Poole's Guesthouse — Hotel in Tahoe City

This is a house where the owners live there and rent out 3 rooms. My friend and I had the Hideaway downstairs bedroom (next to the owner's bedroom).||The home is clean, compact and comfortable. Quarters are snug as the owners have 2 computer workstations in the living area. We were welcomed to use the kitchen, dishes and living area......BUT Ann requested and sent us to our bedroom by 9 p.m. for lights out in the living area. ||The upstairs rooms were rented by a single man and a single woman who were purportedly needing lights out for skiing early the next days. This was not indicated on the website or emails or reservation info previously. We quietly tucked our tails and went to our room at 9 pm the first night. Ann strongly recommended how we could be cozy and watch TV in our bed. My friend and I were having a girls getaway from kids and husbands and did NOT want a cozy bed TV time. We wanted to watch TV on the couch and work on our knitting.||The second night, we chatted with the guests at dinner and one stayed to watch a movie for a bit before going to do his laundry. Around 8:30 p.m., the owner AGAIN reminded us to turn in at 9 pm. Out of respect to the other guests, we asked them each if they minded the lights and if the low tv volume would keep them up and bother them. They each said it was no bother (and in fact their own room lights stayed on past 10:30 pm. )||Ann climbed back up to the living area around 9: 30 pm and turned the lights off on us. She flickered off and on as if it was last call. We're NOT 12 years old or partiers or in a hostel.||My friend gently explained that we had directly spoken with the other guests and received their permission.||If you want just a comfy bed and ski all day and not relax at the house ....then good. Otherwise, know that you will sit on the couch under supervision of the owners who will caution you of the care of the table top, counter top, knife usage and lights out by 9 p.m..||We would not have had an issue had such requirements been stated prior to booking. We would have stayed elsewhere because we did not want to go to bed at 9 p.m. I can't imagine that it would be a romantic place either if my husband and I stayed in this environment.||Not your typical shared accommodation...

Poole's Guesthouse was a great place to stay for our snowboarding trip, and it's just minutes from the ski lifts at The Village at Squaw Valley. The home is situated above the main road and affords beautiful mountain views, and the owners, Ann and Herman, were especially warm and welcoming. Our first night, we had dinner with them at a local restaurant just down the hill, and they even gave us a lift (this was much appreciated because it was raining heavily all day and evening, and driving in those conditions on steeps roads at night in a place you've never driven isn't always easy.) My friend and I stayed upstairs in the Ponderosa Queen, which has its own vanity and sink. We shared a full bathroom across the hall with the guests in the other upstairs quarters, the Ponderosa King, which also has its own vanity and sink. The accommodations were very comfortable, and it was always nice coming back to a home that was warm and toasty. Guests have access to a great gourmet kitchen, and there are complimentary hot beverages that you can help yourself to, and each morning, Ann happily served home-baked breads (apple and pumpkin) to her house guests. On our last morning, Ann was also very helpful in allowing me to print my boarding pass (Spirit Airlines needs a printout.) All in all, the environment was always warm and friendly, it was such a great experience, and we would definitely return. And last but not least, Queen of the Snows, a beautiful little Catholic church, is also just a short walk away along the...

Even though this is listed as a "guesthouse," I think it's important to make a note that it could not be more literal: you really are a guest in Ann and Herman's house. The common spaces on the main floor also have their personal computers and desks where they do some work, and they sleep in a room in the basement. For this reason, I kind of felt like I needed to be much more cautious with how loudly I opened and closed doors, or how late I could take a shower, etc. ||||My friend and I were there and had the room upstairs, which had a sink, nice large TV with satellite, and comfy bed. We were there at the end of June, when it was quite warm, and the "air conditioning" for this room was a box fan in the window. At night it got pretty stuffy and hot, even with the fan, and it didn't help my allergies, that's for sure. ||||Ann was amazingly nice, and it was obvious that she really wanted to give each guest a nice experience. There were little chocolates on our pillows when we checked in, and the next morning Ann made us coffee, as well as English muffins with butter. We sat out on the deck and enjoyed the mountains and sun. We paid about $130 for a night, which I thought was a little on the high side, but it was over 70 bucks less than nearby hotels. This would be a great place to stay if several friends wanted to rent out all the rooms for a week or so and do some of their own cooking, etc. Otherwise, for me, this experience was ... different,...