We stayed 3 nights at the Big Pines Mountain Inn. I think this hotel is a good choice for people looking for a decent budget hotel in a great location. This is an older, 2 story hotel with no elevator. Rooms upstairs may be the best choice for people who don't mind stairs. Our floor creaked whenever we walked in the area between the 2 queen beds.

There was a PC in the lobby for but guests to use but the keyboard did not work well; the mouse worked fine the first time I used the PC but not so well the 2nd time. I did report this to the desk clerk. The continental breakfast was very basic - mainly bagels & oatmeal. One morning, I thought the oatmeal was fine but the next morning it was very watery.

The positives: We were fairly close to the office & Wi-Fi worked great. There was a good size mini fridge that worked well and was quiet. There was also a microwave. For a smallish room, there was plenty of storage space. There was a closet with sliding mirrored doors and chest with 4 large drawers. The TV was not a flat screen but had a pretty good picture.

The bed and bedding were ok. The sheets were a little too small so they come tended to become untucked. For an inexpensive hotel, I found the bed quite comfortable. With the exception of the wall heater, the room seemed quite clean.

The only convenient spot to plug in chargers was by the microwave. There was plenty of lighting from the two ceiling fixtures but it was kind of harsh. There was only one lamp which was located on the nightstand.

The AC was loud & located high up on the wall. It did a decent job of cooling the room. There was a remote control for the AC which had a timer feature.

The negatives: The wall heater put out some heat (from the pilot light?) even when turned off so our room tended to be quite warm when the windows weren't open. The heater was very old & dusty with worn paint. We didn't need to use it so I don't know how well it worked.

The bathroom was very small & in need of refurbishing. The cabinet under the sink needed painting. The vanity/sink was very old with lots of cracks in the sink. The faucet handles squeaked and there was no lever to open/close the sink stopper - you had to open & close it with your hand. The lights in the outdated light bar above the sink put out quite a bit of heat. Some relatively inexpensive updates would greatly improve the bathroom.

Husband and I wanted to hike areas around west lake tahoe and found this lodge through hotels.com. We were not disappointed. It is an older property but we found this charming and comfortable. Our room had a kitchenette with a compact refrigerator that was larger than other hotels , faux fireplace that we used without the heat for ambiance, a bigger screen tv than we found at other places and a spacious sleepiing area with high ceilings. There were 3 windows that you could open for fresh air. We didn't need the a/c so we never turned it on. The toilet and shower was a separate area from the bathroom sink. At night we didn't need a light to find the toilet because the streetlight illuminated just that area. There was ample room for storing your suitcases near the bathroom sink in a built in cubby/closet. Everything I could possibly want or need was included, hair dryer, complimentary shampoo,conditioner and lotion, ironing board. It was like someone thought of everything. Yes it is an older property but it was very clean and nice. The continental breakfast in the lobby was good with oatmeal & raisings, dry cereal, teas, coffee, oj, jam, toast. The laundry room had 2 washers and dryers and I loved that on the machines, someone had taken the trouble to put a sticker on to let you know that it was 32 minutes for the washer and 45 minutes for the dryer. Very thoughtful place. Front desk personnel were very helpful and pleasant. We stayed for a happy 3 nights.

I stayed here on three different occasions in the Winter of 2011. I've never had a problem with the room, it was clean and the heater worked magically. We personally didn't have much interaction with the staff but things seemed to be running smoothly.Additionally the rooms were often full, yet we were never disturbed by loud guests.

The location is also great. Its steps from the Nevada border and the big Casinos and a short drive from both Heavenly Resort entrances. Heavenly Village right next to the casinos, on the California side, is a small shopping area that often has entertainment and a miniature outdoor iceskating rink. There is also a tiny taco stand right around the corner, open at unknown times, that I quite recommend.

The could improve is the breakfast. Only stale bagels and tasteless fruit were available(but it looks like the staff have been working on that). Big Pine usually has good rates available on their website and in addition there tend to be Groupon and/or Zozi deals active. I've always gotten good value for my money and I'd stay here again

One of the first things that stood out was the long list of DOs and DON'Ts on signs and in the paperwork... I suspect they get their share of party people who need a reminder of the rules. There's a small outdoor pool aside the parking lot (we didn't swim there though). To use the beach they give you a private beach pass (the beach is private and the passes used by many motels) and it's a fairly quick walk (5 min drive) to get there. The motel's breakfast area is small and fills up very fast on the weekend. The buffet was basic but adequate. Overall decent value.