When planning out our time in Nevada for our 50 state road trip, I’d originally planned to have us stay in Ely, Reno and Las Vegas. As time went on though, Shae and I decided to include a few days in Lake Tahoe.
That turned out to be a fantastic decision because we ended up having one of our favorite hotel stays of the year at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino. It’s a lovely property with all kinds of amenities, friendly staff and a plethora of activities – many of which are free. Our stay took place in early November, so not in the summer, nor during skiing season.
It’s not often that Shae and I would make an effort to return to a specific hotel, but by the end of our stay that’s what we were discussing as we’d love to stay there again in the future. Here’s a full review of the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino which will show why we loved it so much.
n.b. I’ll share more in the ‘Cost’ section towards the end of the review, but we booked this stay using our own World of Hyatt points – we don’t do sponsored posts.
Check-In
After killing a little time in Carson City on our way down to Lake Tahoe from Reno, we arrived at the Hyatt Regency at about 3pm.
The entrance is flanked by fireplaces, with heaters overhead. I imagine that’s particularly welcome when coming and going during the winter, but we appreciated it during our November stay too as it was on the cooler side.
We were given a friendly welcome by the front desk staff and got checked in quickly. In addition to our room keys, we were given a couple of coupons for $5 match play in the hotel’s casino, a coupon for a free s’mores kit and a coupon for a free item from Tahoe Provisions – more about that later in the ‘Tahoe Provisions’ section.
On the back of your room key is a number you can text to request items, as well as a QR code you can scan to obtain more information about the resort.
As part of your arrival you’re also offered a glass of sparkling wine or a beer.
We both enjoyed a glass of sparkling wine while waiting for a bellhop to become available to bring all the stuff up to our room.
Sugar Pine Junior Suite
Bedroom
We’d booked a standard king room with points, but got upgraded at check-in to a Sugar Pine Junior Suite courtesy of having Globalist status in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. This is a 550 sq ft room, so larger than the 400 sq ft standard rooms.
When entering the suite there’s an entryway, with the bedroom/living area straight ahead and the bathroom down a hallway to the right.
In the entryway there was a cabinet with a coffee maker on top, with one of the cupboards below containing a mini fridge. The mini fridge contained a couple of bottles of water, but there wasn’t a mini bar.
The main bedroom/living area felt spacious with plentiful seating.
The photo above makes the bed look narrow, but it was actually a king bed. At the foot of the bed was a bench, with a long dresser on the far wall. Both sides of the bed had small cabinets and available outlets which made it easier to charge our phones next to the bed at night.
Truffles appreciated that bench at the foot of the bed as it made it easier for her to hop up.
Opposite the bed was a large window seat which seemed perfect for someone wanting to read while looking out the nearby scenery. Next to that was a desk to work at.
The suite also featured a couch (I think it was a sleeper sofa), an armchair and a large circular coffee table.
We really liked the Sugar Pine Junior Suite overall. The suite felt spacious, with the furniture and decor being to our taste and in good condition.
Back by the entrance there was a hallway leading to the bathroom. On one wall there was a rack with eight hangers which was very useful.
Opposite that was the room’s closet. The closet contained a couple of bathrobes that were monogrammed with the property’s name, as well as an iron and ironing board.
Bathroom
The bathroom was a decent size too. There was only one sink, but it did have two faucets.
In addition to a bathtub…
…there was a walk-in shower.
The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe provides large bottles of Pharmacopia shampoo, conditioner and body wash. I’m not the biggest fan of Pharmacopia toiletries at hotels as its shampoo and body wash never seems to lather up well, but it’s not awful.
The toilet had its own door, helping provide some privacy in case someone else wanted to use the bathroom at the same time.
Breakfast
Breakfast is available at Osteria Sierra from 7am-11:30am each day. The restaurant offers a choice of either a buffet or a la carte menu items.
I have Globalist status with Hyatt which means we get free breakfast for the two of us (two children are eligible too if you have them). When checking in we received vouchers for breakfast each day, with the reverse of the coupons confirming that we could choose either the buffet or a menu item, along with juice, coffee or tea. Based on the text on that voucher, it looks like you can also order menu items to go and pick it up from Tahoe Provisions.
Here’s the breakfast menu of the a la carte items:
Shae and I both ordered from the menu on our first morning. Shae got the steak and eggs which she thought was delicious, so she ordered that on a couple of other mornings.
That first morning I ordered the corned beef hash which was very good.
I do like breakfast buffets though in order to have a wider variety of food at breakfast, so for the rest of our stay that’s what I went with. There were at least half a dozen hot options each day, as well as an egg station where you can get eggs made to order. In addition to all that, there were pastries, bread, bagels, cold cuts, fruit and vegetables, oatmeal, cereal and more.
It was too cold to eat outside during our stay (although it did look like there were heaters out there), but I imagine the restaurant’s patio is a lovely place to sit when the weather is nicer.
Other Dining
Osteria Sierra
In addition to serving breakfast, Osteria Sierra is open for dinner from 5pm-9pm from Thursday-Saturday. We didn’t end up eating there as dishes were a little pricey for our tastes, but here’s the dinner menu from when we stayed:
I imagine that menu gets changed up at times, so you should be able to view the latest menu(s) here.
Lone Eagle Grille
There was another restaurant – Lone Eagle Grille – which was advertised at the hotel. This was, I think, on the hotel grounds, but it’s in a separate building away from the main part of the resort. I went on its website to check its opening hours and saw a message stating that it’ll be closing permanently on February 27, 2025, so it won’t be around for much longer.
Stillwater Pool Bar and Grill
This was closed during our stay as it’s only open during the summer season. As the name suggests, this is a poolside bar where you can order food and drinks.
Cutthroat’s Saloon
This bar is open every day of the week year-round from 5pm-10pm, as well as from 10am-10pm on Sundays during football season. It has 17 flat-screen TVs and seemed like a vibrant bar whenever we went by, but we never got around to having a drink in there.
You can view Cutthroat’s Saloon’s menu here.
Tahoe Provisions
In addition to the various restaurants and bars, the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe also has a café/deli/store selling various snacks, meals, drinks, etc.
You can order from their full day dining menu from 6:30am-10pm, as well as from Osteria Sierra’s breakfast menu from 7am-11:30am. You can view their menus here.
On our first night we’d ordered dinner from Uber Eats. However, all the restaurants served by Uber Eats are a fair distance away, so it took a while for our food to arrive and by then it was already cold, so that didn’t turn out to be such a great option.
The next couple of nights we got dinner from Tahoe Provisions instead. Shae ordered a cheese and tomato pizza which she thought was good…
…while I bought a chicken and mandarin orange salad. That came with a nice dressing and I got it for dinner the next night too.
When checking in for our stay, we were given a couple of other vouchers. One of those was a free s’mores kit which you redeem at Tahoe Provisions. The other was a voucher for a free item from Tahoe Provisions; only select items are eligible and those have a special marking on their pricing label.
At check-in we were advised that the best value option was to redeem it for a bottle of sparkling wine, so that what we did (the marked up price in Tahoe Provisions was ~$50).
Amenities
Swimming Pools
The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino has two swimming pools – a family pool for people of all ages, along with a kids pool which is, presumably, a little shallower. The kids pool was closed during our visit though – I imagine it’s only open seasonally.
With it being cold outside in November, I wasn’t interested in swimming at first. However, a day or two into our stay I saw people out in the pool while waiting for the elevator.
With snow having fallen recently, I couldn’t imagine anyone would be swimming in there unless it was heated to a somewhat reasonable temperature. Sure enough, the hotel has a helpful sign at the pools’ entrance not only confirming that the pools are heated, but the temperature of them too.
As you can see in the photo above, there are also two hot tubs you can enjoy. Both hot tubs are a good size, so plenty of guests can fit inside during busier times of the season.
Knowing that we wouldn’t freeze if we went out there, Shae and I had a nice time on our final day hanging out in the pool and hot tub.
Fitness Room
If you’d like to get in some more vigorous exercise during your stay, the hotel has a well-equipped fitness room. In fact, there are two rooms. One was a virtual studio with a Peloton bike, yoga balls, weights, etc. In the corner there was a screen which can broadcast live and recorded classes via Tempo.
The main fitness room was much larger and featured all kinds of cardio equipment and weights.
Ski Shuttle
For those staying at the property during skiing season, there’s a complimentary ski shuttle that’ll take you to Diamond Peak.
Shuttle Bus
In addition to the ski shuttle, there’s a shuttle bus that runs from 10am-10pm. This is complimentary and offers both drop-off and pick-up within Incline Village where the resort is located.
Stillwater Spa & Salon
If you’d like to get any spa treatments during your stay, you can get that done at the Stillwater Spa & Salon.
We didn’t take advantage of that opportunity during our stay, but here’s the treatment pricing menu for your perusal.
S’mores / Fire Pit
The resort has at least a couple of fire pits for guests to enjoy at night. When checking in, we received vouchers for a free s’mores kit to redeem at Tahoe Provisions, so we took those out on our final night to enjoy.
Those kits include some individual packs of Honey Maid graham crackers, a bar of Hershey’s, four marshmallows and a couple of wooden skewers to roast the marshmallows.
Gift Shop
If you need to get any mementos, souvenirs, gifts, etc. during your stay, there’s a well-stocked gift shop at which you can buy many items.
Microwave
Unless you’re in a cottage or suite that contains a microwave, rooms at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe don’t have them. However, just outside of Tahoe Provisions there’s a microwave for guests to use.
Lending Library
For those needing some additional reading material during their stay, there’s a lending library.
Beach
It sadly wasn’t beach weather during our stay, but it looked like a wonderful place to hang out when it is warmer.
Activities
In addition to all the great amenities, the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort Spa & Casino also offers a wide variety of activities every day of the year. Some of the activities are seasonal, so the list of what’s available will depend on the time of year you visit.
For example, we arrived the afternoon of October 31. With it being Halloween, the hotel ran a Haunted Hyatt Carnival with lots of activities. This was extremely popular with families and it seemed like it was open to anyone staying nearby, not just those staying at the Hyatt Regency.
In terms of a more regular schedule of activities, each week the property provides sheets displaying what they’ll be running on each day and at what time.
There’s also a helpful list of offered activities so you can decide if they’re something you want to do. The vast majority of the activities are complimentary, but there are a few paid activities – their prices are listed on the sheet below (e.g. Paint & Sip is $25).
Monkey Rock Guided Hike
We took advantage of a few of the activities during our stay, one of which was the Monkey Rock guided hike. We all met up at the concierge desk where we were each given a small bag of trail mix before setting off. It was ridiculously delicious and I’m pretty sure its secret ingredient was crack as I could see myself getting addicted to it.
We all then hopped in a shuttle van which took us up to the trail head a couple of miles away.
One of the nice features of this hike is that it’s pet-friendly, so Truffles was able to join us. Our guide was excellent; unfortunately I didn’t make a note of his name, but he’s led a fascinating life and he did an awesome job as our guide.
The trail up to Monkey Rock wasn’t the most strenuous of hikes, but it is uphill most of the way. It’s a ~2.5 mile round trip hike, so ~1.25 miles uphill.
It’s not hard to see why Monkey Rock is called Monkey Rock.
The hike uphill ends at Monkey Rock, but that’s not all there is to see up there. In addition to the rock formation, there’s another curved rock looking out over Lake Tahoe.
Our guide gave each of us an opportunity to lay back on the rock in order to get an Instagrammy photo.
After we’d all had a chance to take photos and enjoyed the views, we hiked back down the hill/mountain and got picked up by the shuttle bus and taken back to the hotel.
Pinecone Hunt
A less strenuous activity is the resort’s pinecone hunt. This is an hour long walk nearby, but there are frequent stops and no elevation gain, so it’s easy for people of all ages and abilities.
Visiting in November meant that there was no shortage of pine cones on the ground. Our guide (a different one to the person who led the Monkey Rock hike) shared interesting information and facts about the pine cones.
We did this more as an activity for Truffles to get a good walk in as it’s another of the resort’s pet-friendly activities.
Paint & Sip
One of the paid activities at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe is Paint & Sip. This is a guided painting experience that also includes a glass of wine. Shae loves Paint Nite-type activities, so she ended up attending two separate Paint & Sip sessions during our stay.
Here’s her account:
I had a great time at the Paint & Sip experiences. One was in the evening with just me and the instructor and then I went in the afternoon with another guest and the instructor.
Where this was different from the other Paint & Sip-style experiences I’ve been to is that it wasn’t strictly guided. The instructor gave some general instructions and brought some natural items to influence our art if we wanted to and then we were left to create what inspired us. As someone who really enjoys direction this was challenging for me at first, but I just designed my own piece that had more structure to it and that suited me fine.
The second experience, where I knew it was less likely to be guided, I came into the experience with my own ideas and ran with it. I really enjoyed the experience, instructor and opportunity to be creative while at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe.
Resort Fee
You might be wondering how the hotel is able to offer so many activities for free. Well, they recoup some of that in the form of a nightly resort fee which is $50 + tax.
That’s not cheap and it can definitely mount up over a longer stay. If you book with World of Hyatt points (like we did), resort fees are waived. Here’s what the resort fees include according to this page on the hotel’s website:
Spring/Summer Inclusions (Memorial Day through Labor Day)
- In room refrigerators
- Shuttle to Incline Village shops and restaurants
- Welcome beverage upon check-in (21 years of age or older)
- 800/888/local calls waived
- 24-hour fitness center including peloton bikes
- $5.00 match play coupon for casino
- Access to hotel’s private year-round heated pool and hot tubs
- Incoming/outgoing faxes
- Business center access
- Weekly Fitness classes
- Adventure Specialist summer and winter activities for guests of all ages (family friendly)
- Complimentary bottled water (2) replenished in room
- Virtual Studio access with live & recorded fitness classes via Tempo
- S’mores kit
- Entrance to hotel’s private beach (Summer Inclusion)
- Complimentary 1 hour use of Kayak or stand up paddleboard from hotel pier (summer inclusion)
- Beach and pool, chair, umbrella and personal towel service (summer inclusion)
- Exclusive access to hotel’s water sports rental company – motor boat rentals (summer inclusion)
- Exclusive access to hotel’s private pier and beach bar (summer inclusion)
- Daily Yoga (summer inclusion)
Fall/Winter Inclusions (After Labor Day to Memorial Day)
- In room refrigerators
- Shuttle to Incline Village shops and restaurants
- Welcome beverage upon check-in (21 years of age or older)
- 800/888/local calls waived
- 24-hour fitness center including peloton bikes
- $5.00 match play coupon for casino
- Access to hotel’s private year-round heated pool and hot tubs
- Incoming/outgoing faxes
- Business center access
- Weekly Fitness classes
- Adventure Specialist summer and winter activities for guests of all ages (family friendly)
- Complimentary bottled water (2) replenished in room
- Virtual Studio access with live & recorded fitness classes via Tempo
- S’mores kit
- Snowshoe usage (winter inclusion)
- Unlimited GoPro Camera usage (winter inclusion)
- Ski valet (winter inclusion)
- Diamond Peak Ski Resort shuttle (winter inclusion)
Some of those are BS inclusions seeing as most hotels offer things like in-room fridges, swimming pool access, fitness center access, business center access, etc. without charging an additional fee for them. That said, if you can make use of many of the hotel’s free activities and other amenities during your stay like GoPro usage, snowshoe usage, etc., you could get some good value out of that fee.
Casino
The full name of the hotel is Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino. Although we didn’t try out the spa, we did check out the casino on our final night to utilize our match play vouchers received at check-in.
After using our Match Play vouchers on a game of craps, we defaulted to what we’re more familiar with – slot machines for me and blackjack for Shae.
We both managed to finish up, so we cashed out our winnings.
Shae mentioned to the cashier that we’d left our dog up in our room and they said that dogs were allowed in the casino. I’m not sure if that’s only if they’re carried or if they’re OK being walked around, but I went upstairs to get Truffles and carried her into the casino. We found a dog-themed slot machine for her to play and our luck rubbed off on her as she won a couple of bucks too!
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Pet Policy
As you’ve probably ascertained by now, the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe is a pet-friendly hotel. They don’t appear to have any size or weight restriction, but there is a $50 per night pet fee.
We got lucky with that because after checking out we noticed that we hadn’t been charged a fee despite them knowing we had Truffles with us, so that saved us $200 🙂
There are various grassy areas around the property, so it’s not a problem finding somewhere for your pup to do their business.
Service
Service overall was excellent, from the front desk staff to the restaurant staff to the concierge to the painting and hiking guides and more.
Even the valet staff welcomed us when we arrived which was a minor miracle. We drive a somewhat beaten up 2004 Toyota Corolla and there have been several occasions we’ve arrived at nicer hotels and been blanked by their valet staff initially, as though they think there’s no way we could be staying there. That wasn’t the case at this property though – there was immediately someone to help us with our luggage and car.
There were a couple of negative service experiences, but they weren’t anything major. One of the benefits of having Globalist status at this hotel is that both self-parking and valet parking fees are waived on award stays. We went with valet parking, but those fees were inadvertently added to our folio. After highlighting that when checking out, they were immediately removed, so it wasn’t a problem.
The other somewhat minor issue is that I’d wanted to use a few Hyatt gift cards I had to redeem towards some of our room charges. At checkout, the front desk staff member seemed to input the card details, but it didn’t go through properly and we ended up having it all charged to our credit card instead. Again, that wasn’t a major problem and the full balances are still available on the gift cards, so it’s not like our credit card was charged and had the gift cards drained.
Wi-Fi
Perhaps the most negative part of our stay was the hotel’s Wi-Fi. The internet was very poor at times, continually cutting out for several seconds at a time. We thankfully didn’t have any Zoom meetings during our stay, but it was frustrating trying to get work done and repeatedly losing connection or having the internet speed be slow.
Check-In & Check-Out Times
Check-in is available from 4pm, while check-out is at 11am.
Location
The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino is on the northeast side of Lake Tahoe in Incline Village. There’s a Raley’s grocery store nearby, as well as several restaurants within walking distance.
If you want to visit Nevada’s state capital, Carson City is a 30 minute drive away. The closest airport is Reno-Tahoe International Airport which is 45-60 minutes away. Flying in and out of Las Vegas isn’t ideal as that’s a 7.5 hour drive away.
Parking
The hotel offers both self-parking and valet parking. Self-parking is $29 per night, while valet parking is $50 per night. If you have Hyatt Globalist status and book a stay here using points, parking is free (both self-parking and valet).
Cost
At the time of our stay in November 2024, the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe was a category 5 property in the World of Hyatt program. That means it costs 17,000, 20,000 or 23,000 points per night depending on if award nights are at off-peak, standard or peak pricing.
Our four nights were all at off-peak pricing which means we only had to redeem 17,000 points per night, or 68,000 points overall. For comparison, the cash price for a standard king room on our dates when we booked was $300.79 per night including tax. The actual cost would’ve been higher though because parking is only free for Globalist members on award stays, so the cash rate would’ve been $329.79 per night when accounting for the self-parking fees. That means we got almost 2cpp (cents per point) of value by redeeming points which is pretty good for Hyatt points.
Final Thoughts
We had a wonderful stay at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. It’s a lovely resort with some great amenities (such as heated outdoor pools) and lots of free activities (albeit included as part of the hotel’s resort fee). All the staff members were very friendly and helpful, we got a nice upgrade to a Sugar Pine Junior Suite and the suite was in great condition.
There were a couple of minor service quibbles, but nothing that came anywhere close to spoiling our stay. The most negative thing I can say about our stay was that the Wi-Fi wasn’t great, but it was still workable.
I’d love to return to this hotel and spend even longer than four days there.
Truffles Approval Rating
The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino earns the much-coveted ‘four paws out of four with a Golden Tail wag’ which is the highest rating she can give any hotel.
The hotel does charge a high pet fee of $50 per night which would normally count against it. However, for whatever reason we didn’t end up being charged the fee. Even if we had been charged the pet fee, they’d have still earned this award though as Truffles had a wonderful time.
Our room was nice and quiet, so she wasn’t disturbed at night by someone stomping around above us or people being noisy in the hallway. She received lots of attention and pets from front desk staff which she loved. Some of the hikes and walks are pet-friendly, so that meant she got lots of sniffs and exercise. Even the casino let her come in to try her luck!
Our Rating
Room = 4.6 / 5
Hotel Amenities = 4.8 / 5
Food = 4.4 / 5
Location = 4.6 / 5
Service = 4.8 / 5
Overall Value = 4.3 / 5
Total = 4.58 / 5
Address
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, 111 Country Club Dr, Incline Village, NV 89451
Are you going to keep your blog going even though the road trip is over? I hope so, I’ve enjoyed following your adventures — and I’m sure you’ll have many more, particularly with your move to the U.K.
Thanks! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed following along 🙂 Yes, we’ll still be keeping the blog going – we’ve still got lots of posts to publish about Nevada and Hawaii, then we have all kinds of other posts we plan to write even though the road trip has ended, plus we’ll have travels in the UK, Europe and beyond!
I for one am so pleased that the blog will continue. Having just visited England for the first time last year I look forward to learning more through your writings. Thanks.
Thanks! I’m looking forward to sharing more about our travels there 🙂
Great review and photos! Haven’t thought about a trip to Lake Tahoe before, but now you’re changing my mind…
Thank you! Lake Tahoe had been on my radar before, but I wouldn’t have made a big effort to get there in the past. Having visited there now though, it’s definitely somewhere I’d be interested in returning to.