Cedar Glen Lodge Rating: 2.5 Pearls

Tahoe Vista, Lake Tahoe, California

Offering 17 cabins and 14 rooms, the small mid-range Cedar Glen Lodge is a quiet, charming hotel with a fantastic location on Lake Tahoe. It's right across the street from the lake where a small beach belonging to the hotel provides guests access.

The hotel has a motor lodge-style layout, with a U-shaped arrangement of buildings surrounding a grassy area. Guests simply park beside one of the cabins or outside the lodge. The lawn area contains barbecue grills, seating, and a fire pit, where nightly s'mores are prepared (weather permitting) and guests can mingle with the friendly owners, Alan and Martha Bryan. The heated pool, Jacuzzi, and sauna are nice perks, especially during the chilly winter months. A continental breakfast is free to guests daily.

In 2012, the lodge unveiled a new Wine Bar with first place and a lobby featuring the first on-site restaurant, The Rustic Lounge.

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The Cedar Glen Lodge is located in the town of Tahoe Vista at Lake Tahoe, on North Lake Boulevard. Several businesses and restaurants are within walking distance, and a grocery store is within a five-minute drive.

Lake Tahoe is one of the premier four-season destinations in the country, offering a beautiful combination of clear skies, heavy winter snows, and the blue lake waters backed by the picturesque Sierra Nevada Mountains. Tahoe is an outdoor-lover's paradise offering activities such as camping, fishing, kayaking, white-water rafting, rock-climbing, golfing, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and snowboarding.

With winter snow often measuring 300 to 500 inches annually, the ski resorts at Tahoe are among the most reliable and exciting in the country. Known for steep vertical drops, open bowls, and some challenging terrain (along with family-friendly runs), Tahoe's collection of ski resorts draws thousands each winter. Despite the snowy conditions, the area usually gets more than 300 sunny days a year. But because of the snow, a four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended here in winter.

Lake Tahoe is divided across California and Nevada, with 70 percent in California. Because of this, Tahoe is generally spoken of as two distinct areas, North and South Lake Tahoe. South Tahoe is known for its gambling (which is legal in Nevada) and nightlife, while North Tahoe is generally quieter with more of a " mountain personality."

When traveling to the area there are some things to keep in mind: The elevation of the lake is more than 6,000 feet, and the ski resorts surrounding the lake have runs that begin at 10,000 feet. Be careful when engaging in physical activity before acclimating, which usually takes a couple days, as the thin air means the body will need to work harder.

Also, black bears have become a persistent problem around Lake Tahoe. They often break into parked cars and empty buildings looking for food, and are even sophisticated enough to recognize coolers and other signs of food by peering into windows. It's best to remove all food, toiletries, and anything else that may stimulate a bear's keen sense of smell from your vehicle while staying overnight at Tahoe. No locked door or window will stand up to a hungry bear looking for free Cheetos or a sandwich.

• 1-hour drive to the Reno/Tahoe Airport
• 2-hour drive to Sacramento Airport
• 10-minute drive to Incline Village
• 15-minute drive to Northstar-at-Tahoe resort
• 15-minute drive to Tahoe City at Lake Tahoe
• 20-minute drive to Truckee
• 30-minute drive to Squaw Valley USA
• 50-minute drive to Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe
• 1-hour drive to South Lake Tahoe

The Cedar Glen Lodge offers 17 cabins and 14 rooms with free Wi-Fi and a mix of amenities. Cabins have kitchens with gas-burning stoves and ovens, dishes, silverware, and dining tables for guests wishing to cook in. Each cabin is unique, but decor is consistently woodsy and rustic (wood-paneled walls and pine furnishings). Unlike many lodges, though, updates are constantly being performed so that things never get too dated.

• Free Wi-Fi
• Cabins have fully equipped kitchens.
• Some cabins have fireplaces.
• Some rooms have flat-screen TVs while others have tube TVs.
• No in-room safes, but there's a safe at the front desk
• Upper-floor rooms in the hotel lodge have nice lake views.

• Small beach on Lake Tahoe is accessible across the street
• Heated outdoor pool, sauna, and Jacuzzi
• Free continental breakfast daily
• Barbecue grills
• Fire pit campfire and s'mores every evening (weather permitting)
• New lobby completed in 2012 with wine bar, conference room, and business center
• View Full List of Amenities