I must say that my family and I had the best weekend ever. There are so many wonderful things about this lodge. Love the rustic, family oriented feel of the lodge. The cozy couches and fire place were amazing. Surprisingly, the restaurants were decent and prices affordable. The servers worked very hard and did their best to keep up during the busy weekend. The biggest disappointment was that the lodge was over run by kids. Trying to enjoy an evening by the fire or to have a relaxing meal was impossible. It is unfortunate that some parents allow their small children to run up and down the floors of the lodge, play in the elevator, bobbing and weaving through the dining area and couches, jumping on the fireplace, and yelling across the floors. It was a zoo. There is one guy who works the front desk in the evening, and he has absolutely no control over these parents and their children. He made several attempts to ask the parents to calm their children, but the parents were so busy eating and drinking that they could care less what their children were doing. I love children and I am a parent myself, but come on. Friday night was absolutely the worst. The children were literally jumping over my husband and I, as we sat at the fireplace. Just to escape it, we ate at the pizza place at the other end of the main lodge area. Now, the reason why I am giving the lodge only 3 stars is that I feel they need to have more control. There is so much potential, but currently any ambiance is completely non existent, with these wild children running around. It literally felt like I was in Neverland. Not to mention, the liability issues. What if one of these kids fell from one of the floors or was injured? As my husband and I entered the elevator at 10pm, 3 little (2-6 years old) girls rushed in, alone. What if someone hurt them? Where were the parents? Perhaps the hotel should have a dedicated kid area/game room, where the children could watch movies and play board games. Lastly, as other reviewers mentioned, the walls are super thin. The couple above us were drunk and fighting until 1 am, stomping all over their room. I heard everything and feel like their marriage counselor. I wanted so badly to love this place, but I am looking forward to heading home for some peace and to catch up on my rest. read more

Had a bad feeling after I asked the front desk guy if I could look at a room and he said "no". On a whim decided to drive up for snow play and dinner but decided to stay the night. Price for 1 king bed was about $165 for one night. The room was adequate in size for a family of 3. The bed was worn out, severely hammocked out. Decor was old, worn out. Shower pan had pieces of hair and soap chunks and some other stains. The bathroom faucet shoots water at your crotch. By the time you notice, it looks like you pissed your pants. Extra pillows in the closet had spider web dust on them. The walls are so thin, we heard the neighbors talking till 2 am. On the literature they hand you at check it, refers to a phone in the room. No phone in our room. Don't have anything positive about the property. Staff were nice and the location is beautiful. DEFINITELY won't be back. read more

This place is garbage! My best friend just got married here and i stayed here a couple nights for the events. First off, the staff is freakin retarded. Their customer service sucks. I called weeks in adavnce to reserve a room, it took them over a week to call me back. When i spoke to them they didn't even know if they were going to be open on the dates i requested...? Wtf, uhh hello?! Upon arrival, i went to check in and was first in line. I was skipped twice and serviced 3rd. Also, the staff just sat there and just chit chatted to eachother for about 15 min before they gave me my room keys. I asked them to put my girlfriends name on the room as well so she could check in later if i wasn't there. They didn't do that, didn't help my girlfriend and basically left her stranded out in the lobby for about an hour until i came back. The room itself was way overpriced for what it was. Tv barely worked and was tiny, bed was super hard and uncomfortable. No iron, no blow dryer, no refridge, no microwave, no air conditioning. I couldn't even find a thermostat. Water was really hard too. On a good note, the lodge was very big and cool looking. It had a nice cabin/ homey feeling. Skiing is close and the bar downstairs had affordable drinks. It was very beautiful scenery. All this helped to make the wedding awesome. They also had free wifi. Overall, the look of things aren't enough to rate this place any better. They by far had the worst customer service i've ever experienced. I'm not hard to please either. They have way overpriced rooms that drastically could use just the standard amenities and the beds are SO uncomfortable. I wouldn't reccomend this place to anyone. read more

Although we didn't end up picking Bear Valley Lodge for our wedding venue, I had to leave a review for Sarah, their sales manager. She was incredibly responsive to all of my emails, was timely in delivering mock quotes and even scheduled a complimentary night for us to come see the place in person. Any bride would be lucky to work with her and her team! As for the lodge itself, it definitely needs some TLC. We didn't end up picking it due to the fact that although their all inclusive package offers a lot, it is still a pretty steep price for the condition of the lodge itself. A big thank you to the staff for putting us up and sorry it didn't work out for us! read more

Bear Valley used to be a value for families. Today, it is @225+tax and fees for a room smaller than you get at Motel 6 with the same lousy double beds. Everything at this place is 3 times more expensive than it should be and double what you would expect form the inflated ski resort prices available to captive audiences. AND ITS LOUD IN THE MORNING! The service at the restaurants were lousy: 2 hours for a reservation and they didn't clean our tables. The only thing nice about this place was that their were other children running around for the kids to play with. If you can stay elsewhere, do it. read more

This lodge is pretty old, but adequate. There are a few restaurants and a nice lobby. The power went out when we tried to turn up the heat on the radiator style heaters, and they aren't that safe to have around if you had smaller kids. Seems like a constant burn/fire hazard. read more

The main lodge room was funky and made us think that we had found that quaint mountain lodge getaway we were looking for...until we entered the room, that is. Between the cobweb/cotton looking stuff stuck to the wood paneling and dust so thick you could write on it, I needed to have a seat. Unfortunately, the duct tape on the nasty brown 70's couch deterred me enough to opt for the bed, I didn't stay there long and used the slope on the lopsided bed to roll out and go get a wash. Like a seafarer using the stars, I used the chips, scratches and bubbling paint to find may way to to the bathroom. Peering at at the hole in the lenoleum-fake wood flooring almost caused me to put my hand on a dried booger on the bathroom counter. As I noticed the water around the base of the leaking toilet, I thought to myself, that booger needs some water to to soften it up, that'd get it to release it's death grip. I exfoliated and dried my face at the same time with the rough, well worn towel. After a quick adjustment on the dirty, bent up blinds the cold coming from the obsolete, single pane windows, was now modulated. My view was a black wall comprised of a twenty foot snow drift. They don't clear the snow from around the building, so natural light and the view was nil. The conversations, stomping, running and the loud drunks raising hell 'till midnight in the main lodge room was all just icing on our six hour government-subsided-ish construction cake. I soon understood the value of the complimentary earplugs. The laid-back, friendly and helpful staff made a good impression but the facility and lack of care for it brought the whole experience down. The combination of cheap construction and the deferred maintenance and almost non-existent cleaning regimen had left me feeling like I was staying in a meth-head's trailer, not a ski-resort lodge. What a great location. If they only renovated it and kept it up, it would be pretty cool. The only way I'd stay again is during their stay and ski deal (sun - thurs). One can get an economy room and 2 lift tickets where the room works out to be almost free (more appropriate). I gotta say though, the whole place kinda grows on ya and the bar is a not bad place to hang out. They did have a beer special on a huge sign outside and then try to overcharge me. This is quite common if you can read, most barkeeps don't expect that. read more

We stayed at the Glamping facility two weeks ago and had an awful experience. We were not told about the wedding at the camp ground in advance and were advised during check-in to leave during the ceremony. Management also told us to open the cloth window to 'air out' the tent. While we were gone there was a thunderstorm that soaked our bed and tent (along with almost all of the other tents). Management was totally unprepared for this situation and had no fresh sheets, towels, etc... We left that night despite the fact we paid for the evening. I have left 5 messages for the GM, Arlene, to discuss a refund. She has yet to return my call. We want to support Bear Valley, but the pathetic level of service makes it almost impossible to return. read more

I feel right at home here. If you are looking for an "upscale experience" then probably not your place. Lots of down to earth, honest folks that are fun to be around. The accommodations are very comfortable. So glad I was told about this place and gave it a chance. All and all my expectations thus far have been exceeded! read more

Stayed there over Christmas. It was our first experience with the lodge and most likely our last... If the great skiing at the nearby mountain had not made up for a lot of the other things, it would have been a fairly sad holiday. 1. If it says "family friendly" it means that kids can run the place! The cathedral-style lodge made it easy for sound to travel from the piano on the first floor to our fourth floor room. Unfortunately parents don't know how to parent anymore (or just don't care) but the hammering on that piano would not stop until late in the evening, often caused by multiple kids. There was also much running and screaming so unless you adore that kind of thing, don't stay here. The reception staff leaves early (7 or 8pm) so no help there... 2. The food. There are very limited options, especially for breakfast. We tried the pizza pub which apparently had issues with heating and getting hot water (could not get a hot tea...) and semi-okay food. The Creekside Restaurant had just reopened and service was a mess. The left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing. With that said, everyone was super friendly but even that wears off when you're hungry and there's nowhere else to go! Plus the prices were ridiculously high for the food, and especially the service. 3. The rooms. We didn't mind the very rustic and outdated feel but agree with the many other reviewers that there is so much more potential. We also don't watch much television so it didn't matter that the satellite didn't work but please don't make it part of your (high) room prices if you can't really offer it. Wifi was on and off. In general, the place seemed completely understaffed (we saw the same young woman waitressing at the pizza place and the restaurant, work the counter at the coffee shop in the mornings and then then check us out on our last day!!!) and poorly managed. It really is a shame, this could be quite the place to go... read more

Old. Not enough hot water, none the first night & then not enough for all to shower next morning. Front desk was CLOSED at 6:30 pm when we went to inquire re hot water. It served our purpose but not comfortably. As an aside... the room was equiped with ear plugs, not sure what that was about. read more

Think of it like camping indoors and you should be fine. Place is a gold mine and a gem that refuses to be tended to. Very disappointing.

Brides, run the other direction. FAST. You can find other venues that have beautiful views without having to go through the headaches of working with the wedding staff here. To sum up just a few things that happened for me: From the start the wedding coordinator would go weeks without responding to us. Even after emails, calls and voicemails. This was a destination wedding so I flew in from Nashville to view the venue after I had already signed the contract (big mistake). I had emailed the wedding coordinator and confirmed multiple times, and then when I flew to San Francisco and drove the 4 hours to the lodge we stood outside for 30 minutes knocking and the doors were locked. Apparently it was closed for the week... I was horrified. Thank goodness Arlene (the amazing lodge manager) finally answered the door and at least got us a room for the night so we didn't have to drive 4 hours back. We spoke with the General Manager who was incredibly apologetic and introduced us to a new wedding coordinator and told us he couldn't believe this happened and he would make it up to us. Shortly after, we could not get ahold of our new coordinator for weeks, called to speak with the GM again, and learned that he was no longer there. Just our luck. The new GM stepped in and apologized for the lack or responses (this was now weeks before the wedding and we didnt even have a final proposal). When we finally received the proposal (one week before the wedding) many of the prices had increased (rentals, food, and drinks) since we had seen the original price list when we first booked the venue. After so much back and forth Bear Valley honored the rental and food prices, but refused to keep the drink prices that we originally agreed to. The GM also said that he would reimburse our flight to CA, but could not do anything else to make up for the experience we had had thus far. We then found out that the first coordinator, who was unresponsive, had us fly out to a closed lodge, and we had to escalate her, was going to be our day-of coordinator (how uncomfortable). We scheduled a walk through with the coordinator for the night before our wedding so we could discuss day-of decor. We had never met her in person or been able to explain our vision to her in person. 2 hours before the meeting I received a call that she would not be able to make it. At this point it was less than 24 hours before my wedding and my entire experience so far had been unbelievably stressful. I decided to let it go and pray that things were ok the next day. We also found out on Friday that the wedding site had moved and was now right in the middle of a row of camping tents. No one told us they were moving it. All of the pictures of me walking to the aisle with my dad have a nice green porta-potty in them, and a row of camping tents. Very classy. Thank goodness the day of went smoothly, for the most part (aside from a rude bartender that dozens of guests complained to me about). When we received the final bill we asked to speak with the manager about the gratuity. We had been charged sales tax, a service tax, and a service charge on our ENTIRE BILL. There should not be a labor fee, sales tax, service tax, and a service fee on every single thing (chairs, alcohol, linens, glasses etc). For alcohol why would we be charged sales tax, service tax, and a service fee for both the alcohol AND the bartender? We paid for a bartender so why is there a service fee and a service tax on the alcohol AND on the bartender? When we finally got ahold of the GM, this also took days, we told him we were happy to pay the bill, aside from half of the Gratuity (Service Fee). Technically the wedding day itself went well, but the service was absolutely atrocious and I never ever would have chosen this venue had I known the nightmare it would have been. We wanted to pay 10% gratuity instead of 20% given our experience. The GM then told us that since our day went well we needed to pay the extra 20% on the whole bill and that we were "penny pinchers" for not wanting to give the full gratuity. He told us that if we did not pay the 20% gratuity he would send us to collections. Overall the entire planning experience was stressful and horrible. I would never ever recommend this venue to a bride. read more

This venue was perfect for our Wedding. Christina, Sarah, and Arlene made this day so special. A huge thank you to the Bear Valley Lodge. We will be back this snow season and many more to come! read more

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We recently stayed 2 nights at the lodge and loved it. We were last there about 20 years ago for a wedding, and it seems like nothing has been updated since then, but we liked the down-homeness of the place. Sure, there were many little things that weren't perfect, but come on, this is a lodge in the mountains, and management and staff have no doubt been struggling with planning and staffing during COVID and poor/unpredictable snow conditions. The room was cozy and had a comfortable bed (foam mattress over a hard frame). Improvement could include warning people to turn off baseboard heaters (rooms get very hot!), better lighting, and a TV remote that works. The lobby area/great room was perfect for hanging out with friends. I'll review the 3 restaurants open in March 2022 (Creekside Bistro, Blue Bear Cafe, and Sky High Pizza & Pub) separately, but they were overall good (Creekside was great). Don't go expecting the Ritz, but with the right expectations this place is great. read more

Not as in the pictures. Old, beat up and rickety. Wouldn't stay again. Elevator permit expired, missing tile on bathroom floor, beds made with regular sheets not fitted, walls patched and not painted, tv didn't work, bunk beds were wobbly with loose screws. Good luck finding someone to help you. read more

My family and stayed at the lodge for the weekend. The lodge is old. Rooms are basic. The sink leaked and so did the roof causing drip staining on our pillows but the time we came back after skiing. The lodge Fulfilled our needs but definitely felt rustic and at times frustrating. The convenient store was closed till noon time. Variety of eating options limited and food quality poor. Plan ahead. Bring some nonperishable foods including: bread, peanut butter, snacks, fruits and water!!!! Parking was a pain too! And the staff knew little about costs and times of services provided by their neighbors which lead to some confusion. Not much choice-not a lot of other choices! The location in breathtaking. Peaceful. read more

Despite the long drive to and from this location, The Lodge At Bear Valley is a wonderful place to have a wedding and reception. The Lodge itself is rather rustic but its very comfortable and the ceremony takes place in the huge atrium lobby of the hotel itself. Reception is in the same location, and they have excellent food and beverage service. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED read more

Not bad looking inside and the waitress was very, very nice. Food was horrible! Worst pork ribs I have ever had. My wife had the soup it was terrible. read more

Frozen in about 1985, so keep your expectations low and you'll be fine. Good for folks on a budget who aren't overly concerned with amenities and won't be fussy about the place being rough around the edges. The rooms are very small, particularly if you have two beds (which, by the way, are like sleeping on slabs of marble... ouch). So, if you aren't particular and just need somewhere to crash while hitting the Bear Valley slopes, sledding hills, or X-country area, this is the place for you. I hear there are plans to raze it and put a new lodge/village in its place, so it won't be around in its current form for many more years. read more

I love this place. It is non pretentious. Beautiful fireplace area for family game night. It's rustic. it's family orientated. We have made great memories here. Love the new mattresses. Prices in bar and restaurant are affordable. Desk lady is so helpful and pleasant. Excellent service. Thanks for loaning us your Scrabble game. Nice shuttle service to ski resort. Beautiful mountain town. read more

This is not a luxury hotel, nor is it trying to be. And while some of the complaints in the lower scored reviews are fairly accurate, this lodge has a GREAT off-night special to "Stay and Play" where you can pretty much get a free night's stay with a lift ticket. This is perfect for people who aren't looking for a hotel with all the amenities of the 4 Seasons, but who are just looking for a place to crash before they hit the slopes (which are SUPER close and they have tons of shuttles!) read more

Came here for a wedding last weekend and had a great time! It's a great wedding venue, especially if you have enough people to reserve the whole lodge, because then it's like one big party and no one has to drive home. That being said, as a normal hotel it's a little iffy. I can definitely tell that this is a ski lodge, because it's not really the type of hotel you're going to hang out in during the day. It's better if you're just looking for a place to crash and you'll be out and about all day. The walls are INSANELY thin, we could hear every word of our neighbor's conversations, and could even hear things as small as when they turned on their ceiling fan! Not the place to go if you want quiet in your room. Bed was a little stiff, and the room was pretty empty- not even an alarm clock or phone. Some parts of the hotel were a little dingy, but I dont mind that so much myself, sheets and towels were clean when we got there. Staff were a little lax, there was rarely someone at the front desk. All in all it was decent and served the purpose of a wedding venue, but I wouldn't really want to spend a vacation here. I definitely think $150/a night, especially in the off season, is way overpriced considering quality. read more

Was SUPER excited to stay here and ski the following morning! Purchased the stay and ski deal for Monday 3/4 and Tuesday 3/5. Upon arriving at 3pm we were told our rooms wouldn't be ready until 4pm so we walked around and waited for check in. We were greeted promptly and told there was only one restaurant open and available and that breakfast and coffee would be served at the Smoking Barrel cafe at 6am! Well working on this trip, I had a business meeting that started promptly at 6am.. I walked down the cold hallways to go grab some coffee and what do you know? CLOSED! They didn't open until 6:50am and the lady said well, "I almost didn't even come into today because there are no guests here!" Um, I'm a guest correct?? FREE coffee was also offered but they do not serve the free coffee until 8am. How convenient. So I decided to order two medium plain black coffee's for almost $8.. not happy! With this being the ONLY place that has food or any beverages FOR MILES, I'd expect the general store to be open and available to guests!! Yes, even on a Monday! Being told online this would be available I did not pack any food. So it's now 7:30 am.. I'm hungry, drinking crappy coffee and utterly amused this is what they call service! NOT happy and probably won't come again until they appreciate the guests they do have staying! read more

Disclaimer: I have zero stake or financial relationship in Bear Valley, or to anyone there. Everyone needs to understand something: there are 120 people in Bear Valley making the entire community work. Some of the complaints are downright stupid; and totally miss the point of BEAR VALLEY. It's not LA. It's not even a Motel 6. The restaurant is not Subway. The Pizza is not Papa John's. These are just businesses and people trying to make it work, in a very small, somewhat antiquated, and trying at times, situation. If you want your coffee brewed to an exact temperature and your sandwich made with fresh sprouts, right the first time: YOU ARE IN THE WRONG PLACE. Stay home in your suburban sprawl, and enjoy all of the subsequent amenities at your fingertips. I travel the world, stay in five-star hotels, eat at nice restaurants, etc etc. THIS IS NOT THAT. Don't start with Four Seasons and then enumerate all the things this doesn't have. Start with CAMPING, and then think of all the awesome things this has! What?! I can get a pizza in the middle of nowhere (no disrespect)?!? Awesome. I can get a cold beer and sit by the fire?!? Awesome. You whiners kill me. The Lodge is awesome. It's the kind of thing that becomes more of a memory as each year passes. It's real. It's cool. If you want to be pampered, you're in the wrong place. If you want to sit by the fire and drink whiskey, and experience an old wooden lodge in the Sierra's, you're in for a real treat. One that would be very hard to find anywhere else. read more

First the good: The rooms surround a large cathedral lounge with a stone fireplace. The architecture is nice in that it feels like a ski lodge. You can hang out in the lounge and meet other families. The rooms are small but you can extend your space with the lounge. We went during the winter holiday. We were within a couple of miles of the very nice ski area that was not terribly crowded. I paid $180 / night. Traffic was nonexistent. I don't think I could get that combination in Tahoe. Now the criticism: I was rooting for this place. The potential is there. But it was comically dysfunctional. 1. Navigating the dinner scene was extremely difficult. (this was the worst part) 2. The beds were hard. Walls are thin. 3. The TV worked sometimes. 4. A ton of small things. Understaffed. Grizzly Bar and Grill is actually Grizzly Bar and 3 appetizers. Facts: If there is free wifi, it didn't work. There is no complimentary breakfast. There was an ice bucket in the room, but I could not find an ice machine (I didn't ask). Lunch Run (ski run from ski area to lodge) is a great a idea, but you'll be doing a lot of walking/traversing. Advice: If it's all about the skiing for you, give it a try. Stay two nights maximum. Bring a sleep aid and/or earplugs. Lower your expectations. Laugh off the dysfunction. BYOB. Go to the ski area early to snag a nice parking spot and eat breakfast there. read more

This review is for Bear Valley Lodge food and drink, in summer season.... We stayed at a condo next to the Lodge during the Bear Valley Music Festival, we visited the Lodge daily in search of food, drink, a bit of buzz etc. We were also told that condo residents could use the Lodge Pool, which would have been nice if it was not empty and undergoing repairs (Could they not have done that in May/June BEFORE pool season?). The front desk clerk said it would probably open in a 'few days'. As the festival concerts wrap up around 9pm figured we would have a drink at the Lodge's Creekside Inn restaurant which has a great deck with outdoor fireplaces....that would have been nice if Creekside Inn did not close at 9pm on Fri/Sat night (and not open at all Sunday evening). The restaurant did offer a brunch 9-2 Sat/Sun but we did not partake. The Lodge's Pizza place was open but that was it as far as we could tell. The main lobby is kind of cool in a 70's retro kind of way, but very somber and quiet. There seemed to be very few guests staying at the Lodge, everyone we met at the festival had a vacation home either at Bear Valley or in Arnold (30 miles south). The Lodge is designed such that there are no mountain views from the public areas, just from the guest rooms. Considering that this was opening weekend of the Music Festival it would seem a great opportunity to promote the Lodge but there did not seem to be much effort made. We did enjoy the Music Festival, got in a good hike on Sunday and overall had a good time, if you really want to get away from it all, this is your place. Although from what I have read here, glad we were staying in a condo and not at the Lodge. Other than the two week music festival, summer season is really quiet, which might be a selling point to some people. The Lodge complex needs an enthusiastic experienced GM with an eye for detail. A Canadian company purchased the resort in August 2014, http://www.skylineinvestments.com/bear-valley Let's hope their management team has the talent and cash to make a go of it. read more

If it wasn't for the fact that the room was $160 I would perhaps give it 2 Stars. I mean it's not entirely horrible but it just is so strange and the total lack of any sort of customer service. I mean none. We never saw anyone that works there for the entire stay We went up for one night on a Saturday during the summer and got there late about 11 p.m. They left the key out for us. The place has so much potential. But you literally get nothing more than a roof over your head, a bed, and running water for your money. There was no coffee maker, no hair dryer, not even a box of Kleenex in the room. Don't expect to find an iron and ironing board hahaha you must be joking! And of course no refrigerator or microwave! Our leftovers from dinner at Grounds in Murphys, right into the garbage. By the way grounds is a very good restaurant, Fortunately there were towels, some sort of shampoo Etc, some very tiny little bars of soap. At these prices you think there'd be breakfast or at least coffee in the lobby. Well Sunday morning rolled around and we tried to call the front desk but nobody was there and all the restaurants were closed. I went downstairs and wandered around the hotel for quite some time and did not see a single soul. I was beginning to feel very much like Jack Nicklaus in The Shining. All work and no play makes Jack a Dull Boy! I wandered around aimlessly looking for coffee or someone that worked there to locate a hair dryer for my lady who for the first time decided she probably wouldn't need one since stupid me I told her that for certain the hotel would have one at those prices. We left at 11:15 in the morning without ever encountering a single employee of the hotel and never signed any paperwork. I did encounter one guy who works there but he actually worked at the ski resort so he said. I really can't imagine what he'd be doing this time of year at the ski resort since there's no snow. I inquired as to who owns this place these days and he said it was a Canadian company. I hope they are reading this, you suck! Oddly enough when I had returned to the room the hair dryer had simply appeared on a shelf next to the door. Some how someone had slipped into the room while my lady was in the shower and put it there. I guess they went up the stairs while I was using the elevator because I never saw them. We were really hoping for a coffee maker but that did not appear. The staff must have been laughing their ass off about this guy who thinks they should have coffee makers hahahahaha. The nerve of some people! I wandered through some hallways where there are some stores and things most of which were closed with the exception of a coffee shop and I was able to get two coffees at 3 bucks a piece and this mind you after spending $160 on the room in the middle of summer. Did I mention the room has no air conditioning? Yes we barely slept all night it was on the 4th floor and the room was roasting. basically this place sucks. iSunday morning and all the restaurants were closed. Breakfast? You're joking of course right? Really just absolutely freaking bizarre. Don't bother looking around the room for any literature on what services are available, information about the restaurants, local attractions the ski resort, how to call housekeeping or anyone because you won't find it. Other than taking your money it's like the hotel that's was completely forgotten and abandoned. Another thing that was really hilarious was the way they repurposed the old TV armoires. instead of purchasing new ones to accommodate the flat screen TVs they used these old ones and got the smallest flat screens I've ever seen. I didn't bother turning it on but read another review they only have one channel what a freaking joke are you people serious? I hope the owners are reading this. you have a beautiful place with great potential but you are cheap bastards and all you do is take people's money and you are letting the place go to hell. I had to laugh when I saw the so-called Adventure Park which by the way had a sign up saying it was closed. On the bright side the pool is quite stupendous a large olympic size pool which which is being well taken care of. the down side is that anybody can go there if they pay $5. But at noon on Sunday there was no one there. The only other good thing about this hotel is its location since it is right down the road from Alpine Lake and the Stanislaus Forest. the only other game in town is the Lake Alpine cabins but you need to reserve those far ahead of time. But you can get a whole cabin for about the same price as a room at this dump. I take that back because there are also many condos and houses for rent in the local area. I saw a one-bedroom online for about the same price as the hotel room. And of course it had a full kitchen. Breakfast can be had up the road at the Alpine lake restaurant as long as you are there by 10:45 read more

Tired, old, worn out and very loud. The only hotel I've ever seen that provides ear plugs in every room. I'm not kidding. The room was simply the most poorly maintained hotel room I've ever experienced. The paper thin walls let you hear 2 or even 3 TVs at once. All the rooms face a common area. On the night we stayed they hosted some sort of gambling night. My children and I were exhausted, we just wanted a quiet room - no, they had a loud party going unto past 11. The wifi barely works- forget watching vidio. The TV is small & old. SKIP this place. read more

I guess I am a little bias since the place is own by my friend's family. I been going here at least once a year since I met my friend. The rooms are cute but small and have a nice view. It is in the middle of the town. You can do a quick 5 mile walk around the area starting and ending at this lodge. You are about a ten minute walk to the snow activities. The place is a little pricey but it is family owned and not commerical so give the place a break they are doing what they can to provide good customer service. read more

I wish I could give this place a better review. This place should be a goldmine. Locaton is perfect and the mellow vibe works. 10 min from skiing. Great cathedral lounge with the rooms surrounding. AMAZING help in the snowmobile rental shop- serously- AMAZING. Goldmine, Not so much. We booked a night to enjoy a mini family vacation. We wanted to stay in Bear Valley Village because it was close to the slopes and we could ski to the lodge. Not so much. You need to walk, carrying your gear, about half a mile to get to the Lodge. Since we were unable to check in until 4pm, half of our party drove the 3 miles and they where there before us. We were told we would not be able to check before 4pm, hence half of us drove, half skiied. It took almost an hour of waiting in line to check in even though there were only 2 people in front of us. Sevice? Not so much. Once we got to the room (elevator is SCARY) we found it clean and presentable. I know other reviews complained about the TV but we don't watch so it didn't matter to us. There was a fireplace that was actually just a plug in light and no thermostat for the baseboard heaters. A plug in portable heater was found in the closet. Good thing since the windows did not close all the way and it was 17 degrees at night. It seemed we were one of few guests for the night. Then, WHY?? were we placed next to a room full of toddlers? NIce if the parents paid any attention to the munchkins running up and down the hall and then banging on the walls at 630am. If you only have a few guests you would think you would space them out. Not so much. When we booked the room on the phone, it would have been nice to be told the resturants were closed on Sunday thru Thursday, with only the pizza place being the only place open and only from 4pm-9pm. Nowhere else to eat but Arnold, 30 min away. We should have brought sandwiches. Good think we brought snacks or there would have been no breakfast. The pizza place was full of locals that received their food before us, it took 1 hour and 25 minutes and a waitress that was not much help to get dinner. An hour in we were told they can only cook 2 pizzas at time and we had 2 other tables in front of us. Draft beer was fine, but took 30 minutes to get served unless you are a local. Pizza was fine, service and wait time, Not so much. *This place should be a goldmine.* Location is great. Vibe is amazing. The shops and food would be perfect if they were open or if we were told everything was closed Sun-Thurs nights. I wish them luck. It doesn't seem the place will be in business long. read more

This place is literally falling apart. Our shower door didn't close all the way so we coped... until it completely fell off -- luckily no one was hurt. Once maintenance was notified, they got to it very quickly (they even got to our room before I was able to come back from the front desk), but after they 'fixed' the shower door, it stayed wide open (such that it would hit the bathroom door if it were being opened). At least one of the windows didn't close. I had to take off the screen in order to help close it. One of my kids had dropped some game pieces next to the bed. When I checked under the bed, I found all sort of things (none of his game pieces thank goodness) including a string bean. We had requested maid service. While the service made the beds and gave us new towels, they didn't clean the table or vacuum the room and they left the bathroom garbage pail without a garbage bag, but of course they made sure to take the used bar of soap next to the sink. I see this review is very similar to the one posted by Melanie N... on 2009-04-23! As with her post, I completely agree that the restaurant downstairs was really good. We had gotten there a bit late without reservations on a busy night and they re-arranged tables to accommodate our group of eight. The food was really good, too. read more

Bear Valley Ski Resort is an unexpected gem! Compared to the steep prices at Tahoe, it was perfect for my three boys who are just starting to ski and board. The younger boy age 5, had a great patient ski instructor, Mr Brady, who had him skiing down the mini mountain just after two runs! My 7 yr old boarder had a terrific teacher TJ who made learning how to board so fun!! They were all smiles after both lessons. I have to say, everyone here was so kind and welcoming. Will definitely be back! read more

Great lounge area with nice lights. Grover anderson was a GREAT live music band. Fan in our bathroom didn't work. Very loud. Bar near lounge area would be nice if mixology bar. Bartender asks everybody to pay in cash with no receipt. We were worried about how the hotel makes money because can possibly make more if a really good MIXOLOGY COCKTAIL kind of bar that keeps track of things. read more

This place has so much potential. - However, the management and reservation system was poor. The owner of the hotel should be reading these reviews and use this information to make the Bear Valley Lodge great. When we arrived the desk had lost three-quarters of reservations (even though they had reservation confirmations), they moved people around and called others to see if they could change to a different hotel. In the end, we all were given rooms but it was quite stressful on a weekend when there aren't any other places to stay. The Positives: (if they don't lose your reservation) - Everything all in one place (a little itsy-bitsy general store, a coffee shop, ski rental, pizza restaurant, bar, hotel). - Shuttle Service: Convenient to the Mountain (parts of our group could go ski while others went sledding across the street and you can walk) - Access to Sledding/Tubing Hill & Cross Country Skiing (right across the street) - great for small children - Tasty Pizza Pub Restaurant right on site - Great Commons Hangout Area w/ boulder fireplace (you can sit and have a drink and hang out and read or eat snacks w/ your group) - Hotel is older but the price is not as expensive as you would pay at other places in Tahoe (this is not a pristine ski hotel - which was fine with us, if they were trustworthy in their reservations and customer service) - Casual and family friendly (because of convenience) The Negatives: - Hotel Management is not present often (desk closed odd times, and hard to get a hold of on the phone) - Don't trust that you will have a room when you show up (because of their computer system or organization) - Lack of Customer Service - Keep Bar open more often - Have the Hotel Desk/Check-in Open, rather than just 10am-8pm read more

This place is close to the ski resort but during the summer, it's kinda like a ghost town. I stayed in a remodeled room but I think that just meant it was recently painted. The beds were lumpy, the blankets and towels were thin. The room reminded me of a cheap road side motel. The staff were friendly, the food was your basic American diner fair. I wouldn't stay here to enjoy the room or lodge but it beats driving up and down the mountain to play. It's too bad because this place has lots of potential. read more

Whimsical, nostalgic and historical fun. Do NOT expect cutting edge modern and DO NOT complain!!

If you can get an off season deal and the weather is what you're looking for, then go for it. I just would never pay full price in the middle of a season no matter what. The place is nice but not great. read more

Bear Valley Lodge - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Bear Valley, California

Stayed here in March under mountains of snow and had a blast with the family! It was an old world resort experience, but in a good way... the lodging is connected to several restaurants of different styles so you can make the rounds, go back to your room, and back down again for dinner/drinks or whatever without going outside in the bitter nightime cold. The giant great room was a perfect place to hang out after dinner. A bunch of kids (ours and many others), met, played games, ran around, and had tons of fun while the adults chilled with several glasses of wine. Nuttin' better! One of the restaurants we tried had a pool table and a couple video games for kids, and another had more foodie options, and the third was somewhere in the middle. My 2 wishes are 1) that is was pet-friendly, but I can see why it isn't. 2) And the room was really tiny for a family of 4, but not much they can do about that, and at those prices I'm not going to rent 2 rooms (which would be my preference). Discounts for 2 adjoining rooms please!?! 2 rooms shouldn't cost more than renting a cabin. read more

The Bear Valley Lodge and the Base Camp were poor accommodations. They are old, tired, worn and the food is poor. This resort needs to be dozed and rebuilt. Base Camp rooms were dirty and the linens soiled. there is no excuse to provide a bed with 3 legs, empty beverage container and a lone flipflop under the bed and a blood stain on the sheets. The communal shower had a hole in the floor for a drain and you have to stand on the toilet to close the door because there is not enough clearance for your legs. Terrible all around. read more