Ski season has arrived, along with a handful of great new hotels to help make the most of your winter getaway.
From the Scandi-inspired Desolation Hotel in South Lake Tahoe to the alpine chalet vibes at Outbound Mammoth, here are five fresh mountain stays.
Desolation Hotel
Maggie's restaurant at Desolation Hotel.
(Courtesy of @desolationhotel)
Just over a year ago, Desolation Hotel brought its minimalist Japan-meets-Scandinavia style to Tahoe. A welcome alternative to South Lake’s hulking casino-and-resort landscape, this micro-resort still has plenty of amenities, including the upscale Maggie’s restaurant and the waterside Velma’s pool bar (which will deliver food straight to the pool deck in warmer months via app). The sister property to The Desolation Hotel in Hope Valley also has a sauna and cold shower plunge for partaking in the Nordic Cycle, a fully decked out fitness studio, and access to a private beach a few blocks away. Rooms come in three sleek varieties—among them the four-person, two-story El Dorado Townhome which comes complete with private garage with EV charging port, soaking tubs, and two balconies—with rates starting around $309/night. // 933 Poplar St. (South Lake Tahoe), desolationhotel.com/tahoe
Outbound Mammoth
(Courtesy of @outboundmammoth)
Opened just in time for the 2023 ski season, Outbound Mammoth is a bright new star in the resort town’s long languishing lodging scene. The mountain chalet leans hard into alpine comfort with plenty of cozy plaid, wool, and leather accents—and no shortage of fireplaces and wood-burning stoves. Amenities for the 179-room resort include an outdoor pool and hot tub, indoor steam room and sauna, year-round communal fire pits, and a free shuttle to the slopes (plus discounts on gear rentals). There’s also CA-style comfort food (and old-school arcade games) on the menu at the Bar Sierra, daytime Parisian fare at Cafe Crepe, and a curated wine selection at the Lobby Wine Bar. Rates start around $183/night. // 164 Old Mammoth Rd. (Mammoth Lakes), outboundhotels.com/mammoth
The Incline Lodge
(Courtesy of @theinclinelodge)
The Incline Lodge, the first luxury boutique hotel in North Lake’s Incline Village, is a locally owned stay with a contemporary alpine aesthetic. Custom-designed finishes and curated art adorn the guest rooms and common spaces, which include a cavernous lobby with a fireplace and daily wine reception, and a heated indoor pool. While there’s no dedicated restaurant, there is a bar stocked with craft beer, drip coffee, and artisan snacks; a selection of refrigerated packaged foods are also available in the lobby. If you’re planning to hit the slopes, check out their discounts on lift passes for Diamond Peak and Mt. Rose. Rates start around $178/night. // 1003 Tahoe Blvd. (Inline Village), theinclinelodge.com
Margaritaville Resort Lake Tahoe
(Courtesy of Margaritaville Resort Lake Tahoe)
Venerable Caribbean-vacation rocker Jimmy Buffet may have passed away last year but his Margaritaville brand lives on and, in December, it launched a new resort in the least likely of places: Tahoe. Combining tropical island vibes with seemingly incongruous mountain ones, the Margaritaville Resort Lake Tahoe in South Lake is bright and sunny with a nine-story open air atrium and heated indoor pool. Buffet’s laidback, every-hour-is-happy-hour ethos comes through at the resort’s two bars, the lobby License to Chill Bar and the LandShark Bar & Grill, which is decked out in surfboards and sea life. Three other on-site eateries include JWB Prime Steak and Seafood, Joe Merchant’s Coffee & Provisions, and Come Monday Cafe. We won’t deny that the resort’s a little kitschy—what else would you expect from the king of the parrot heads—but with rates starting at just $124 a night, it’s worth embracing the shtick. Plus, if you book select dates before May 31st, there’s a grand opening deal: a 20 percent discount on rates, $50 in resort credits each day and, as this is Margaritaville, complimentary signature cocktails. // 4130 Lake Tahoe Blvd. (South Lake Tahoe), margarittavilleresorts.com
Coming Soon: Limelight Hotel Mammoth
Limelight Hotel Denver, a sister property to the upcoming Limelight Hotel Mammoth.
(Courtesy of @limelighthotel)
While you won’t be able to get a reservation this season, soon Mammoth will have a new 149-room stay from mountain specialists Limelight Hotels, which has properties in Denver, Aspen, Snowmass, and Ketchum. They’ll be stocking the upcoming lodge with modern designs, a lively restaurant and bar, an outdoor pool and hot tubs, and a fitness area; and you better believe they’ll be doing everything they can to capture the views of the surrounding mountains. Limelight Hotel Mammoth will also be the greenest property of the five hotel roster, eventually reaching net zero emissions. The project is slated for completion for the 2025-2026 ski season. // limelighthotels.com/mammoth
