The Cottage Inn at Lake Tahoe — Attraction in Tahoe City

Our family traveled from across the USA and booked three rooms, all in the same building, for six nights over Christmas. Best decision ever!||The check-in process was very easy, and we were thrilled with our rooms. We were escorted to the rooms by Terese and given the basic information for our stay. Breakfast daily is included, and the instructions are easy to follow. Any other supplies (soap, shampoo, towels. etc.) can also be requested with ease.||We fell in love with The Cottage Inn when we saw their website and booked our trip, but we really didn't expect the place would live up to the photos. We were wrong. The actual location and the charming cottages, which were covered in about a foot of snow, blew us away! It was like being in a Hallmark Christmas movie!||Each room is decorated based on a unique theme. My husband and I stayed in Sail Away. Our adult daughter stayed in Dream Catcher. And our adult son and his wife stayed in Sierra Siesta. We were all very happy with our rooms. (FYI, Sail Away is an accessible room, and the bathroom is outfitted accordingly. It worked for us.) Our room was on the first floor, and our kids were on the second floor via separate entrances. This gave us all enough privacy with convenient proximity to each other. We spent most of our time as a family in the Sail Away room, but our children spent quite a bit of time together in the Dream Catcher room because of it's size and layout. ||The rooms are equipped with a mini refrigerator but no microwave, which we did miss on a few occasions (to reheat what we couldn't eat at breakfast) but managed without. There is also a coffee maker in the room, and the coffee supplied was excellent. Sugar, raw sugar, and sugar substitutes are provided, as well as creamers. If you run low, they will bring you more. Just ask.||Breakfast is requested the night before via a checklist of items that you hang outside the door. You also select your preferred delivery time: 7:30-8:00, 8:00-8:30, 8:30-9:00, or 9:00-9:30. Lots of options to choose from, and most of us just asked for one of each item, but you can request as many of each item as you like. This includes a nice sized piece of quiche or frittata, a fresh pastry, a hard-boiled egg, plain yogurt, a fruit cup, and house made granola. Yum! Also included are plastic utensils, a napkin, and salt and pepper. Everything is packaged beautifully in a pastry box and delivered by a staff member with a smile. We were all stuffed every day, and breakfast was definitely one of the highlights! The quiche and frittata change every day. Our favorite was the one with potatoes, but there was also a Mexican version served with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream on the side. The fact that these were Christmas colors served on Christmas day was not lost upon us! There is a lot of attention to detail here!||The location is just off of a busy roadway, but we never heard the traffic indoors. Rather, we were all quite comfortable and cozy by the gas fireplace (every room has one) and commented more than once on the excellent insulation of the rooms and quietness. We spent our time playing board games and just enjoying each other's company.||Our son went snowboarding one day. The rest of us are not fans of the cold outdoors, but we do like to look at it through the windows, lol. Our kids drove around the lake one day (a 2+ hour journey) and took lots of amazing pictures. There is a Safeway grocery store about 10 minutes away, and it had everything we could want or need. ||In the evenings we went out for dinner. By far, our favorite experience was at the Sunnyside Inn and Restaurant, not because of the food (which was just okay) but because we were able to walk there and back from The Cottage Inn via back roads and pathways that were safe and quiet. This meant we were able to have a cocktail or two and not worry about driving. A major plus for us all. We ate at this restaurant for dinner four nights during our stay. On our last night, the snow began to fall during our walk back, and I got tears in my eyes because it was all so beautiful. (Keep in mind, I live in Hawaii and had not seen snow for 18 years!). We took lots of pictures and played in the snow. ||We cannot say enough about how accommodating the staff was during our stay. Terese greeted us upon arrival and made sure we were comfortable in our rooms. My husband interacted with the owner, Kelly, once during our stay, and she graciously gave him the recipe for our favorite quiche! I was able to meet Austin who went out of his way on two occasions...once to fix the pilot light in our fireplace that had blown out during a storm and again to bring my daughter's luggage (which had been lost by the airline and then was delivered on the final night of our stay) to her room, and he texted her while we were at dinner to let her know. The check-out process was simple and quick.||One note about the weather. We got lucky and checked in and checked out between two winter storms. I suppose this is true of all of Lake Tahoe, but if you've never been, this is important information to know.||If you are looking for a quiet and serene vacation place that is away from everything and yet close to outdoor activities if you choose, this is it. The Cottage Inn would be amazingly romantic as a couple's retreat or honeymoon stay, as well! We all agreed that we will be back one day. In fact, we also agreed that is was the best Christmas destination we have ever...

My husband and I stayed at the Cottage Inn over Memorial Day for his birthday, and we found the property and our room to be incredibly charming. We had a wonderful time!

If you haven’t been to Lake Tahoe before, it’s important to understand that there aren’t many luxury hotels, and the whole vibe is very unassuming and camp-like. Set your expectations accordingly!

Knowing this, our criteria for a hotel were proximity to the lake and good value for the price. The Cottage Inn totally met and exceeded our expectations. It is family-owned, offering an intimate experience among guests and staff. There's only one person at the check-in desk, which is staffed from 7 AM to 7 PM. The woman who checked us in was very helpful, providing lots of information, discount coupons, and maps upon our arrival.

We stayed in the Romantic Hideaway room, which is aptly named! We loved that the staff delivered breakfast to our room every morning, and it was included in the cost of the stay. We also loved that we got exclusive access to the nearby lakefront park. We enjoyed playing chess at the picnic tables, sitting on the dock, and jumping into the lake each day. The property felt like an adult sleepaway camp and cozy compound, with string lights and a beautiful garden in the center.

Again, it is important to note that this property, and Lake Tahoe in general, does not offer much high-end luxury. This hotel does not offer room service or daily cleaning service. There is one small TV in the room, but are you really coming to Tahoe to watch TV? Also, the property is off the main road, which means some noise from cars, mostly during the day. However, if you want to be close to the lake, it is hard to find a property where this is not the case.

Overall, the Cottage Inn offers a delightful and charming stay with excellent value, especially for those looking to enjoy the natural beauty of Lake Tahoe. If you’ve ever stayed at the Post Ranch Inn or the Alila Ventana in Big Sur, I would recommend this place as it has the same woodsy feel. I look forward to returning to this property...

My wife and I recently stayed at The Cottage Inn for several nights on a vacation to the Lake Tahoe area from Texas. We initially booked the Evergreen Heaven room and I called the day before to confirm a possible early check-in. However, I was told the room was having problems with the fireplace but was offered a free upgrade to one of three other rooms, one being Dream Catcher. We had initially wanted this room but decided on a cheaper option to save more money for recreational activities in the Lake Tahoe area. Consequently, we were ecstatic to be offered the opportunity to stay in Dream Catcher for the same price as our original choice! BTW...Dream Catcher is simply astounding. Absolutely beautiful and incredibly cozy. The grounds are clean and well-kept with the cottages and lodge generally circling a nice little grassy area with lounge chairs and boulders. A private beach on Lake Tahoe is also included in the stay. Native Douglas squirrels will greet and accompany you daily as you stroll around the grounds, including the aptly named “Squirrelzilla” (by the staff) who was obviously the head of the local squirrel clan and ran the show there. Although the cottages are located next to Route 89 and adjacent to other houses, the land is considerably forested which gives the feeling of wooded isolation. The staff we met (Kelly, Sandra, and Andrew) were exceptionally kind, courteous, professional, warm, and accommodating throughout our stay. The was never one instance of hesitation and/or disinterest from any staff member in providing us with anything we requested. The morning breakfasts were scrumptious and the evening happy hours delightful. When we return, there is no question whatsoever where we will be staying again. If you are contemplating vacationing in the Tahoe area, look no further. The Cottage Inn is a magical place right out of a Thomas Kinkade painting…all the while set in one of the most beautiful natural treasures in the world. If there were only more Google stars...