Rating:
Price:

Perched on the edge of the state line and just steps away from Heavenly's gondola, this is the only major noncasino hotel on Tahoe's south shore, earning its keep by luring the upscale gambling crowd and the convention business with its uncommonly large suites. A nine-story château-style hotel, the roofline is pierced with a double layer of dormers; equally impressive is the massive inner atrium filled with plants. The one- and two-bedroom suites all have a separate living room with sofa bed, armchair, a well-lit dining/work table, a microwave, and a wet bar. Complimentary cooked-to-order breakfasts are served in a garden atrium. The resort's fine-dining restaurant, Echo, serves superb New American cuisine developed by award-winning chef Roy Choi. Turtles Sports Bar & Dance Emporium, which opens onto an outdoor deck, serves great pizzas during the day and turns into a dance club later in the evening. In the summer all guests have access to a private beach, and family skiers fill up the place in winter, partly because kids 18 and under stay free.

Facilities: Restaurant; pizzeria; sports bar; indoor pool; outdoor sun deck; health club; spa; Jacuzzi; dry sauna; watersports equipment rental; concierge; car-rental desk; limited room service; in-room massage; babysitting; same-day dry cleaning; executive-level rooms.

© 2005, Wiley Publishing, Inc.