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21 reviews for The Village at Squaw Valley
My man and I stayed at the Villages at Squaw Valley to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. We arrived at the resort at about 1:00P even though check-in was not until 4:00P, hoping that our room would be ready so we could settle in early and explore the area. No such luck; they would call us on my cell phone when the room was ready. On the bright side, the attendant did inform us that they upgraded us to a 2-bedroom room so we were pretty happy.
We spent some time checking out the different shops in the village. The wine bar/shop, Uncorked, is definitely worth mentioning. They had a great variety of wines (mostly from California) at a pretty decent prices. Apparently, they have wine tastings on the weekend for $10.00. We had lunch at the Auld Dubliner Irish Pub in the villages (Food was ok. I may review it on here later.)
We returned to the reception desk about 2 hours later and our room was still not ready. We decided to make the 30 minute drive to the state line to hit the slots. At 7:00P, we still had not heard from the resort about our room.
At this point, we headed back to find out if our room was ready; thankfully, it was. I asked the person at the front desk why they didn't call and I was kinda surpised by his answer. He pretty much said "It's not my fault, I just got here. I don't know why nobody called you". Fine. An apology would have been nice, though.
Our room was VERY awesome. Everything we needed and more. It would be great for a large group since there was a fully loaded kitchen and 2 bathrooms! We got the fireplace going and had a lovely evening.
We retired to bed about 10:30P but the noise from the streets made it difficult to fall/stay asleep. One memorable moment was waking up at about 2:00A to somebody throwing up on the street outside our room. I suppose this is something that should have been expected since there are bars and restaurants in the surrounding village. Needless to say, I didn't sleep very well.
Overall, the place was pretty good and I would return with some friends during the winter since was the price is so right. I'd remember to bring some earplugs and my own pillow next time...or maybe just stay out all night and join in the fun!
I might suggest the following: A/C, A/C, A/C and A/C. Folks, let's get this going before the 2nd annual Wanderlust Festival.
Also. An upgrade on the mattress and itchy, scratchy bedding is possibly long overdue.
OTHERWISE! Not bad. Be sure to tote up your own booze and groceries to take advantage of the full kitchen, BUT go easy on said booze unless you're impervious to the effects of high-altitude + alcohol. Ahem.
(Special xo to the bf and his wit for scoring free tickets.)
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I could live here.
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Driven from Alpine Meadows with the lack of reading material and the entire day at my disposal, I debated if I should lose my primo parking spot at Alpine and try to find something to read. In the end, since a day curled up with a good book is my idea of a perfect day, the hunt was on for a good book. I wasn't sure if I should have headed over to Squaw Valley's Village or if I should have headed to one of the two towns nearby, but since we passed by Squaw Valley on our way to Alpine, I figured that was my safest bet (since my sense of direction can be suspect).
Immediately after parking, I spot a Starbucks logo. In the absence of a Peet's coffee shop, I think Starbucks is an OK option. Since we'd gotten up at 5 in the morning, I thought coffee would be a perfect idea and started my beeline over to Starbucks. Then I spotted someone with four Peet's coffee cups in a carrier! Immediately, I switch directions to stalk the Peet's coffee. Although it wasn't an actual Peet's coffee shop (they were just "proud to serve Peet's coffee"), I placed my order for a large cup of Major Dickason's Blend and two oatmeal cookies.
The village itself is charming. Of course skiing and snowboarding are the main attractions, but the shops and restaurants are all casual but fun. With the benefit of afterthought, I so should have gotten my lunch to go from Squaw's village and brought it back with me. Oh well, next time that I'm injured prior to a ski trip, I might just suggest Squaw so that I will have a nice place to while away my day.
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I would stay here again. Very convenient to wake up to hit the slopes. The decor is done well and the rooms are well-sized. We stayed in a two-bedroom with a full kitchen and three flat-screens.
The only downside is it's pricey and the elevators take days to finally arrive. With four floors, you would assume it would be a bit quicker.
Good Mountain
lots of powder..
I will be sore for the next week..
thanks squaw valley
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Great location, but a little too busy and impersonal. Somewhat like a big parking lot actually. Much prefer The Resort at Squaw Creek (http://www.squawcreek.com), which is also ski-in/ski-out with its three pools, hot tubs, spas and restaurants. The Resort is just across the golf course, which is great to play at during the summer. The Resort is a much better place for family and romantic outings.
Overall though, Squaw is the best and biggest mountain in Lake Tahoe, CA, so if you're coming to Tahoe, go to Squaw. Even on peak holiday weekends, Squaw never feels crowded on the mountain.
GREAT location and sweet views from our room. We received a complimentary upgrade and had a lovely time in our one bedroom studio. The kitchen was the perfect size and allowed us to have a little dinner party. I slept on the pullout sofa and I woke up to the most beautiful view of the mountain. I would definitely stay here again. I booked through http://hotels.com and it was half the price of the quote I received calling the hotel directly. I definitely would stay here again. Ski lockers were convenient (even though we didn't get to use them). Heated floors and garage were lovely.
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Remember going on vacation back in the day ...to say somewhere in Europe where all the snotty American families flaunted the strong dollar in the face of tourism in the 80's-90's.
Well the Europeans; Mom , Dad, Gramps, Grandma and the nanny stuck with the brats are hitting us back... hard, and throwing snowballs at us...laughing. The entertainment amenities are for ALL, there was even an Irish pub there with bratty kids running amok the elbow to elbow coziness.
I think the kids 18-under decked out in the trendiest ski duds waaaaaaaaaaaaay outnumbered the adults here. I think I faked a foreign accent (and sucked at doing so) just to fit in that day.
C'est La Vie!
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Such a charming place!
It's like the Santana Row of Tahoe w/ puppy dogs everywhere, posh yet casual restaurants, a fire pit w/ surrounding lounge chairs, and a cute little wine bar to relax in. This is the perfect getaway from Squaw's depressing beat up boarding equipment & run down ski lodges. It was almost like walking into a whole other world!
Hmm... I just might have a reason to come back!
This plush ski-in/ski-out resort located conveniently at the base of the Expedition lift at Squaw Valley, is quite the luxurious place to relax and revive yourself after a day of skiing/boarding.
The village is comprised of over 250 condos (one bedroom, two bedroom, and three bedrooms). The rooms are appointed with comfortable furnishings and have a very cozy feel. The beds aren't all too comfortable, but frankly after a long day on the mountain and few beers, you hardly notice!
Each room is equipped with a full kitchen (fridge, stove, oven, microwave, coffee maker, dishwasher, etc.), fireplace (beware, the thing puts out A LOT of heat) and my favorite feature, heated tiles in the bathroom and kitchen. Just think, in case you pass out here, you'll stay warm!
There was also a fitness center complete with hot tub & sauna in my building, but note that it closes promptly at 10pm and unless you're a master climber and can scale the outside walls, you ain't gettin' in!
The front desk staff were friendly, prompt, and helpful, as were all the staff at Squaw in general.
The building that I stayed in (South Facing Suites - Building 3) was centrally located to just about everything. We had a great balcony with a view of the village, restaurants and shops. The noise-level was a bit much later in the evenings when the rowdy snow boarders got lit at the local pub, but nothing got too crazy.
The rates are pricey, but they often have package deals that include lift tickets and/or spa treatments at Trilogy Spa. It is definitely the nicest place to stay that I've found in the area and is great for families and groups (helps drive the cost down).
Overall this is a very nice place to stay, not the best I've ever been to, but definitely tops for the area.
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Quick Summary: If you like to get a good night's sleep, don't go here in the summertime.
Longer Review: We recently spent a weekend in a condo at The Village At Squaw Valley. This place feels like the "Santana Row" of Tahoe. It's a beautiful development with shops and upscale restaurants on the bottom floors and condos on the top floors. There is also an underground parking garage which is probably really nice in the winter.
This place is locked down like a fortress. I had to use the key card to get into the underground parking, drive through a VERY narrow entrance (fold up those side mirrors) and then put my key card into ANOTHER gate, just to park. Then we had to squeeze into a teeny tiny parking space.
Heat was everywhere at this place, which, again, is probably fantastic in the winter time. But not so much in the summertime. When we first entered our condo we found:
- Granite kitchen and bathroom counter tops
- Stainless Steel appliances, including a refrigerator and dishwasher
- A full complement of pots and pans
- A romantic gas log fireplace with always-on pilot light
- A balcony with a fantastic view
- Stylish, modern furnishings
- Radiant heat from the stone floor in the kitchen and bathroom
- NO AIR CONDITIONING
- A ghetto electric Lasko box fan
- Extra (bloody) pillows inside the coffee table
Friday night I got the worst night's sleep I have ever had (or failed to have) in any kind of lodging. We were traveling with a child so we gave him the fan and sweated it out in the master bedroom. We opened the windows all the way and tried to sleep in the 85 degree heat. No such luck. Finally we fell asleep around, say, midnight. Just in time for the bars downstairs to start closing. Drunken revelers spilled out into the parking lot, directly under our open windows of course.
"I tipped the bartender in weed!" claimed one gentleman.
This went on until maybe 1:00am or 2:00am. Finally we got to sleep. Or tried to. That was when we heard the "dripping" sound in the walls. It went in cycles where it got progressively louder.
thunk.....Thunk.....THUNK....THUNK....THUNK....
We tried desperately to ignore it.
At 3:00am. BEEP BEEP BEEP went the alarm clock. I fumbled with it then unplugged it.
At around 6:00am, there was (from the sound of it) a street-sweeper/touring-bus/semi truck convention in the parking lot. Which conveniently woke up our son. Who says kids need sleep anyway? I looked out on the parking lot. It was FULL OF CARS. Everyone was in hiking shorts and doing their stretching exercises. Is this place the Rancho San Antonio as well as the Santana Row? Fortunately there were no fights over parking spaces.
Once again to summarize:
- Beautiful upscale place
- Scenic location
- Great in Winter Time, not so in Summer Time
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This place irritates me. The multiple times I've been to Squaw with friends, we always want to stay out late/do night skiing and so we always try to come out here for a bite to eat.
If you try to come out after 8:30, they will tell you that all the restaurants are full and there's 1 hour wait or that the "kitchen is closed" . The people that work there are also all teenagers/young people so they don't really know how to maintain a professional tone with you and you will often hear them converse with you in a more-than-needed casual way.
I love Squaw Valley Resort but The Village is super annoying.
note: I came here last year/this year on a random weekend in January (not on 3-day weekend, so ..more the reason for us to have gotten better treatment).
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Not a fan. We got there and were upgraded into a bigger room since we were with a wedding party. I'm scared to think what the room we had originally booked into would have been like based on the caliber of their suite. The area was good but a ton of little things wrong with the room equal a bad rating. The wall in the bathroom had unrepaired drill holes, the toilet was leaking, and the finish on the seat for the toilet was peeling off. To top it off the bed was hard as a rock and the comforter on the bed had cigarette burn marks in it. Definately not a place that I would recommend or stay at again.
I almost cry every time I behold the marketing genius of Intrawest, the Canadian developer / owners / operators of this condominium resort, as well as the ski mountain and half of rest of the Western United States (e.g. Mammoth, Whistler, Copper Mountain)
Their MO is to take over dilapidated or undervalued resorts, where they establish their brand of all-around vacation experience. Through massive capital infusion, marketing, heavy but inconspicuous theme and brand, and dogged quality control of their vendors and commercial tenants, they create wildly popular integrated shopping / dining / recreation / lodging experiences, mostly in the name of driving up the price of real estate so they and their condo buyers can make fortunes. Good for visitors, good for them, good for buyers, and they're even trying to be good to the planet.
As a result they have remade Squaw valley in whole cloth into one of the cleanest, nicest, and most efficient ski resorts in the U.S. Unlike other ski towns that grow organically, everything here is planned, from the flowers on the lampposts and free miniature golf course set up throughout the village in summer, to the architecture that ensures that everyone has a view of the gondola. Restaurants are great. Shops are great. Lodging -- whether theirs or another hotel -- is strong. There's much to recommend the rest of Lake Tahoe, but you could spend an entire ski vacation without bothering to get in your car or leave the village here.
As to the lodging itself, it's a generic but solid multi-bedroom ski condo suites, fully stocked kitchen, plates, etc. Basically, imagine a luxury time share ski resort anywhere and there it is. Ski in/out is an oerstatement becaues that implies you take your skis off right in front of your room -- the village is at the base of the lifts but it's so big that you might have to walk your skis a block or two to your building lobby, depending on how much snow there is. Too expensive in my book, and the interior design and appointments aren't as creative or heartwarming as some of their other properties. But not bad.
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Stayed here in the off-season for a wedding. We had a 3-bedroom that was very reasonably priced and spacious. Full kitchen and 3 bathrooms. Biggest complaint is the beds - really hard and uncomfortable.
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I stayed in a One Bedroom with View room at the Village last year for a company offsite. Since I wasn't paying for anything and reaping all the benefits, I had an amazing time and was very impressed. Our room had a general room, bedroom, kitchen, balcony, tv with cable and dvd, and fireplace. The room was very clean and the building looked very new - I think the entire place had been recently remodeled. The sofa bed (Yeah, I got the sofa bed, I was rooming with my manager so what could I do?) was very comfortable and cozy. Also, there is free internet in the room.
A big plus is that the hotel is very close to a bunch of restaurants and shops, so there's stuff to do after you go skiing or snowboarding or tubing.
Prior to beginning my review, I glanced at the website again.... what a joke. Comfortable lodging? Sure, if scratchy sheets, broken televisions, barking dogs and machinery noises at 7am define comfort for you. Amenities? How about a lukewarm miniature pool located three buildings away- oh, but you can *pay* oodles of cash to take the ride to High Camp and lounge by that pool instead. Front desk prefers not to answer the phone on a regular basis. We arrived at our room one night at midnight to find our keys no longer worked. One key stopped working, so they reset the lock for the entire three bedroom shared condo.... not so smart. Broken ice maker, bulb out in the bathroom, non-functioning fireplace.... Perhaps they don't bother during the summer. Or perhaps they think the presence of Starbucks and a few bars negates the need to maintain the $300+ a night accommodations- Or perhaps they just want to make more money by cutting EVERY corner possible. Yeah, I think that's it. Been there. Done that. Won't be back.
(Second star grudgingly given in light of the location, excellent bagels across the way, sheer beauty of Olympic Valley and the friendly staffer who helped us drag our bags up to the room.)
This place is awesome. Full condos with kitchens, etc.. I had all my guests stay here for my wedding and they were super helpful with the big group thing. Let me assign the rooms, etc.. My guests were really happy. The rooms are nice, although not air conditioned, which can be a problem in mid summer altho the rooms cool off fast when you open windows and turn on their fans.. Great little village, fun place to stay!
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If you enjoye overpriced EVERYTHING complete with shitty service and lacking accommodations The Village at Squaw Valley is perfect for you.
Recently my partner and I joined our families there for an Easter ski weekend, only because everything in Steamboat Springs, CO was booked. As soon as we entered our cramped and overfurnished two bedroom suites with marginally working cable, we knew we were in for a weekend.
All the restaurants are mediocre at best - the only meal that felt reasonable was had at The Aulde Dubliner, the resort's Irish pub (but even there the pints were an outrageous $6!!!). Service at all of the restaurants was ridiculously poor - all staff, from management to servers and busers seemed to be burnt out ski bums in their early 20's that seemed too stoned to even be walking. I've never gone a weekend where I consistently tipped 10% and under.
So, if you like pre-fab Alpine cuteness without the depth, and one star service at four star prices enjoy your time at the Village at Squaw Valley. We won't ever be caught there again. I'd rather cut homeless peoples' toenails than waste my money at this resort.
I stayed here about 4 times during the past 3 years, very nice place, rooms are clean, staffs are nice and it is right in the center of all the actions at Squaw Valley. Below is the shopping and entertaining area with restaurants and shops which are all bit over priced. Good pleace to stay if you are going with groups of people, again depends on which building you are staying the walk from the room to the ski lift can be a long one. Try to book early so you get a good rate. By the way they have DVD players in each room and free DVD rentals at the front desk, selections are ok but you can always bring your own. In addition always park your car at the check in space in front of the main lobby because you will have to drive to your building's parking. So don't unload all your stuff before checking in and always bring a keycard with you when you go out of the building, you will need it when you come back.
