Truckee Donner Lodge — Hotel in Truckee

Tl;dr: Book directly with hotel if you have to and avoid third party. Avoid this place for any potential risk.

I booked an nonrefundable reservation through Expedia for some reason I do not remember, but I later needed to cancel it due to severe weather. (First mistake)

Conversation started 4 days before the reservation after I called hotel and they asked me to ask Expedia to contact them about the cancellation penalty. The lady told me it would be one night penalty as I cancelled it within 5 day windows, but it's upon manager's approval whether it can be fully refunded. I did as instructed and Expedia told me it will be 72-hours before an response. (Second mistake)

I waited long enough without response so I contacted Expedia again the day before reservation. Expedia informed me that the hotel denied to waive the penalty. It was at this point I don't think there will be any change and took the loss. I cancelled the reservation.

Hotel send me a message on Expedia on the day of reservation saying the trip is cancelled and I did not provide date for reschedule. I asked them if I can get some proof for reschedule as I am afraid bad weather might cause another cancellation. There was no response from the hotel. (Third mistake)

I attempted one last time after work. Hotel told me there's nothing they could do as it has passed the check-in time. And on Expedia side, they insisted on getting a staff name from the hotel to help me further. Hotel refused to provide a name as, according to them, Expedia has used provided name to change things without their actual approval in the past. Expedia also refused to take any responsibility for not being transparent of a reschedule. My last hope will be trying to contact credit card company as it's cancelled due to severe weather.

If you are at this point, thanks for your patience for reading this much. I explained the situation to the best I can and hope it will be helpful for anyone reading this. There's several lessons for me with this 'tuition'.

Booking a nonrefundable reservation is risky for place where there's constant snow. I was not aware of it in the beginning. Price also does not seem to vary too much. I would not have booked a room this early without knowing the weather. I have stayed in Reno once and the food and room there is great.

I waited too long and risked my own money. As I had a pleasant talk with the hotel, I assumed there will be at least partial refund even on this reservation. Having Expedia in the middle is the problem as Expedia will need to make a formal contact with the hotel. It adds too much uncertainty and is naturally slow.

I had one last chance to reschedule but I might as well not able to do that as I only got to know that on the same day of reservation. Expedia was also not as transparent as the hotel by not offering me reschedule option. I do think it's the first thing to offer if cancellation without penalty is not possible.

Hotel could be fouling me as any request needs to make through Expedia and it's easier to say no to Expedia as they are not directly talking to a customer. I feel there's light of not losing so much when talking to hotel, but as soon as it comes to making a formal request through Expedia, it's always a NO.

It's always sad to lose money, but perhaps having this lesson early in my life will save me way more than what...

Absolutely horrible experience here. My family and i were on a budget trip to truckee for my daughter's surgery amd wound up at truckee donner lodge because they had an open room for 6 people. I booked and paid for the room on expedia a few days prior . Upon arrival at approximately 2:15 pm on our check in date I was told at the front counter that check in is at 3 and I'd have to pay a 10 dollar check in fee. I figured everyone wanted out of the car so I opted to pay it. The hostess said their card reader was broken and it would have to ne entered manually. Having worked retail before it does happen. Once in our room my wife and I checked our bank statement and noticed that the 10 dollar charge wasn't. It was actually 228 and change. I went down stairs and the hostess told me I'd have to wait for the new lead at shift change at about 315. So I waited and when he arrived I told him we were wrongfully charged and needed that money back immediately . I was told it couldn't be helped amd I told him that it was absolutely NOT authorized and that it was to be a 10 dollar charge . I told him that the room was paid to his "no it's not" as i have the receipt on deck on my phone.i just got told that it will be held until check out and then released afterward.Service was horrible. Their response was horrible. The illegal charge was not only inconvenient but on a budget trip 228 is a huge chunk out of food and fuel. I was double charged for the room and without consent . I'll pay for 2 rooms elsewhere next time rather than ever option this place again. If you stay here check...

I was supposed to stay elsewhere one night but my reservation got lost. I booked a night here via a third party site because it had the best rates (that wasn't a sketchy-looking motel). When I arrived, lo and behold, my reservation was technically on the wrong date. (At this point, it was nearly 3am, and I could not check in until 3pm).

Cue the EXCELLENT customer service. I was helped by an employee at the front desk named Dana. He was not only incredibly friendly, but extremely understanding and accommodating. He SAVED my evening, my sanity, and my "relaxing" vacation! He saw that there was a room available, got me checked in, and I was able to finally rest after a LONG day of driving from San Francisco to Truckee late at night.

He not only helped me snag a room, but he helped me reverse a complicated issue with the third party site (note to self -- call a property DIRECTLY for availability, deals, and more because 3rd party sites take so much from small businesses!).

The room was spacious, clean, and the bed was very comfortable. I had considered cancelling my booking at the other resort so I could stay here longer...but I will be sure to keep this amazing hotel in mind for a near-future visit. Breakfast and coffee are included, as well as gorgeous outdoor scenery. It is also very conveniently located.

Very special thank you to Dana. Your kindness, your professionalism, and SUPERB customer service is what I hope all future travelers get...