North Lake Tahoe embarks on luxury remix
Where California and Nevada meet at the top of the largest alpine lake in North America, a quiet luxury shift is happening. You can hear it in the construction happening at what in 2027 will be a 76-guest-room Waldorf Astoria with a pier and gondola-side mountain club. The 15-acre resort will be perched where Tahoe Biltmore once lured visitors up from the Bay Area for gambling just over the Nevada border.
You can read about the upscale buzz in the latest press release describing a Proper hotel planned to open in 2026 in the footprint of Frank Sinatra’s former digs, the Cal-Neva. You can see the fresh look at North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach where indoor-outdoor is always in season. From lake to mountains, the area is being valued even more because of the flurry of development activity, said Bart Peterson, director of sales with North Lake Tahoe. “The region is upping its game,” he said.
Stay Here
The sounds of summer are still on full display this year at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino in Nevada’s Incline Village as the property’s beachside cottages, ballroom and Lone Eagle Grille will be rebuilt starting next April to five-star specifications from the new owner, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. Until that upgrade is complete in 2026, the main building will continue to offer the bulk of the property’s 131,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, 422 guest rooms and services as usual, according to Ashlee Barton, area director of sales and marketing. Then the north building will undergo its own transformation.
Read More: Tahoe South Events Center to Usher in Next Stage for Meeting Profs
A sister Hyatt property, Everline Resort & Spa (formerly known as Squaw Creek) in Olympic Valley is preparing for its own tower guest room upgrades inside and year-round activities outdoors, including skiing, golf, fly fishing, ice skating and biking.
At The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe on the slopes of Northstar California Resort, luxury lodge-style accommodations will soon be brightened. The 850,000 sq. ft. of mountain view-enabled event space will retain its beamed charm even after an upcoming soft-good refresh. Similarly, the circular family-room central lobby space surrounding the massive stone fireplace at the center of the property will retain quiet nooks for meeting after rethinking the lobby bar. And the Lake Club will be available in season for those looking for a watery interlude.
Meet Here
Historic Thunderbird Lodge, the former home of George Whittell, Jr. (heir to a SF family fortune, Barnum and Bailey Circus troupe member and eccentric) offers a rare glimpse of the lush grounds, underground tunnels and boathouse of the beachside castle from the art-deco era. Dinner in the gazebo with a waterfall cascading into the lagoon at sunset can follow a tour of the carefully preserved property.
Alternatively, take the meeting on the water aboard Tahoe Gal, a 120-passenger paddle wheel boat. California cuisine, fine wine, crystal-clear water, fresh air and narrated points of interest such as Kaiser Estate, home of the Godfather II, and Vikingsholm Castle.
Do This
Peterson had advice for meeting professionals crafting agendas for high-mountain gatherings. “Get outside and immerse yourself in nature,” he said. Guides such as Tahoe Adventure Company offer turnkey hiking, biking, sunset snowshoe walks, kayaking and stand-up paddleboard experiences that are beneficial for physical and mental well-being while promoting team bonding.
This article appears in the July 2023 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
