Smart Meetings

Surrounded on all sides by the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake on the North American continent. It is 22 miles long and 12 miles wide, and is nearly 1,000 feet deep on average. Tahoe sits 198 miles northeast of San Francisco, 100 miles northeast of Sacramento, and 58 miles southwest of Reno, where an airport provides 180 daily flights with nonstop service to 22 destinations around the nation.

The two primary population centers in the area are North and South Lake Tahoe, which are geographically distant from each other (about 30 minutes driving) and traditionally have not been well integrated. South Lake Tahoe has more of the larger casinos (i.e., Caesar’s, Harrah’s) and easy gondola access to Heavenly ski area, while North Tahoe, which includes the posh community of Incline Village, is closer to Reno and Squaw Valley. Both areas are divided by the California-Nevada state line, which runs directly through the lake itself, and which dictates where casinos are located.

South Lake Tahoe (bluelaketahoe.com) has six 24-hour casinos (boasting more than 7,000 slot machines and 400 gambling tables). The four biggest casino hotels alone offer more than 2,350 rooms and 80,000 square feet of meeting space. Caesars Tahoe—which is currently undergoing a transformation to become the MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa (montbleuresort.com)—has 440 rooms and 16,000 square feet of meeting space.

Harrah's Lake Tahoe, which is the only Mobil Four Star and AAA Four Diamond hotel at South Lake Tahoe, has 532 rooms and 18,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 7,000 square foot theater showroom, as well as 12 meeting rooms to accommodate 10 to 1,500 guests, and complete audio/visual capabilities. (harrahs.com)

The largest hotel at South Lake Tahoe, Harveys Resort & Casino, which is also owned by Harrah’s, has 740 rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting space. The property offers a full-service business center and meeting rooms located on separate levels from the casino.(harrahs.com)

Forest Suites Resort (forestsuites.com) has 119 rooms, two heated outdoor pools, a fitness center with steam room and sauna, and a massage therapy studio. Horizon Casino Resort (horizoncasino.com) has 539 rooms and 13,000 square feet of meeting space. The Horizon has an eight-plex cinema theater, heated outdoor pool and spas. The boutique Inn by the Lake (innbythelake.com) has 100 hotel rooms and 1,830 square feet of meeting space in a new conference center.

The Ridge Tahoe, (ridgetahoeresort.com) a high-end resort with 254 rooms and 3,000 square feet of meeting space, is perched atop a mountain ridge with view of Lake Tahoe and the Carson Valley.

Situated on 20 acres of lakefront property on Fallen Leaf Lake, near South Lake Tahoe, the Stanford Sierra Conference Center (stanfordsierra.com/meetings) has 142 rooms and 5,400 square feet of meeting space, which have been appreciated by the university’s alumni for several decades, along with its easy access to sailing, tennis, and hiking.

North Lake Tahoe (puretahoenorth.com)has the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort & Casino (laketahoe.hyatt.com) with a whopping 50,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space, serving groups of up to 900. This all-in-one resort boasts a fancy new 25,000 square-foot spa and numerous sites with views of lake and mountains, from a private beach to lush gardens. The Lakeside and Regency ballrooms have been renovated in the classic style of Lake Tahoe’s 1920s-era "grand lodge" homes. Both ballrooms can be divided into smaller meeting areas.

An alpine lodge nestled in the forest, Granlibakken Conference Center & Resort (granlibakken.com) has 16 meeting rooms to handle groups of up to 400. Outdoor decks and the Executive Lodge are other perks. The 160 lodging units range from studios up to six-bedroom townhouses.

The European alpine-style Village at Squaw Valley (thevillageatsquaw.com) has 185 units and 4,300 square feet of meeting space serving groups of up to 250. The Village has easy access to the Squaw Valley ski area with all its potential team-building activities, such as rock walls, ropes courses, etc.

Cal-Neva Resort Hotel & Casino (calnevaresort.com), a classic old Tahoe resort built in 1926 on the north side of the lake, has 200 lake-view rooms, cabins, and chalets and a complete casino. The lodge’s several meeting rooms include the Frank Sinatra Celebrity Showroom which holds up to 360 people. The Cal-Neva used to be a favorite hang-out for the “Rat Pack” and other celebs.

PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn & Conference Center (plumpjack.com/squaw1), part of the chain of restaurants and the vintner founded by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, has 61 units, including five suites, plus eight meeting rooms with a total of 6,000 square feet. A split-level facility offers views of the mountains and 3,000 square feet for groups of up to 200.

The AAA Four Diamond-honored Squaw Valley Lodge (squawvalleylodge.com) has a variety of condo-style suites, from studios and lofts to three-bedrooms. The largest room is 1,460 square feet and can hold up to 80 people; another room can hold up to 30.
 

Getting There

South Tahoe Express (southtahoeexpress.com) offers 14 departures daily between the Reno/Tahoe International Airport (renoairport.com) and select resorts, and charters buses around the lake (ask about the group rates).