Summer Visit - High Sierra Lodge vs North Star Lodge

[ncaahockeyfan]

I would love to hear from those who have visited either or both of these locations in the summer.

We have never been to the Tahoe area - only passing through on the California Zephyr - and as much as we love CO/MT, it's time to try another mountain destination!

 

[DeniseM]

North Star goes to sleep in the summer - it's definitely a ski resort destination. I was there last month and it was just about completely closed down - looked like a ghost town. High Sierra Lodge is on the lake and it's hopping in the summer. They need to put in a giant water park, a theme park, and a concert venue to attract summer visitors.

 

[klpca]

The only thing that differentiates Northstar is that there is a mountain bike park open in the summer. It is also closer to the town of Truckee, a cute Sierra town that is fun in it's own right. There is also easy access to hiking trails. The Hyatt is much better lake access but not much hiking nearby. So it really depends on what you want to do. We went to Northstar last year in early July - lots of kids.

 

[PamMo]

We were at Northstar last month (6/2-6/9) and the village was dead, dead, dead. Summer season doesn't start until mid-June, so Rubicon Pizza was the ONLY restaurant open in the village. Fortunately, it's a nice restaurant! The rest of the village was a ghost town. But, we LOVED the 2BR villa at the Hyatt, and found plenty to do in the area off-season. We enjoy hiking, so being in town isn't that important to us. Truckee has lots of shops/restaurants/parks and is a short drive north of the resort (less than 10 minutes), and Lake Tahoe with more shops/restaurants/parks is just a bit further drive south. I'd happily stay at High Sierra Lodge or Northstar. I've already made reservations for Northstar next May for a few days of family fun rafting down the Truckee River!

 

[BJRSanDiego]

I've been to Northstar 3 times and enjoyed it. Twice we were there in July and once in September. Yes, many of the shops in the next door Northstar Village were either closed or should have been. But we enjoyed dining in Truckee and on the lake (Garwoods, Jakes on the Lake, 1882 bar and grill, Jax on the tracks, etc. We enjoyed sampling craft beers locally and enjoyed going to the Truckee River Winery. We also enjoyed driving to Grass Valley for wine tasting. One day we took the gondola up to the Ritz and had lunch and enjoyed the views. The last time that we were there we went to the movie theater at the Village. It is a small Mom and Son operation but they had new release movies. So, even though there isn't a lot of activity around the Northstar in the summer, it can still be a lot of fun.

 

[boraxo]

As others have noted Northstar is dead in the summer except when they have events like Tough Mudder. However it is not a bad home base if you don't mind driving 20 minutes to get to the lake though parking can be a challenge especially on weekends. We really enjoyed our July 4 stay with kids at the Ritz condos which are just up the hill from the Northstar timeshares.

Of course HHS is the best location in the summer as it is right on the lake and can use the Hyatt hotel private beach (or you can try to sneak into the paid beaches in Incline). Great swimming pools as well and bike trails. June can be cool (60s the week we were there) that is why July is Diamond and June is Gold.

HHS is clearly easier and better in the summer, but I would not write off Northstar so long as you don't mind driving to the lake.

Winter is another thread.

 

[Steve A]

Is there any time in July through early September when most of the village is open?

 

[boraxo]

Is there any time in July through early September when most of the village is open?

No. Everything reopens in November as ski season often starts weekend before thanksgiving

 

[Steve A]

No. Everything reopens in November as ski season often starts weekend before thanksgiving

OK, thanks. Never mind. I’ll stick to Breckenridge or Vail or Park City for summer in the West.

 

[echino]

Just came back from Hyatt Northstar, had a great time. Used an II cert to book a 2br. Walked through High Sierra Lodge and their beach as well, not impressed. Prefer the Northstar by far. The village at Northstar was busy on the Labour Day weekend, but quiet during the week. We did a lot of hiking and exploring the stunning wild beaches on the lake, which is a short drive away.

 

[MCLRenoNV]

I lived in Incline Village for 5 years, 2012-2017 and still work in Tahoe City 2-3 days per week. I’ve never stayed at either resort, other than a hotel room at the Hyatt, but I’m very familiar with both properties. As mentioned Northstar goes into summer hibernation other than a few events here and there. It’s great and a beautiful spot, but the lake is where it’s at in the Summer. The weather is fantastic. The lake, though cold, feels good on a hot summer day. There are plenty of restaurants around Incline Village. It’s easy to spend 6 hours at the beach. Easy choice for me would be Hyatt in Incline.

 

[ncaahockeyfan]

Just came back from Hyatt Northstar, had a great time. Used an II cert to book a 2br.

Excellent use of an AC! Thanks for sharing the photos.

Does the property still keep the HRC and HVC (Welk) units separate?

I have seen 3 bedrooms available on the HRC website, but they were not included in the original HRC deeds. I assumed they must have come over with the Welk acquisition?

 

[travelove]

Just came back from Hyatt Northstar, had a great time. Used an II cert to book a 2br. Walked through High Sierra Lodge and their beach as well, not impressed. Prefer the Northstar by far. The village at Northstar was busy on the Labour Day weekend, but quiet during the week. We did a lot of hiking and exploring the stunning wild beaches on the lake, which is a short drive away.

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wow so beutiful. I also have II certificate and even bonus weeks. Did you place a request or got it manually? Thank you for sharing.

 

[echino]

Excellent use of an AC! Thanks for sharing the photos.

Does the property still keep the HRC and HVC (Welk) units separate?

I have seen 3 bedrooms available on the HRC website, but they were not included in the original HRC deeds. I assumed they must have come over with the Welk acquisition?

The II confirmation said WNL, which I assume is Welk code. I got assigned a unit in the Snowshoe building, which I assume is also Welk building.

 

[echino]

wow so beutiful. I also have II certificate and even bonus weeks. Did you place a request or got it manually? Thank you for sharing.

It's a free certificate that does not allow requests. I was manually checking what was available for the certificate, saw it and immediately grabbed it. The fee was $387.39 including tax. No additional fees at the resort.

 

[travelove]

It's a free certificate that does not allow requests. I was manually checking what was available for the certificate, saw it and immediately grabbed it. The fee was $387.39 including tax. No additional fees at the resort.

thank you for the info. I also have free bonus week certificates that allow requests so I asked. I will check the other certificate that you used too. I didn't know you can get even those kind of deals. I used one of those once for High Sierra Lodge once. Really liked that place too.

 

[SteveinHNL]

It's a free certificate that does not allow requests. I was manually checking what was available for the certificate, saw it and immediately grabbed it. The fee was $387.39 including tax. No additional fees at the resort.

Were you able to see this with your HRC points? Or was it through a non-Hyatt TS?

 

[SteveinHNL]

We just got back from Hyatt High Sierra, Labor Day week. We love staying at High Sierra in the summer, and while North Star is very nice, it is also quite empty and dead in the summer, although maybe 15-20 mins from King's Beach isn't too bad. The beach at High Sierra is a very, very nice amenity but will be very busy and crowded during the high summer. The Units at HHS are very nice, imo, although from echino's pics, the units at North Star also look really nice. There is plenty of peace and quiet at HHS, and I suspect even more so at North Star.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

After August 15 Tahoe crowds leave to go back to school. It is peaceful and IMO the best weather of the year is between Aug 15 - End Sept. The lake is also warmer (but that's relatively speaking - if you are looking for warm water stick with the pool). Nothing like swimming in Lake Tahoe this time of year. Congrats on your find.

 

[echino]

For swimming in Lake Tahoe, I much preferred "wild" beaches such as Chimney Beach or Hidden Beach, as opposed to Hyatt beach.

 

[echino]

Were you able to see this with your HRC points? Or was it through a non-Hyatt TS?

I did not try Hyatt points, I booked with a certificate in non-Hyatt Interval account. I did not check if it was also available with a certificate in the Hyatt-affiliated Interval account, I suspect yes, because it was a Welk code, not Hyatt code.

 

[SteveinHNL]

For swimming in Lake Tahoe, I much preferred "wild" beaches such as Chimney Beach or Hidden Beach, as opposed to Hyatt beach.

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No argument there, but the convenience of the Hyatt beach, paired with the chaise lounges on the beach and the beach attendants putting umbrellas up for you and moving them as the sun moves is pretty unbeatable for a few days or afternoons of lounging!