The Ridge Sierra

Great mountain location above the crowds at South Shore Lake Tahoe. Easy access to Heavenly Valley ski lifts.

Great mountain side resort with spectacular views. Close to two Heavenly ski lifts,ski shop,restaurant and bar. Free parking directly in front of resort with free shuttle service between lifts. Great for summer vacations too!

We have enjoyed our stay at the Ridge Sierra during both Winter and Summer months. The mountain lodge type resort has dramatic valley views of the Carson Valley. The complex is Approx. 1/2 mile from The Ridge Tahoe Resort where you have access to a complete health spa, tennis courts, one indoor, 2 racquetball courts, indoor/outdoor pools, restaurants, etc.

Was supposed to stay here in July 2007. Unit was not ready at check-in time. Told to wait until almost 6pm to check-in. Check-in "TV" person apologized, but didn't know why our unit wasn't ready. After an hour, they let us in to put our groceries in the fridge, since we'd already stopped on the way to the resort.

We took one look at the unrenovated unit and went straight to Ridge Tahoe to use their computers to find a rental somewhere else. We felt it was that bad. Dark units, well-worn furnishings. Glass dining table had so many scratches that it looked dirty. The cooktop had a burner missing. Fridge and couches looked out of the 70's. We couldn't imagine coming back to that dark, depressing place for the week, so we checked out and rented elsewhere.

The view was spectacular, if the jacuzzis are in working order, their location is nice overlooking the valley. You must drive to use Ridge Tahoe amenities, and the road is one-way going the wrong way, so not completely convenient. My kids were 5 and 7 at the time and there was nothing for them to do here. No place to really even run and play as the resort is set into a steep hillside. The staff was pleasant, but there is no way I would consider staying here again. Probably would be good for adults and during ski season or for people who just want a place to hang their hat at night and appreciate the view.

We stayed at this resort during the summer of 2006, in one of the units that had not yet been refurbished. The unit we stayed in, particularly the kitchen, was definitely in need of refurbishment (e.g., with respect to the kitchen, the floor creaked, the faucet leaked, and the water did not drain out of the dishwasher). The carpet showed noticable wear in high traffic areas. I did inspect a refurbished unit and it was a hugh improvement. Hopefully, if we go back to the resort the refurbishment will have been completed. The units are not as spacious as at some resorts, but the four of us did not feel cramped. I think six persons would be cramped. Also, the darker interior decor, particularly the forest green carpet, tends to make units feel smaller than they really are. A darker decor works better with more spacious interiors with lots of natural light. Most things you want to do up at Lake Tahoe require you to get in a car. Although the Ridge development does have a transit system we did not utilize it. If you are a big-time mountain biker, this is a resort to put on your short list. The commons recreational facilities of the Ridge Club (indoor tennis, indoor/outdoor pool, spa, etc.) are very nice, although driving to them on a one- way road is a bit inconvenient. The roof-top jacuzzi's at the resort had wonderful views and were a nice ending to a day of hiking. The entire Ridge development is in an exposed mountainous location that requires constant exterior maintenance and the resort could do a better job in this regard.

I was impressed with the service and beautiful view from the deck. It seems the resort had a kitchen remodeling job done lately - with new "Kitchen Aid" stove top, granite counter and stone floor tile. It is a specious 2-bedroom unit. We shared with another couple. Location is great, very close to Havenly. It was nice experience, we will go back again.

Great place, wonderful views; easy access to skiing.

I exchanged into this resort for a week. It is a good resort, and I liked it. However, it is not a luxurious resort. Units are spacious and comfortable. Decor' is darker, older and could use some updating. It was clean and enjoyable. We had one of the units where you were allowed to utilize the facilities at the Ridge Tahoe which was very nice. Parking was very accessible. It was a good family resort. The Ridge Sierra is managed by QM Resorts.

We stayed in Unit 116 over Christmas 2003. The service was friendly; even though the checkin process uses a person (from Reno) that is video telecomed into the "Check In" office. The snow and view was great. You overlook the beautiful Carson Valley and Mountain Range - no view of the lake from you porch. At 8,000 feet, some mornings you are above the cloud cover. The services provided about 1 mile away at the Ridge Tahoe Facilities (racketball, tennis, messages, etc) were great and my family and I enjoyed them (even when it snowed 4 foot on Christmas). Learned to put on chains during the visit since the trip to Stateline (Harrahs, Harveys, and the Heavenly's Gondola -- about 5 miles and a steep decent) and to the Club House at the Ridge Tahoe Facilities (steep climb up -.3 miles away) required them on our Nissan Van. Family skied Heavenly 3 days - beginners must travel to Stateline for their needs while intermediates can go to Stagecoach Lodge and take the lift up the Nevada side (about .3 miles away from the timeshare). There were buses that transport you to either Stateline or the Stagecoach Lodge. Our major disappointments were the spa on top of the complex that was "out of order" for our visit. We found out it was out of order since the fall and no one told us before we came out. And the small recreation and exercise facilites attached to the complex closes at 6PM at night since there is no way to use your room key to access it. Since there were only 6 sets of dishes, we bought paper plates so that we didnt have to wash dishes after each meal. The fold out bed in the living room is not comfortable and would suggest you bring a portable inflatable bed just in case you feel the same way. Buffets in the casinos at Stateline are overpriced for what you get. Other comments: Skiing was excellent - runs long and even on Monday (before the large snowfall) the skiing was very good. We rented performance/demo ski sets in Stateline for about $20/day - used coupon of 50% off. The unit was clean and had good furniture and bedding. We were told there were VCRs in every room - not true - only the living room. The TV cable reception is OK - not great - supposely they are fixing that. All said, I would recommend this 2 bedroom, 2 bath to stay (but maybe not for 6 people). I am sure the complex will be fixing the issues I mentioned above but I would call them before you come out.