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Located in both California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the United States after Crater Lake. The lake itself is picturesque. Mountains surround the crystal-clear water of the lake. It is not uncommon to see mountain peak topped with snow even during the summer months.
The area is a major tourist area. During the winter, you can expect to ski the nearby mountains. If you are into mountain biking, the Tahoe Rim Trail is a 165-mile trail that circumnavigates Lake Tahoe.
Depending on the time of year you want to go to Tahoe, you’ll find hotels expensive! Luckily, you are a savvy consumer and have points and miles at your disposal.
In this Post:
The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino
Marriott’s Timber Lodge
Resort at Squaw Creek
How to Earn These Points
Best Points Hotels in Lake Tahoe
The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
This hotel is a bit of a misnomer. The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe is actually located in Truckee, California on the north side of the lake. The hotel is about 15 minutes from the lake. It does provide a private Lake Club on the lake. During winter months, the hotel offers a convenient ski-in/ski-out on Northstar slopes.
Rooms take the feel of a luxury winter cabin. Finishes match the surrounding. Light stained wood trims and plaid curtains and pillows can be found in room.
Cash nights are expensive and start at $548 per night. Because of Marriott’s dynamic pricing, points required can vary between 88,000 to 120,000 each night.
Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe | Courtesy: Marriott
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino
The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino is located right along the lakeshore. It can be found on the north side of the lake on the Nevada side. Room style is like the Ritz-Carlton. The main portion of the hotel is sat back from the beach. Luxury villas are right on the water. I’ve stayed at this hotel right after Thanksgiving. I found the experience underwhelming. Facebook loves this hotel.
| Off-Peak | Standard | Peak |
|---|
| 21,000 | 25,000 | 29,000 |
Category 6 World of Hyatt Redemptions
Beach fire pit at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe | Courtesy: Hyatt
Related: Best Use of Points and Miles to Egypt
Marriott’s Timber Lodge
Marriott’s Timber Lodge is a Marriott Vacation Club. This is a timeshare style property and more geared towards people traveling in groups. The hotel is located in south Lake Tahoe on the California side. It says it has ski-in/ski-out, but is located a short drive away from the slopes. Each room has a full kitchen to prepare food in.
Outside of ski season, cash nights can be reasonable at $124 a night. During ski season, cash nights reach over $550. Though, you can easily find cheap night during the season. It’s important to check your points valuation (cash/points) before deciding using points. Speaking of points, night range between 40,000 and 60,000 each night.
Marriott’s Timber Lodge | Courtesy: Marriott
Resort at Squaw Creek
Found on the west side of the lake, the Resort at Squaw Creek is a Destination brand World of Hyatt hotel. The hotel has tons to offer including a golf course, ski-in/ski-out, fly fishing, ice staking rink, heated swimming pool, water slide and hiking/biking trails.
| Off-Peak | Standard | Peak |
|---|
| 21,000 | 25,000 | 29,000 |
Category 6 World of Hyatt Redemptions
Resort at Squaw Creek | Courtesy: Hyatt
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How to Earn These Points
Both Marriott and Hyatt points are easy to earn. Both are transfer partners of Chase while Marriott is also a transfer partner of American Express. Because of high number of points required, I wouldn’t recommend transferring those points to Marriott. Chase to Hyatt transfers are okay.
Marriott points are best earned through cobranded credit cards from American Express and Chase. Typically, the Marriott cards offering the best welcome offers are the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card from Chase and the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card.
Since you can transfer Chase Ultimate Reward points to Hyatt, essentially all UR earning cards earn Hyatt points. Some great UR earning cards are the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Cash and Chase Ink Unlimited. Chase also issues a personal World of Hyatt Credit Card and a World of Hyatt Business card.
Best Points Hotels in Lake Tahoe Bottom Line
Both Hilton and IHG have hotels in the Lake Tahoe area. I’ve decided to not include those options as they were a Hampton Inn and a Holiday Inn Express respectively. These are solid options if you prefer these hotel brands.
Lake Tahoe is beautiful. During my first visit, it was wintertime. I’m not a skier. I was lucky there was no snow on the ground. I plan on going back during the summer months. I really want to check out the hiking and mountain biking trails.
Have you been to Lake Tahoe? Let us know your experience in the comments.
These opinions in this article are the author’s not those of a bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.