Lakeside Gondola Residence Lodge — Hotel in South Lake Tahoe

We absolutely loved our stay at Lakeside Gondola Lodge! We made last minute reservations as we drove to South Lake Tahoe for a weeklong vacation. Online reservations were simple and straightforward. We had reserved a studio, but were offered an upgraded, larger, two bedroom two bath unit prior to our arrival. What an awesome surprise! The property was clean, with beautifully updated units that included granite countertops, dual sinks, jetted tub, tiled shower, and fireplaces in every room. Air conditioning kept the unit cool. The pool and hot tub were crystal clear, perfect temperature, and had great loungers to soak up the sun. The property is perfectly located just a few short blocks to the beautiful private Lakeside Beach; the Gondola Lodge provides low cost passes to the private beach for guests. Heavenly Village and Stateline casinos are a short one block walk away. We loved the free gated parking on site. It made our trip so much more relaxed. We didn’t have to worry about parking, and could easily walk to everything near Heavenly and Stateline. Staff was attentive, responsive, and made sure we had everything we needed. The property is a “no party” property, so it was quiet and relaxed both day and night. There are also lots of outdoor spaces, cool sitting areas, and BBQ grills available for guests to enjoy the beautiful scenery and weather. We travel to SLT regularly- it is one of our favorite destinations. We highly recommend the Lakeside Gondola Lodge to anyone who wishes to explore all that South Lake Tahoe has to offer -...

We rented a 4-bedroom plus living room for $950 a night. They told us it had a kitchen, but there was only a small, tiny refrigerator, no stove, and only a hot burner. The mattress was terrible and seemed 30 years old. The beds are on stilts. The washer and dryer are outside the units, with only one for all the rooms, and it’s coin-operated. There’s no reception and no one on site to help. No dining table. No place to keep skis. It’s a cheap lodge with expensive prices. It’s at least a 12-minute walk to the gondola, which feels like 30 minutes when carrying boots and all the equipment. Check-in is very late at 4 PM, and checkout is at 11 AM. Very uncomfortable in general. Not well-maintained. No service. If I had paid a quarter of the price, I still wouldn’t be happy or stay here again.

The person responsible is nice and kind and responds quickly and tries to solve the problems.

To summarize and give a quick idea of the lodge: when I was going to check out, I called and asked what I should do. They told me, "Please take out the garbage and close the door." I paid $950/night and was told to take out the garbage.

If you plan on staying there, bring toilet paper (they give you half a roll), towels (they give you ones almost hand-sized), soap (they give you the cheapest tiny bar), HANGERS (not one in 4 rooms, try storing your cloths without hangers), shampoo, etc. But definitely bring your mattress unless you like to sleep directly on springs. If you plan on using a kitchen, definitely find another place. Otherwise, have fun in the...

This place has by far the WORST customer service of any place we have stayed in our years of visiting Tahoe. We were affected by the Southwest national flight crisis over the Christmas weekend and as a result, were rebooked on a flight to Texas to retrieve our luggage the same weekend we had made our reservation at Gondola Lodge. My husband called to explain the unprecedented circumstances and the management would not budge. We weren't even asking for a refund, just to have our reservation transferred to a different date. We were more than willing to pay any rate difference for the reschedule but they wouldn't even let us finish our sentence before telling us there was nothing they could do and to contact Hotels.com where we booked the reservation. My husband contacted Hotels.com to explain the situation and come to find out this hotel lied to us and it is 100% in their power to adjust the reservation. Hotels.com even call Gondola Lodge on our behalf and were basically told "tough $$$$, this is our policy." Please be aware of the lack of customer service and just plain compassion for customers with extenuating circumstances because you will receive neither from this place. We are disgusted with this experience and will make sure to continue sharing our story in the hopes that others can avoid this sheer lack of laziness from management who didn't want to be bother. LOOK ELSEWHERE! There are so many great hotels in this area run by deserving people who care. We will make sure to patronize them...