Hotelaholic

South Lake Tahoe · California

Desolation Hotel Lake Tahoe

933 Poplar St, South Lake Tahoe, California, 96150

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Check-in
Dec 3, 2026
Check-out
Dec 5, 2026
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HAPPI EXPERIENCE

The stay, in detail

  • Wellness & relaxation

    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

HAPPI HIGHLIGHTS

  • Modern, high-quality design and furnishings

  • Exceptional cleanliness

  • Warm welcome / friendly arrival

At the hotel

Popular amenities

79 listed
  • Access to health care professionals
  • Baby safety gates
  • Beach
  • Bike tours
  • Board games/puzzles
  • Breakfast in the room
  • Breakfast takeaway containers
  • Canoeing
  • Cashless payment available
  • CCTV in common areas
View all amenities

Pools & wellness

  • Heated pool
  • Hot tub/Jacuzzi
  • Massage services
  • Outdoor pool
  • Pool bar
  • Salt-water pool
  • Spa/wellness center

Dining & drinks

  • Delivered food - securely covered
  • Food delivered to guest room
  • Kid meals
  • Physical distancing in dining areas
  • Sanitized tableware & silverware
  • Special diet menus - on request
  • Wine/champagne

Fitness & outdoors

  • Cycling
  • Fitness center
  • Golf course
  • Hiking
  • Outdoor fireplace
  • Sun loungers or beach chairs
  • Sun terrace
  • Terrace

Rooms & comfort

  • CCTV outside property
  • Lower bathroom sink
  • Open-air bath

Safety & cleanliness

  • Cleaning standards that are effective against Coronavirus
  • Fire extinguishers
  • First aid kit available
  • Guest room sealed after cleaning
  • Guest rooms disinfected between stays
  • Guests can opt-out any cleaning services during stay
  • Hand sanitizer in guest room and key areas
  • Physical distancing rules followed
  • Process in place to check health of guests
  • Safety deposit box
  • Shared stationery like menus, pens are removed
  • Smoke alarms
  • Staff adhere to local safety protocols

Getting around & access

  • Facilities for disabled guests
  • Lift / Elevator
  • Private parking
  • Wheelchair accessible

Guest services

  • Concierge service
  • Express check-in/check-out
  • Fax/photocopying
  • Invoice provided
  • Laundry
  • Laundry washed per local authority guidelines
  • Luggage storage
  • Pet bowls
  • Pets allowed
  • Private check-in/check-out

Services & essentials

  • Family rooms
  • Free WiFi
  • Grocery deliveries
  • Higher level toilet
  • Horse riding
  • Key card access
  • Live music/performance
  • Movie nights
  • Non-smoking throughout
  • Packed lunches
  • Pub crawls
  • Shallow end
  • Ski storage
  • Skiing
  • Thermometers for guests provided by property
  • Toilet with grab rails
  • Vending machine - drinks

Review in focus

234 reviews
10/ 10
Modern design implemented with highest quality finishes and furnishings. So clean that everything seemed to have never been used before. Greeted with a warm welcome and offer to provide anything I may need. My dog was likewise welcomed offered amenities. Soaking tub was a huge treat!
Angela · solo traveller · 2026-10-31

The guest experience

9.3out of 10
234 verified reviews

Loved most

  • Modern, high-quality design and furnishings
  • Exceptional cleanliness
  • Warm welcome / friendly arrival
  • Dog-friendly with amenities
  • Soaking tub and well-appointed rooms
  • Comfortable beds

Worth knowing — 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

How guests scored the stay

  • Cleanliness10.0

    Repeated praise: 'So clean that everything seemed to have never been used before.' Housekeeping clearly excellent.

  • Room Quality10.0

    Highly positive: modern design, high-quality finishes and furnishings, well-appointed rooms, comfortable beds, soaking tub and nice shower/products.

  • Overall Experience10.0

    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.

  • Amenities9.9

    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.

  • Location9.8

    Location described as beautiful and the property attractive; one complaint about a balcony facing the street slightly detracts from perfection.

  • Food and Beverage9.8

    Little direct commentary on dining quality; one negative note that the advertised pool bar was not available. Otherwise no major F&B complaints reported.

  • Value for Money7.9

    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).

  • Service7.0

    Mixed: greeted warmly on arrival, but multiple reports of understaffing, rude responses, and poor handling of issues (attempted early check-in fee, staff excuses).

Live guest feedback

Guest reviews

Mixed experiences

80% of 15 recent stays rated 8+

9.3234 reviews
  • Best hotel stay EVER!

    10/10

    Angela · solo traveller · 2026-10-31

    “Modern design implemented with highest quality finishes and furnishings. So clean that everything seemed to have never been used before. Greeted with a warm welcome and offer to provide anything I may need. My dog was likewise welcomed offered amenities. Soaking tub was a huge treat!”

  • Highly recommend - luxury stay!

    10/10

    Emma · couple · 2026-07-21

    “Absolutely luxury and beautiful!”

  • Beautiful Property but lack of staff or service to support luxury pricing

    1/10

    Brett · couple · 2026-06-23

    “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.”

  • Excellent hotel with high quality of build & well maintained / good value for money

    10/10

    T_and_A_SE11 · Couples · 2026-03-11

    “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.”

  • Our dog says we should return!

    10/10

    Judy · couple · 2025-12-03

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

  • Amazing hotel- great for kids year round. Awesome experience

    10/10

    barbaram703 · Family · 2025-11-24

    “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.”

  • Guest review

    10/10

    Priscilla · partner · 2025-10-13

    “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!”

  • Guest review

    10/10

    Nicholas · partner · 2025-10-11

    “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.”

  • Just ok, not worth the cost.

    6/10

    Bruce · 2025-10-06

    “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. ”

  • Guest review

    10/10

    Mackenzie · 2025-10-05

    “Amazing! We will be back!”

  • Guest review

    10/10

    Roya · partner · 2025-10-03

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

  • Annoying.

    4/10

    Kathleen · solo traveller · 2025-09-12

    “Room was spacious.”

  • Guest review

    9/10

    Hsiao ting · family with children · 2025-09-08

    “Facilities/EV charger/private beach”

  • Guest review

    10/10

    KIRILL · 2025-08-28

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

  • Guest review

    10/10

    Ayed · 2025-08-23

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

Hotel info and reviews come from third-party sources.