10 Best Hotels in Lake Tahoe, California

The views are superb and the hospitality gracious at this lakeside lodge 3 miles south of Tahoe City, where locally crafted furnishings decorate the guest rooms. Some rooms also have river-rock fireplaces, wet bars, or pullout sofas. Families favor the lodge for its proximity to water sports and hiking (there's an adjacent marina). The lively restaurant emphasizes beef and seafood but also serves fish tacos, burgers, and lighter comfort food. Be forewarned: this is not a quiet place on summer weekends, when the bar and sprawling outdoor deck get packed with boaters and bacchanalian revelers.

A downtown motel for the 21st century, Basecamp charms with a mix of industrial, retro, and rustic styles, as well as simple but modern rooms with high-speed Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and original artwork. Options include a room with queen and twin beds plus twin loft beds, good for families or large groups of up to five. Another room has an indoor tent kids love. In addition to being farther from the highway, rooms in the back of the property are up high enough to have partial lake views. The small pool is also at this end, as is the sunroom, a living room–like hangout with games and a large TV. The lobby bar, which serves beer on tap and wine, is another convivial communal space; guests cook s'mores in the firepit just outside. Among the goals of the crew here is to help first-time visitors make the most of their time in Tahoe.

Cedar-shingled cottages and a two-story lodge form a horseshoe around this compact, woodsy property's central pool, picnic, and play areas. The look inside and out is classic alpine rustic, with the guest accommodations' wood floors, trim, and furniture driving the point home. Some cottages have kitchens and fireplaces. There's a heated pool open seasonally, and the hot tub remains fired up year-round. The cottages come with one or two bedrooms; because the lodge sits on a rise at the property's back end, the views south to the lake are among Cedar Glen's best.

Avoid the crowds by staying in one of these charming, circa-1938 log cottages under towering pines on the lake's west shore. With knotty-pine paneling, rustic pine furniture, and a gas-flame stone fireplace, each unit is decorated in old-Tahoe style but comes with modern comfort.

Known for decades as Sorensen's Resort, this 165-acre Eldorado National Forest complex with an on-site restaurant has a woodsy summer-camp charm. Most cabins have kitchens or kitchenettes and wood-burning stoves or fireplaces. There are also several yurts and tent and RV spaces. The resort sits on the edge of the highway, which allows it to stay open in winter—a boon for skiers—but in summer, request accommodations away from the road. Pets are allowed in some rooms for a daily fee.

A golf course, a spa, a heated swimming pool, an ice skating rink, a chairlift to the mountain, groomed cross-country ski tracks, and several restaurants please the well-heeled patrons of this full-service resort within Hyatt's Destination brand. The accommodations are decorated in warm earth tones, with wooden furnishings; about half the units are suites (up to three bedrooms) with fireplaces and kitchens. The resort makes the most of its gorgeous valley setting surrounded by forested mountains—expansive windows in all the rooms and massive ones in the lobby yield breathtaking views.

The clean, spare lines of the Gravity Haus's wooden exterior evoke a modern European feel; energy-saving heating, cooling, and lighting systems demonstrate a commitment to sustainability; and rooms in the three two-story satellite buildings are understatedly sexy, with Merlot-and-camel color schemes and mod-Italian overtones. Not all bathrooms have tubs, but small refrigerators and flat-screen Smart TVs count among the amenities. Check the hotel's website or ask when you book about the outdoor-sports trips the staff arranges. Some pets are welcome in ground-floor rooms for a fee.

At first glance, this family-run waterfront property looks like a slightly above-average two-story motel, but it legitimately lays claim to the title of resort thanks to a private beach; two hot tubs; alluring lake and mountain vistas; and summertime barbecuing, kayaking, and other extras. About half the rooms have king beds, queen sofabeds, and full kitchens, a boon for families or other groups. The remaining kings and all the queens have wet bars. All rooms have patios or balconies, and though the buildings are perpendicular to the lake, the windows are angled to maximize the views. Book well ahead for summer stays; look for online bargains for the rest of the year.

Stylishly rustic, this two-story, cedar-sided inn fulfills the yearnings of Bay Area sophisticates for laid-back luxury thanks, in part to rooms that have sumptuous beds with down comforters, high-end bath amenities, iPod docks, and hooded terry robes to wear to the outdoor hot tubs. The bar is a happening après-ski destination, and the namesake restaurant is superb. PlumpJack may not have the bells and whistles of big luxury hotels, but the attentive service makes it worth considering. Not all rooms have tubs, so if it matters, request one.

Individually owned condominium suites, all with gas fireplaces and kitchens and many with private balconies, are the main accommodations of this complex convenient to Palisades Mountain's ski slopes. Appealing to families because each condo sleeps at least four people, the lodgings are uniformly decorated with granite counters, wood cabinets, and comfortable furnishings. Smaller standard rooms lack the amenities of suites.