCBG is dead as well but has an on demand shuttle. WAPC is equally dead like RC Tahoe.
• you will end up paying for parking as there is really no easy way to get here with public transportation unlike taking an uber to WAPC.
• Northstar is far more crowded than Park City or Beaver Creek. The regular weekend crowds I experienced this weekend were worse than holiday crowds I saw at Beaver Creek.
• As is well known RC does nothing for Platinum members. This applies not just to this property but RCBG as well. At PHBC, you get a $80 breakfast credit. At WAPC, it's a $30 breakfast credit and waived resort/parking fees.
• Park City and Beaver Creek usually have much better snow than North star as well. The ski lessons are cheaper at Beaver Creek than North Star.

I have heard great things about St. Regis Deer Valley as well. My recommendation for people who like to ski is to avoid this hotel if you can and go to other luxury hotels. I plan on going to WAPC and PHBC in future. They atleast have some elite recognition and waive resort fees for points stays.

But then again this is in Tahoe and if you live in California, this is one of the only ski in ski out property available on points. The Marriott vacation club properties in South Lake require a long gondola ride and then a bit of walking to get to the lifts. Hyatt in Incline village is near Diamond Peak ski area but you will have to take a shuttle there.

The only thing this hotel has got going for it is that is one of the few luxury ski in ski out properties in Tahoe. If you are NOT able to go to Utah or Colorado, then choose this property. Otherwise skip.

Also, another thing to add is if you have little kids (< 6 yo), there is not much to keep them entertained in this hotel other than skiing. There is no play area (unlike the Marriott Timber Lodge). There is a game room that is more for older kids. They charge you for tokens here while the game room tokens were free at RCBG. Because access to the village is so difficult, I'm not sure if I can recommend this for families with kids who are not in ski school. I took my daughter skiing and that was the only entertainment she got here.

Don't disagree with the hotel review but I think you are a tad bit harsh on Northstar. To be fair this was a very busy weekend due to several factors - good weather and road conditions (which was not the case earlier in the month) and spectacular snow conditions, which we did not see last season. There is a lot of pent up demand and many people buy the season passes now lowering their marginal cost for another day. So Saturdays will be busy this year. I know we have grade inflation in Tahoe compared to Aspen/Vail, particularly on some black runs which might be harder blues in Colorado or Utah. But Northstar has many advanced runs, particularly on lookout mountain and a few down the backside. I know a lot of expert skiers who have season passes, so it isn't just fun for low intermediates and plenty of variety to explore over a long weekend. That being said if you are a really good skier it is hard to top Squaw on a sunny powder day, but those are not easy to predict when booking in advance. Northstar is known as a family resort and obviously not nearly the size of Vail/Beaver Creek, or Aspen/Snowmass, or Park City/Deer Valley.

As for kids there is an ice skating rink in the village as well as smores at the end of the day but yes, don't come to northstar if your kids don't plan to ski. There is a daycare near the golf course for very young children but it costs almost as much as lessons.

I'd actually say that Kirkwood is probably the best location in Tahoe on a sunny powder day, but is a little bit out of the way from Northstar. That being said, if you have an Epic pass, you have three mountains (Kirkwood, Northstar, and Heavenly) you can reach from the RC. Agree that Northstar is an excellent basecamp for families visiting North Shore. I grew up skiing there and jump at any opportunity to go back. That being said, I'd rather stay at the Hyatt Incline, Welk/Hyatt Timeshares at Northstar, or an Incline, Dollar Point, or Carnelian Bay VRBO than the RC at Northstar. The slopeside location is great, but the rooms/service are just average for what you pay per night.

Kirkwood is a far better mountain than Northstar / Heavenly, not only as terrain is more varied / challenging but also less crowded. FYI If you plan on staying at RC Northstar or HR Incline to commute to Kirkwood, I suggest just saving a ton of points and staying at Hyatt Place Reno (same drive time, way more options for food/entertainment), or just spend some dollar and stay on-hill to save the drive. We stay less and less at HR Incline as the points/benefit ratio just keeps on dropping. I'd rather get 3x the nights @ HP Reno and then ski Mt Rose / Sugar Bowl / Kirkwood 3x as often.

Thanks for the feedback on RC Northstar - won't be visiting if the only benefit is ski in ski out.

Up to this year our "go to" hotel is the Hyatt Incline - the only downside is that it's a good 30m drive to Northstar (farther to Squaw) but not a big deal unless there is a blizzard. For those who have Hilton Points there is also a very basic Hampton near the Northstar entrance. However this year we have Mountain Collective passes so we will likely stay at Squaw Creek Resort which also has ski in/out and a dedicated lift, as well as a shuttle to the base village. As I noted above the RC is way overpriced.
For those who like Heavenly (which was my "go to" resort in college) there are many convenient options in S. Lake Tahoe/Stateline area - no reason to stay in north shore area unless you are here for a week and want to check it out for a day.

I don't disagree with anything you are saying. I really enjoyed the terrain at Northstar. They have fast lifts available for beginners as well (Arrow and Vista), which is awesome. The gentle progressions in difficulty is fantastic. Better than Park City or Beaver Creek. But the resort itself is not as great as the others you mentioned. Northstar is pretending to be in the same league as Deer Valley/Beaver Creek based on the lift ticket prices and hotel brands (Ritz Carlton). It simply doesn't deliver the same experience as Beaver Creek. I think right now it is more like Keystone Colorado. Keystone caters to families and it is better than Northstar for small kids. It more activities for kids like their Kidtopia. My daughter (3.5) doesn't have the energy to ski all day. So we need other activities to keep her entertained. The RC Tahoe location was not conducive to that.

So if someone is going for a 2-3 day trip to Tahoe, RC Tahoe is appropriate. But if they are going for a week, I recommend putting in the travel time to go Utah or Colorado. It really pays off. Tahoe snow follows a feast of famine pattern. Colorado/Utah have more frequent small dumps. It's hard to win in Tahoe. If there are no weekend crowds, that's because the snow is no good. If the snow is good, you will battle the crowds on slope and delays on the highways (weather as well as human).

good points. We are turning this thread into where to stay in Tahoe for skiing thread :).

Mt Rose looks like an awesome option. Hard to do for a weekend from Bay area but doable for a 3 day weekend.

I was planning on staying at RC Tahoe (Northstar) in December. A couple of issues that I'm hoping to get some advice on...

The hotel requires a 60 day cancellation notice. Given that weather can be unpredictable during the winter, I find it ridiculous to commit 60 days out. Thoughts on this?

My 3.5 year old wants to play in the snow/hill. It seems Northstar has some hills, but I'm not sure how much enjoyment we'll get out of this.

The outdoor skating rink looks fun as well.

I prefer not to drive, since I don't have a 4 wheel drive vehicle.

Thanks in advance...