New Lake Tahoe getaway
Ritz-Carlton opens exclusive club offering daily barbecue lunch
When the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, opened at the Northstar ski resort in 2009, it won acclaim as the region’s first five-star hotel. But its fortunes tumbled due to a double downturn: the economy and snowfall.
Now that both droughts are apparently over, the Ritz is making a new splash with the debut of its Lake Club. Open since late June, the private lakefront facility in Tahoe Vista costs guests an additional $250 per adult to use (free for accompanying children). In return, guests have access to a private pier, a lawn with lounge chairs, a hot tub and, in the two-story clubhouse, spa-style locker rooms, a living room/ lounge and upstairs deck. Daily occupancy is restricted to a maximum of 40 guests, who are strongly encouraged to use the resort shuttle, about 20 minutes each way, due to limited parking on site.
Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, the club offers a complimentary barbecue lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with modest snacks available at other hours. House beer, wine and soft drinks are also free; cocktails ($16) and other libations are not. The entrance fee also covers use of a handful of plastic floats; a motorized boat waits at the pier, ready to shuttle guests to watercraft and boat rentals.
Paddleboard and kayak rentals are available from the nearby public (and sandy) beach, Tahoe Vista Recreation Area — something all guests have access to, for a $10 parking fee.