August/September 2016 71 COURTESY OF RITZ-CARLTON LAKE TAHOE; OPPOSITE: DON RIDDLE RITZ- CARLTON LAKE TAHOE If you preference runs to unpretentious yet luxurious cozy yet grand, check into the Ritz. Its castle-like presence dominates Lake Tahoe’s Martis Valley, delivering generous services and amenities. A 55-foot stone fireplace stands flamboyantly front and center in the lobby, rising so high the entire hotel seems to evolve around its granite pinnacle. To amplify coziness, all 153 guestrooms come with their own fireplace. Exceptional service is a Ritz hallmark, as is twice daily housekeeping and shoe shining. Well deserved is the resort’s five diamond AAA rating, marking the Ritz as the only mountain resort with that prestigious ranking in California. Guestrooms in eight categories (all at least 465 square feet) allow couples to select their preferred outside view. Indulge in an executive suite with one or two bedrooms as large as 1,395 square feet. Even bigger are the Ritz Carlton suites, nearly double in size. Opulent features such as oversized tubs and goose down comforters advance romance. For a truly special occasion, surprise your partner with a residential suite that includes a kitchen and dining area. Hire a chef waiting in the wings ready to create a candlelight dinner for two, perhaps the same menu you had on your first date or wedding day. Continue to play that romance card as you kibitz with the concierge. Reserve a private hike for two. A guide can lead you to the destination, leave you with a picnic lunch and skedaddle out of there. Giles Priestland, director of sales and marketing, confides that fall is Tahoe’s secret season, a quieter time that is especially tender, so couples can peacefully reconnect and regroup indoors or among the Alpine. On one night reserve a table at the elegant Manzanita Restaurant for a culinary extravaganza. On another, book the Chef ’s Tasting Counter. Chef Chris Watkins will rock your world with a ballet of tapas he concocts with seasonal ingredients. Exhausted by all this self-indulgence? To revive, visit the 17,000-square-foot spa. This pamper palace with steam rooms, whirlpool tubs, and saunas, plus the cool men and women’s lounges, leads to a private outdoor pool. Signature treatments for two further the romantic experience. The highlight of the Couples Napa Journey is a bath in a copper soaking tub. Splishsplash before heading off to the Couples Cozy Cabin, which charms with sensuous illumination and music inside a room that resembles an A-frame cabin with wood walls and plaid blankets, minus the crickets. You can also investigate the complimentary events and hotspots. Each day at 4:30 p.m., a resident “marshmologist” hands out homemade marshmallows for s’mores. On Friday Family Nights, the hotel serves up complimentary snacks and drinks in the arcade. If you did bring the children, note that the hotel offers a daily Ritz Kids program. Cushy seating lends itself to intimate conversations or sudden naps under the afternoon sunlight in the Great Room, considered with floor to ceiling windows. Five unique hotel packages available now through December should entice you to lock in a last-minute rendezvous. Says Priestland, “It’s a great time for couples to come and escape. Every activity here is something they can do together.” RITZ-CARLTON LAKE T AHOE 13031 Ritz Carlton Highland Ct., Truckee, 530/562.3000; ritzcarlton.com. Rates: $369 and up. n Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe features two outdoor swimming pools
South Bay Accent - AugSep 2016
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