Holiday Inn Club Vacations Tahoe Ridge Resort by IHG

The place was clean, the views were great, and everyone was friendly. Wendell, the security guard, was especially nice to talk with when our room key stopped working. It was a good stay, and absolutely worth renting, though I'll probably not come back. For our first trip to Tahoe, we expected one large resort hotel. Instead, it's a rental timeshare or condo setup, with buildings spread across 11 acres. Our room was a bit inconveniently located from the clubhouse. On our second day, we were asked to attend a timeshare presentation, which really put us off.

The room was very clean and well equipped, and the location was nice. But the hotel felt quite old. The hot water and fireplace were out for four hours, though they were fixed. The garage door was broken, which limited access to the garage. It was very noisy at night, like big compressors were running. The hot tub and indoor pool weren't as cozy as I expected.

After paying about $1,900 a year in HOA dues, I called two days after making a reservation for the wrong date in 2027 and was told a change would cost another $19. When I tried to escalate the issue, Sandy was rude, unhelpful, and hung up on me. I asked how to take it further, and the call was disconnected again. This was the latest in three bad experiences as an owner at the Ridge Lake Tahoe. The place is still dated and run down, the hot tubs are often out of order, and I once spent more than two hours stuck in a broken elevator. Avoid this timeshare unless you’re prepared for a below-average, possibly awful stay. There are nicer hotels closer to the casinos with better service. Case # 06606925.

We had a great stay, though I wish the property showed photos that matched what guests might actually be assigned. We were lucky to get a two-bedroom villa in the Ridge Pointe building. It was a one-bedroom suite with a full kitchen combined with a studio, and the rooms had been renovated. There was a fireplace, an in-unit washer and dryer, decent Dove toiletries, and a balcony overlooking the mountain and ski runs. The views were fantastic. The location worked well too, about a two-minute drive to Stagecoach lift or a ten-minute downhill walk, so we never used the shuttle. We also enjoyed the building’s sauna and pool table. Staff brought extra blankets when we asked, and the service was great. I’d been worried after reading negative reviews, but our room exceeded expectations.