The Lodge at Lake Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe

We haven't stayed at this timeshare for years, so we thought we'd check it out. Location is great...half a mile walk to casinos and less than that to great shopping and food, so extremely convenient. We upgraded to the two bedroom unit with full kitchen, and the kitchen was completely stocked with everything we needed to cook. The room looked like two or three motel rooms joined together, so it was very spacious, with separate bedrooms and two bathrooms. The living area also had a hide-a-bed in the sofa. The second bedroom was supposed to have queen beds according to the floor plan, but they were only full size, so that was a bummer, since we had two couples, and double beds are a bit small when you're used to king. Pool and jacuzzi seemed nice and got use during the day, as did the barbecues at pool side. The grounds were clean and well kept. Not much parking...as I recall, there used to be more parking in the front, but I think the pool now takes up that area. I would say one car per room is it. The staff were excellent--very helpful and friendly. The room was clean and spacious, and all of the usual amenities were provided for us, including coffee packets for the coffee maker, as well as popcorn, and hot chocolate. The rest of the food you need to bring yourself, but the refrigerator was full sized, which was nice. There was a toaster, blender, hand mixer, full set of dishes and glasses, full stove and oven, a microwave, and even a garbage disposal and a dishwasher, too, which was nice. Now for the cons: no air conditioning. We knew this coming in, and we happened to be visiting on a VERY warm weekend. There is a fan for each of the bedrooms, but unless you want to sleep with your blinds completely open, the fan won't draw much air in through the window where we had it set up. Still, it was totally bearable, as we're from the Sacramento area and are used to the heat. Other major con was that the mattresses were all VERY uncomfortable. We're not that picky, but these were pretty bad. Except for the mattresses and our resulting sore backs, we were very happy with our stay. Great if you're on a budget, and great location!

Liked: Wi-Fi in room Small dishwasher with individual detergent packets supplied Small window in bathroom Free parking Disliked: No A/C View out back was of one-level run-down-looking apartments Uncomfortable bed No scheduled activities I agree with AAA's tourbook rating of 2-stars. I recommend bringing a fan. There is one in room, but a second helps. Note: They have 1-bedroom units with a full kitchen and 1-bedroom units with a partial kitchen. Be sure you know what your getting, as my trading company had me pay for a 1-bedroom upgrade and I was given a partial kitchen, not a full one.

The Lodge is a great place for families. It offers everything my family of 4 wanted and needed. We had the convience of an apartment with the local eateries within walking distance. If everyone wanted something different for dinner it was available. The pool and spa are great and we all enjoyed the BBQ's that are poolside. The large grassy area was perfect for my sports minded kids and gave them lots of room to run around and eat outside on the tables if they choose. Parking is tight and it can be a bit noisy because of the busy street on Pioneer Trail. But, the access to all the other stuff made our trip great. CM