Name: High Country Lodge
Address: 1227 Emerald Bay Road, South Lake Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150, United States of America
Rating: 6

Smoke-free property

Express check-out

No elevators

Reception desk

General

Accessibility features

Wheelchair Accessible

Accessibility

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Hiking

Picnic area

Recreation

Parking

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Personal protection equipment for staff

Extra decontamination measures

Contactless check-in and/or check-out

Additional measures against COVID-19

Health and Safety Measures

Location

At the hotel

Barton Memorial Hospital

Lake Tahoe Airport

High Country Lodge

South Lake Tahoe

We pulled in to check in and NO one was there office locked. We call and waited out side in dark 2 females. It was very unsafe. Guy finally comes and I ask for managers name and number and calmly mentioned it was unprofessional and unsafe for us to be locked out and have no one there. He refused to give me any information begins to scream. He tells us he is giving us a full refund and to leave. We were then left again two females in the dark locked out and without a room. Very unprofessional and awful experience. Hotel looked awful from outside and people were rude.

Awful!

Imagine my surprise when I arrived to check in with my kids and found the lodge closed. There was a nice sign on the door that told me to go down one block to the Apex Inn and check in. I got there and although all the signs said ‘open’ and ‘vacancy’ on both motels no one was at the desk. I rang the bell and waited for someone to come. A woman walks out and opens a little side window. She says ‘we are closed’. I said, ‘really, I had a reservation’. Here’s where things go wrong - she becomes slightly hostile at the window. 
I would like to point out that I understand the amount of stress and anxiety the media is pushing on people with COVID-19 and I am sympathetic towards their psychological need to remain in their home with no outside contact. There are ways to handle that. I was standing back from the window so as not to freak her out and I am not, nor is anyone in my family, in anyway sick. 
She said ‘I emailed and tried to call you two times, but you didn’t answer’. I apologized for missing the calls and emails. I explained that I was diving. She just looked at me like this was still my fault. I said ‘ok, you’re closed. Where should I try instead?’ (My thought being that she would know who was open and who was closed in town.) She said ‘we are closed’ and shut the window. Yikes! 
First of all, I was driving - I’m part of a rare cohort of people that doesn’t check my phone while driving! :,-) Secondly, when I got back to my car - there was no email stating they were closed (just one asking if I was still checking in that day) and no missed calls or voicemails. And remember all of their signs said ‘open’ and ‘vacancy’ which are signs that they were not closed and invited anyone driving down the road to stop and request a room . . . . . . . . 
A simple ‘My family and I have decided to shelter in place and you were the only people staying with us so we canceled your reservation’ would have worked better. ‘I am not sure who else is open in town right now. Sorry’ would have been a good answer to my sudden homelessness that your choices caused. I can understand the hysteria and panic this family was feeling - the media is selling a lot of fear right now. I am truly empathetic to that. I get it. The part that is concerning about this experience is the lack of customer service. That’s what made me post this - I would hate for another family to come along (after COVID-19, of course) and have a miserable experience because the family that lives on sight and manages High Country Lodge and Apex Inn are really not nice people. 
Safe travels out there people!

Canceled with no warning

We stayed the night of October 12. Check-in is a little weird because you have to go to the nearby Apex Inn, which apparently is owned by the same people - perhaps they want to save on staffing costs. Anyway, my experience has been that most accommodations in this category in South Lake Tahoe are old and dated, and this place is no exception. However, we did get the feeling the owner is trying to maintain this old place as well as possible, and we've seen worse! For the price (at least compared with others on a Saturday night before the Lake Tahoe marathon), we couldn't complain, though the $5 add-on "utility fee" was a nuisance... just increase the stated price by $5 and be done with it! Other items to note are 1) the TV was big and clear, and 2) the water temperature fluctuated occasionally (ouch, hot! ack, cold!).

Solid, reasonably priced motel

We had 3 nights in Lake Tahoe and after the prices of San Francisco needed to save a few dollars. The High Country Lodge was good value and we had a comfortable stay. The KS bed was really comfortable and the rooms were clean. Yes, the property needs a refurbishment, but it was priced accordingly. 
When checking in, we had problems with the wifi network and Neil (the owner as I understand) did his best to rectify it and it was sorted after a couple of hours. 

Really comfortable bed, good value

We arrived late, I rang the night bell and within 2 mins the receptionist arrived was happy and helpful. The room was great clean and very comfortable. The price was fantastic. For anyone on a budget High Country lodge is a must stay if you want a great value room at South Lake Tahoe 

Cold night in Lake Tahoe

First of all, understand it is like a motel 6.  it is an L shaped building where you park in front of your door. You cant back in to your spot. dunno why. but its a step to get to the door and another to get in the door. it would certainly be a lot easier if you could back your trunk up to the door.
second - its clean and neat. but its OLD. the walls look like they were built 50 years ago and patched and painted and painted patches. there seems to be heat but we never figured out how to turn it on. there was no air conditioning that we could find. and no screens to open the door or window. oh and the bolt on the door did not work from the outside so when you left you just had a simple door handle lock to protect your stuff. meaning also no safe in the room. oh and there's no one at the front desk till 4 pm or after like 11. so dont have problems or come before or after that! the guy in the office was very nice and helpful, but to get pillows that were not flat we had to get 4 extra. and they gave us 2 small thin, rough,bath towels -errr shower towels - no bathtub. which was ok for us but if you have kids, ask about that in the room. the doors in the bathroom and entrance look like something was chewing at them. they have a tiny microwave, a dorm sized fridge, and a 4 cup coffee maker. and a 3 drawer dresser that looks like it was in my grandmothers house. no closet, just a place to set your suitcase and hang clothes outside the bathroom across from the sink, which had no vanity. all in all its a spartan but clean place that needs rebuilding.
and their free wifi is like being on a plane, sometimes it doesnt work and the rest it works slowly.
the cleanliness and the graciousness of the front desk are why it didnt get one star from me. have to also say it was one of the most comfy beds i've had in a hotel. i didnt read the map right and it was further from stuff than i expected but it was funny to see "watch out for bears" signs at our door.

not what it seems but comfy

Basic and in need of a total makeover. It is convenient for the town and southern lakeside. The furniture is very dark and old - which makes the room seem exceptionally dark and jaded. No Breakfast provided. Poor Wi-Fi reception.

Roadtrip

I've been staying at High Country Lodge and Apex Inn (same owner) for South Tahoe ski trips for 10+ years.  Clean, well - maintained rooms.  Perfect for serious skiers who want quiet, comfortable, 
no-frills accommodations. Good value.  Owners are good people. 



Clean, well maintained.  Great for skiers 

Well-furnished room, large and cozy, bathroom with very nice shower, fridge, TV, coffee, internet, parking... excellent location....and what more could you want for the price of less than 40 euros per couple per night? this hotel is absolutely the best in terms of quality price!!!

High Country Lodge

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