The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in South Lake Tahoe

Where to Stay on Your First Trip to South Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe

Are you looking for a hotel for your first trip to South Lake Tahoe, California? With plenty of activities and sites, this is a great destination for first-time visitors. So if you're deciding where to stay on your first trip to South Lake Tahoe, don't worry, we've got you covered. We've analyzed the hotels in South Lake Tahoe to find out which are the best for first timers based on price, amenities, location, reviews, and guest ratings. In this guide, we'll be showcasing the best hotels for first-time visitors in South Lake Tahoe, taking into consideration all of these important factors. Whether you're traveling solo, with family, or with friends, there's a hotel that caters to every traveler's needs to make the most of your first trip here. So, if you're visiting South Lake Tahoe for the first time, the hotels below will be great options, as many of them have pools, breakfast, and plenty of comforts to help you relax. So, here they are, the best hotels in South Lake Tahoe for first time visitors.

(Prices are listed in U.S. Dollars.)

Marriott's Timber Lodge

4-star Resort with prices starting at $212 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

Located at 4100 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, Marriott's Timber Lodge has great rooms from $212 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, skiing, room service, a restaurant, and a fitness center. It has a terrific 8.80 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 2.8 miles from the city center, first time visitors will especially love a bar, parking, a kid-friendly buffet, hiking, and rooms with kitchens at this relaxing hotel. We love the convenience of room service, and it's really nice here. The price of this hotel is less than average for first time trip hotels, which makes it a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Kitchen
  • Spa
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Hiking
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Fitness room
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Hotel Azure

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $159 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • Heated pool

A great place to stay is Hotel Azure which has nice rooms starting at $159. Offering an outdoor pool, skiing, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar, it also has a great guest rating of 8.40 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 3300 Lake Tahoe Blvd. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers hiking, rooms with kitchens, laundry services, golf, and pet-friendly rooms which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 1.1 miles from the city center. You'll love relaxing in the heated pool after a busy day exploring. It's also less than the average price for first time trip hotels, so it's a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Skiing
  • Kitchen
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


The Landing Resort & Spa

4-star Resort with prices starting at $447 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to South Lake Tahoe
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

We found The Landing Resort & Spa to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $447. We loved that is has an outdoor pool, skiing, room service, a restaurant, and a fitness center, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 8.40 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at 4104 Lakeshore Blvd.. You'll also find a bar, parking, hiking, rooms with kitchens, and laundry services which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 2.6 miles from the center of town. The pool here was very nice, relaxing, and fun.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Kitchen
  • Spa
  • Horse riding
  • Family-Friendly
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Refrigerator


Holiday Inn Express South Lake Tahoe

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $211 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 2-star hotels.
  • Heated pool

With terrific rooms from $211, Holiday Inn Express South Lake Tahoe, at 3961 Lake Tahoe Blvd provides an outdoor pool, skiing, room service, a kid-friendly buffet, and breakfast. Its terrific guest rating is 8.00 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers hiking, mountain views, rooms with kitchenettes, laundry services, and golf. It's located just 2.4 miles from the city center, too. That hot tub is terrific after a long day of sightseeing. It's a great value, as the price is less than the average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
  • Spa
  • Horse riding
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Hiking
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Basecamp Tahoe South

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $157 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in South Lake Tahoe
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • Family-Friendly

Basecamp Tahoe South has a great guest rating of 8.20 out of 10, and offers skiing, a casino, a restaurant, a bar, and hiking. The great rooms here start at $157 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at 4143 Cedar Avenue. Furthermore, it also offers golf, a hot tub, a game room, free parking, and evening entertainment, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 2.8 miles from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice. Having the delicious restaurant in the hotel is an added bonus. We found the price of this hotel to be a great value because the price is less than average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Skiing
  • Family-Friendly
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Casino
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Table tennis
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Refrigerator


Station House Inn

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $141 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • Heated pool

The great guest rating of Station House Inn is 8.05 out of 10. This place has an outdoor pool, skiing, a casino, a restaurant, and breakfast. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $141, and it's located at 901 Park Avenue. We also love the hiking, mountain views, laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, and a hot tub which are great for visitors. And since it's just 2.6 miles from the center of the town, the location is great, too. The price of this hotel is less than average for first time trip hotels, which makes it a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Skiing
  • Breakfast included
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Casino
  • Restaurant
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Refrigerator


Tahoe Seasons Resort By Diamond Resorts

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $158 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to South Lake Tahoe
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

A cool place is Tahoe Seasons Resort By Diamond Resorts because it has great rooms that start at $158. It has an outdoor pool, a fitness center, a bar, parking, and outdoor tennis, it also earned a great guest rating of 8.60 out of 10 from people who have stayed here before. It's found at 3901 Saddle Road. Only 2.5 miles from the city center, travelers will especially love mountain views, rooms with kitchenettes, a hot tub, a game room, and air-conditioning at this convenient hotel. Being able to prepare food in the room is also very convenient. It's also less than the average price for first time trip hotels, so it's a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Parking
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kitchenette
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


7 Seas Inn at Tahoe

Inn with prices starting at $119 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

7 Seas Inn at Tahoe offers skiing, parking, breakfast, hiking, and golf which we really like. The terrific rooms here start at $119 (before taxes). It's located at 4145 Manzanita Avenue and has earned a guest rating of 9.20/10. This fun hotel is also nice because it offers free parking, laundry facilities, bicycle rental, a multi-lingual staff, and air-conditioning which new visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 2.8 miles from the city center. It's a great value, too, because it's less than the average price for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Skiing
  • Parking
  • Breakfast included
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Hiking
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Refrigerator


Tahoe Valley Lodge

Motel with prices starting at $758 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Heated pool

Located at 2241 Lake Tahoe Blvd, Tahoe Valley Lodge has great rooms from $758 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, skiing, hiking, mountain views, and rooms with kitchenettes. It has a terrific 8.10 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. You'll also find child care, golf, a hot tub, a spa and wellness center, and free parking which first time visitors will love. And this amazing hotel is just 1.2 miles from the center of town.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Skiing
  • Airport shuttle
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Hiking
  • Kitchenette
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Tennis
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Saltwater pool


The Coachman Hotel

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $216 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to South Lake Tahoe
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for first time trip hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

A great place to stay is The Coachman Hotel which has nice rooms starting at $216. Offering an outdoor pool, skiing, a bar, hiking, and golf, it also has a great guest rating of 8.80 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 4100 Pine Boulevard. Visitors will really like this fantastic hotel which also offers pet-friendly rooms, free parking, bicycle rental, fishing, and family rooms. It's located just 2.7 miles from the city center, too. We found the price of this hotel to be a great value because the price is less than average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Skiing
  • Spa/Wellness
More Great Amenities
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Also, take a look at the First Time Trip hotels in nearby destinations: Reno and Truckee.

For more terrific hotel ideas in South Lake Tahoe, make sure you also see Best Family-Friendly Hotels in South Lake Tahoe, Best Luxury Hotels in South Lake Tahoe, Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in South Lake Tahoe, Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in South Lake Tahoe, Best Hotels for One Week in South Lake Tahoe, Best Hotels for One Night in South Lake Tahoe, Best Romantic Hotels for Couples in South Lake Tahoe, Best Hotels for Skiing in South Lake Tahoe, or Best Business Hotels in South Lake Tahoe.


How much do hotels for first-time visitors cost in South Lake Tahoe?

South Lake Tahoe Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$228

Travelers to South Lake Tahoe, California will have a large number of terrific first time trip accommodation options with a variety of great prices. The price of first time trip hotels here can vary by amenities, dates, and the neighborhood. Based on thorough data from 21 first time trip hotels, their average price is a very reasonable $228. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in South Lake Tahoe.

The average prices of our suggested first time trip hotels by star rating:

  • 4-star hotels: $285
  • 3-star hotels: $178
  • 2-star hotels: $252


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