Desolation Hotel Lake Tahoe

Hotels
9.3 (234 reviews)
933 Poplar Street , South Lake Tahoe , US
1-530-725-0101

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Paid
Children allowed

Facilities

Baggage storage
Concierge desk
Elevators
Fitness room
Gift shop
Lounge
Printer
Room service
Accessible Parking
Air conditioning
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Modern, high-quality design and furnishings
Exceptional cleanliness
Warm welcome / friendly arrival
Dog-friendly with amenities
Soaking tub and well-appointed rooms
Comfortable beds
Beautiful property and decor
Nice showers and in-room products
Cons:
Understaffed / inadequate service
Rude or unhelpful staff responses
Attempted early check-in fee on expensive room
AC issues not communicated
Pool unstaffed and not ready
Advertised pool bar missing
Lack of basic amenities (e.g., water stations)
Balcony placement reduced privacy

Categories

Cleanliness
10
Repeated praise: 'So clean that everything seemed to have never been used before.' Housekeeping clearly excellent.
Service
7
Mixed: greeted warmly on arrival, but multiple reports of understaffing, rude responses, and poor handling of issues (attempted early check-in fee, staff excuses).
Location
9.8
Location described as beautiful and the property attractive; one complaint about a balcony facing the street slightly detracts from perfection.
Room Quality
10
Highly positive: modern design, high-quality finishes and furnishings, well-appointed rooms, comfortable beds, soaking tub and nice shower/products.
Amenities
9.9
Strong physical amenities noted (dog amenities, soaking tub, well-appointed rooms), but service gaps reported (unstaffed pool, missing advertised bar, lack of basic stations) — overall high-quality offerings with operational shortcomings.
Value for Money
7.9
Concerns raised about pricing versus delivery of luxury service (attempted early check-in fee on an expensive room, luxury experience not fully supported by staff/service).
Food and Beverage
9.8
Little direct commentary on dining quality; one negative note that the advertised pool bar was not available. Otherwise no major F&B complaints reported.
Overall Experience
10
Mixed account set: several rave reviews ('Best hotel stay EVER!', 'Highly recommend') alongside a detailed negative experience; on balance the property experience is outstanding physically but inconsistent in service.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-11-01 07:46

Property Description

A micro-resort located in South Lake Tahoe, the Desolation Hotel is an eco-conscious wildernest brimming with premium comforts and homey luxuries. Calling all modern adventurers who seek a place to land, stay, relax, and play, our thoughtfully designed townhomes and suites feature unmatched amenities that complement our diverse opportunities for recreation. Settled along the California-Nevada divide in the magnificent Sierra Nevada Mountains, Desolation Hotel is a Lake Tahoe oasis that sparks feelings of wanderlust and amusement at every turn. Inspired by both the Desolation Wilderness across the south shore as well as the surrounding forests and recreational treasures nearby, guests will be delighted by the natural beauty that distinguishes the area, and charmed by the premium accommodations that allow for complete rejuvenation. Take in the view while cooling off in the pool, hop on the Peloton to stay on track with your goals, enjoy a memorable meal at our very own Maggie’s Restaurant, stroll to our shared private beach on the sparkling shore of Lake Tahoe, or unwind in the sauna after a day of exploration. Created to celebrate the bounty of the Desolation Wilderness, and conceived by those who relish in it every day, modern explorers will delight in the comforts of Desolation Hotel. Property Amenities: Access to Lakeside Private Beach Saltwater pool and spaPoolside barSaunaFitness studio with Peloton bikesWashroom for laundering needsMaggie’s RestaurantFiltered water filling stationsDog-friendly lounge Abundant EV charging stations

Important information:

When traveling with pets, please note that an extra charge of 75$ , per night applies. Please note that a maximum of 3 pets are allowed.Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM

Property Policies

  • Check-in / check-out

    Check-in from 16:00:00, check-out until 11:00:00.

  • Minimum age

    Guests must be at least 18 years old to check in.

  • Pets

    Pets are allowed; charges may apply.

  • Cot

    Cot available for ages 0–2: free.

  • Payment

    Payment: pay at the property, pay online later, pay online now.

Location

Guest Reviews

9.3
Based on 234 reviews
Cleanliness: 10
Service: 7
Location: 9.8
Room Quality: 10
Amenities: 9.9
Value for Money: 7.9
Food and Beverage: 9.8
Overall Experience: 10
M
Mykola • couple • us
10
2026-08-31 • via Nuitee
E
Emma • couple • us
10
Highly recommend - luxury stay!
Pros:

Absolutely luxury and beautiful!

2026-07-21 • via Nuitee
B
Brett • couple • us
1
Beautiful Property but lack of staff or service to support luxury pricing
Pros:

The location itself was beautiful and the style and decor of the hotel overall was gorgeous. The rooms were well appointed and the beds were very comfortable. The showers, products, and overall room set up was very nice.

Cons:

Despite a physically nice hotel, we had a horrible stay. They tried to charge a fee for early check in on a room that costs nearly $1k when it was already ready which is takcy and feels cheap. The AC wasn't working and we weren't informed. We were put in a terrible location where the balcony, which could have been private and romantic, faced the street. The pool was unstaffed and didn't have a bar despite that being what was advertised. It was also not set up or cleaned nearly 2 hours into their opening hours. There were not basic hotel amenities one would expect at a luxury experience in terms of staff, service, or even basics like water stations. When we brought out some of these issues, the staff was rude to us and acted like it wasn't their problem and kept giving excuses instead of actually addressing the problems. They are selling a luxury experience and have the design but not remotely the experience or staff to support it.

2026-06-23 • via Nuitee
T
T_and_A_SE11 • Couples • London, England
10
Excellent hotel with high quality of build & well maintained / good value for money
Pros:

Excellent fit-out...build quality very high (rooms & public areas)...very different to the standard US hotel. Also rooms are equipped with everything you need...fully equipped kitchen with all utensils thus you are not dependent on going to restaurant each night. Friendly staff and good communication. Good central location (but lacking a direct walkway across to the gondola because there is a huge construction site).

What they could improve is their concierge service and information pre-arrival: the infos I received from the team were of bad quality and were lacking interest in us as customers. For example I inquired about restaurants or if they could send a list of suggested/proposed places..and the answer pretty much was: "there are a lot of restaurants..please check on google". I got similar answers (or even wrong information ) when I inquired about how/where to book skiing lessons or guides or other things to do. Even if you dont have a concierge on staff it would be easy writing a few pages of information materials that you can send out...we were first time visitors and getting information from locals would have made a difference and saved us time and made it a better experience in planning for the trip.

2026-03-11 • via Tripadvisor
E
Edgar • family_with_children • us
10
2026-01-20 • via Nuitee
T
Tao • family_with_children • us
9
2025-12-31 • via Nuitee
S
Stephanie • couple • us
10
2025-12-04 • via Nuitee
J
Judy • couple • us
10
Our dog says we should return!
Pros:

Very pet friendly, polite and helpful staff, clean and stylish. Superb stay!

Cons:

Bed and pillow can be firmer.

2025-12-03 • via Nuitee
B
barbaram703 • Family • Dublin, County Dublin
10
Amazing hotel- great for kids year round. Awesome experience
Pros:

Wow.. What an amazing hotel. My daughter and I had the best time. She wanted to move in and live there forever. We had our own apartment over two living floors, hot tub, fully fitted modern kitchen, two balconies - one had a tub..., incredibly comfortable beds, amazing food at Maggie's restaurant upstairs. We stayed two nights.. we want to stay longer. Definitely coming back. Love the artwork from Ted Hesser and the Jimmy Chin book. So many exquisite details. Outdoor pool, hot tub and gym were amazing too! A wonderful experience in a beautiful place.

2025-11-24 • via Tripadvisor
P
Priscilla • partner
10
Pros:

Our room had all the modern touches in a relatively small space: small compact kitchen with stove, microwave, pots/pans, glasses, cups, bowls, plates, utensils. Tools for making coffee and coffee grounds were provided. Unique features on our balcony: bath tub, cozy dining nook. Lots of places to plug in your electronics! Decor was modern and stylish. They thought of just about everything!

2025-10-13 • via Nuitee
N
Nicholas • partner
10
Pros:

After staying numerous times while visiting SLT at a pricier hotel just around the corner, we decided to give the more reasonably priced Desolation Hotel a try. For a couple of nights earlier this week we stayed in one of the ‘Townhouse’ rooms. It was great. The room was spread over three floors, garage, living & bedroom. There are two decks, one with an outdoor dining table, the other with a soaking tub, a fully equipped kitchen, 1.5 bathrooms, two fireplaces and a proper garage. The hotel is close to the beach & Heavenly Village. If you’re looking for a nice place to stay & are willing to forgo some of a larger resorts amenities - large public areas, resort fees, parking charges etc., this is ideal. It’s like your own vacation home. The hotel has a good restaurant, Maggie’s, a pool & spa etc. Checkin was pleasant & efficient and included a complimentary bottle of wine. My only ‘complaint’ would concern the slightly marginal motels that are scattered throughout the neighborhood. Other than that it was great and we would certainly recommend it and will return.

2025-10-11 • via Nuitee
B
Bruce
6
Just ok, not worth the cost.
Pros:

Overall, this place is very overpriced for what’s offered.

They try to charge an extra $50 for “early check-in”, which in this case means 3:00 p.m. instead of 4:00 p.m.

The “private beach access” they advertise is misleading. What you actually get is free access to a public beach during the off-season, and paid access during the busy months.

The rooms themselves are nice and include a few extras, but the rear of the building faces a public road. So, if you’re using your “private” balcony hot tub, be prepared for passing pedestrians and vehicle noise.

The location is just okay, a few blocks from the lake and tucked behind Heavenly Village. It’s surrounded mostly by older motels and budget inns, some a bit dicy, so don’t expect a quiet or scenic walk to the water.

All in all, it’s fine. But had we known what to expect, we could have found something similar (or better) nearby for about half the price.

2025-10-06 • via Nuitee
M
Mackenzie
10
Pros:

Amazing! We will be back!

2025-10-05 • via Nuitee
R
Roya • partner
10
Pros:

Very nice & chic hotel! loved the fact that it was very pet friendly. The Dyson blowdryer was the highlight for me.

2025-10-03 • via Nuitee
K
Kathleen • solo_traveller • us
4
Annoying.
Pros:

Room was spacious.

Cons:

A few to check in forty minutes early if the room is ready is greedy and the opposite of hospitality. I have travelled for work all over the world for twenty years and I have NEVER had the front desk tell me there’s a fee if I arrive a little early and the room is ready. There is also no space to wait and work comfortably if you get in early from travels and don’t get into your room. Also though someone has out energy into stylishness I found multiple things in the room poorly designed with zero foresight. And the price was a joke. I’d have been more confortable at a holiday inn. Or somewhere where the pretentious attitude matched the actual quality of the hotel. My room looked right out onto the street and a parking lot. I mean like feet from it There was a bathtub on the patio which I can only assume was designed by a voyeur. And the sheer curtain was drilled into the wall was decided on by someone who didn’t look at the space and understand that for privacy you want the side that’s screwed into the wall to be the one that you can move.

2025-09-12 • via Nuitee
H
Hsiao ting • family_with_children • tw
9
Pros:

Facilities/EV charger/private beach

Cons:

Staff

2025-09-08 • via Nuitee
K
KIRILL
10
Pros:

Great rooms. Cabin-like cozy feel, yet very modern and updated. Great location too. Staff was very nice and pleasant. Highly recommend.

2025-08-28 • via Nuitee
G
Gilles • family_with_children • fr
9
2025-08-23 • via Nuitee
A
Ayed
10
Pros:

Stylish, clean, comfortable. Parking on site is convenient. Chemex and coffee in room a nice touch. Location is great. Would stay here again.

2025-08-23 • via Nuitee
C
CHRISTINA
10
Pros:

Beautiful aesthetic, super clean, friendly staff and hotel restaurant was delicious. Will be staying here again!

2025-08-19 • via Nuitee