Tahoe North Shore Lodge

The location was spectacular, right across from lake tahoe and an easy walk to the lake. The owner/operator was a very kind man, and we appreciated him and the setting. But the lodge needs a major overhaul, and the rooms smelled old and funky. I've stayed in better motel 6 rooms. It was a tradeoff, and my family was glad to leave the smelly rooms.

The location was the only decent part, and even then there wasn't much food or shopping nearby. Nobody was on site, and our key was taped to the door with our name on it. Inside, the room was dirty and the amenities very old. With no A/C, we had to leave the windows open, so bugs got in. There were three spiders just in the bathroom, plus dead bugs and dirt in the bedside drawers. The bed broke when I sat on it, and the curtain rods came apart and fell when I touched them. The sheets had holes, though they at least seemed clean. The room quality was poor, and both the amenities and service need improvement.

We stayed three nights without a car, getting around on foot, by bus, and with TART Connect. The public beach is just 25 steps from the door, and the west-facing rooms have plenty of space to sit and work on a laptop. Close the blinds if you want to sleep in, though you could also get up and catch the sunrise. For a remarkably low price in a beautiful area, it's a perfectly adequate place to drop your bags and rest, with a clean room and a nice, accommodating owner. The location is unbeatable. We saved money by staying here, then spent some of it at Gar Woods across the street, rented a kayak at Waterman's Landing, and took a lovely catamaran cruise with Incline Village Sailing, picked up at the pier directly across the street.

You can't beat the price for a spot right across from the lake. The rooms are comfortable, though a little dated.