If you have small children know that the layout of all of these places have open stairs and at least one half wall on the top floor. Our first experience here was at the Onyx Gem, 17 I think, in Sept 2015. I remember thinking this could be a good winter location to rent. In the summer, it is walkable to the beach but bring cold weather wear. The Onyx had such a tiny water heater that we ran out of hot water with just two people showering. It also has two open walls with beds right against the half walls in the loft area. The upstairs beds were unbearably uncomfortable so we used the downstairs room only. There are electrical cords all over the place so if you have anyone in the under four crowd, stay away. Our second experience is at #54, carnelian charmer. The water heater is larger, so we haven't had any hot water issues. The heat in master bedroom is very loud, my husband was unable to sleep at all the first night. This place has tucked away all electrical cords and the loft area has one open wall without a bed directly adjacent. There is most of what you need kitchen wise except I would BYO crockpot and potato peeler. Sharp knives and cutting boards were included. The beds are moderately comfortable but the large selection of games was a huge plus for us. The washer and dryer appear new and the sound bar is top notch! In both cases the toilet paper and facial tissue were the worst, we BYO always. read more

We have stayed at condo #63. What a fantastic home! We have rented this condo at: http://www.lake-tahoe-cabins.com/Unit.mvc/Details/68895 Great location. It is located just a few miles from major ski resorts - North Star one way and a few miles from Tahoe City, Squaw and Alpine Meadows. Spectacular kitchen and living space were located in a mid level, of a 3 level condo, giving us an opportunity to cook and congregate together. The kitchen was fully stocked and had every possible tool and gadget, very sharp knives, clean cutting boards and fresh pretty towels. The kids could not have enough of the loft. Playing at the tent and bunk bed. The lake Tahoe was just 5 minutes walking distance. And Old Post Office Car Wood cafe was just great. There is a very nice club house which belongs to HOA of Carnelian Woods. 2 Jacuzzi, and an olympic size newly remodeled swimming pool. The club house has a gigantic fire place, pool table, sauna and video games for kids. You can rent a large patio if you come in with a large group. The condos at Carnelian Woods are rented through www.firstaccommodations.com The rental company helped to make our vacation just perfect. Thank you for suggesting condo #63. What a great find. read more

See all

This review is for unit#38 it was rented through VRBO and is owned/leased by First Accommodations. THIS IS ONE THE MOST UNPROFESSIONAL THINGS I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED! I made a reservation with this company through VRBO in October for a Christmas week. The entire reservation was paid for including security deposit $1,765. Friday evening after close of business (12/19/2020 at 6pm) I was sent a cancellation notice via email. Not even so much as a phone call. My check-in was monday and I had to be on the road early monday morning. Ever try to find a last minute reservation for Lake Tahoe the week of Christmas for accommodations with a kitchen? It's impossible. I ended up paying much more for what was essentially a hotel room vs a 2 bedroom condo. Why did this happen? A simple combination of greed and stupidity on the part of this company. If you look at the timeframe this was in the middle of COVID. The state of California had put travel restrictions months before my reservation was made. I am an essential employee as defined by the state and was allowed to travel (something the provider never bothered to find out). Had they been following the state guidelines they should have requested information regarding this when the reservation was made. Why didn't they? Greed/stupidity/unprofessionalism take your choice any or all could apply. The county sent a letter to these providers that they claim to have received that day (12/19), stating that these guidelines will be strictly enforced. Not a big problem if you are following the rules, big problem if your not. A professional company would know they have proof their clients with reservations have reason to travel and can prove it (like me). A greedy company not following the rules would get scared into doing what's right. A greedy and stupid company would panic and just cancel everyone. Guess that these idiots did. Thats right they canceled someone who had every right to travel, after close of business when I had to be there the next business day. I sincerely hope that someday someone will put you in the horrible situation you put me in. read more

We stayed at #51 and it was comfy, had a great view of the woods. Kitchen is clean and with a few pots and pans. Even a Krups coffee maker. Wifi works. Good sized TV with satellite reception. Heater worked good. There was not enough hot water for seven people to shower in the morning. Close to Safeway, like 3 miles. Everyone liked #51. A couple bedrooms on the lower level, ground level is the living room/kitchen and the upper level could sleep four. There is a vacuum in the lower level closet, so we used that in appreciation. Tip: Be aware, if there is a ton of snow and you want to pickup your condo key's at night; there are very few street lights to guide you. The place where you get the condo key's is kind of hard to find at night. 15 foot snow banks will cover up road signs. Review your print out map. Or, use your GPS. Call ahead and find out what time they will be open till. Tip: right now, with huge snow, you can drive 15 minutes to Kings Beach and see snow on the beach! We had a snow ball fight on the beach. Very cool. read more

Winter cabin/condo rentals are always a balance of cost/benefit. For the most part, you just want a warm place to chill after being in the snow all day, so you're not exactly dead set on luxury. The rentals here are more value than luxury. The rental website is actually a bit hard to find (First Accommodations Tahoe, or something like that), but their rental fees seemed to be generally lower than some of the other sites. So like most rentals, this place had average quality beds, showers, amenities. Beds were generally comfortable, if a bit old, although they had heated blankets, which were a plus. Overall, the place showed some age (cracked paint, doors wouldn't close completely, not all burners on the stove worked), but it was a pleasant place to go back to. At least the heaters worked. In fact, the loft was hot as all get out with all the hot air rising to the top of the unit. Nice entertainment options, even had a blu-ray player. Small balcony with a grill, gas fireplace. Parking lot was a bit cramped, especially with all the snow, you practically had to dig out a space for yourself, but they did plow every morning, and the walkways were dug out every day as well. Location wise, it's about 20-25 minutes to Squaw/Alpine Meadows depending on conditions, and maybe 10-15 minutes to Tahoe City, where all the stuff is, so make sure to load up on your supplies before coming here, unless you want to be doing your grocery shopping at the 7-eleven right by here. read more

Unit #108 at Carnelian Woods Date stayed: 3/3/17 - 4/6/17 Reason for stay: Family ski vacation (3 adults, 3 teenagers). Chose this place for the ability to wash clothes (in order to pack light), to soak in the hot tub after a day of skiing & be able to cook in for the family. Pros: Good location to lake & mountain ski areas. Plenty of sleeping space. Cons: * Old, uncomfortable beds & well used covers (don't know when those were last washed). * Stained/Dirty carpets, especially the living room. * Under furniture was not vacuumed (chemical treatment for pests left dead bugs along walls & under furniture that was not vacuumed). * Unusable appliances because of breaking down due to age or just too old to work properly. (clothes washer & dish washer) (fridge & microwave were newer) * Owner contents in every closet, cabinet and several dresser drawers. * Bathroom cabinets loaded with opened/used personal care items including otc meds. * Loft "TV" had no regular programming available, only DVD player. Main TV programming selection was terrible. * No gas available for grill & no wood available to help heat condo. (advertised as usable) * Noisy heating system buzzed/screeched & did not heat to comfort (topped at 65 degrees). * * Club house/hot tub unavailable after 4pm except for Friday/Saturday. (Different times than noted in advertisement) * Towels were not available at the club house. Major upgrades/updates would make this a good place to stay. The community club house should not be advertised as a benefit for the winter months since it is closes so early. NOTE: Vacasa was our booking company. They tried to help as best as they could and even offered a partial refund due to the condition of this unit. I truly hope they require updates or do not offer rentals at this location. This review is not a reflection of Vacasa, but a reflection of the condo & the community club house. read more

This place is just okay... It's not a bad place but not as nice as the pictures. The beds were very uncomfortable and so were the couches. The couches were old and beat up looking. The tv did not work even after having someone come out to fix it. WiFi also went out constantly. If you are working from home or a student I do not recommend this place for reliable internet. The pool area was very nice but it only stays open until 3:30 and is closed Monday and Tuesday which is very disappointing especially because I picked this rental for the pool amenities. Also no extra toilet paper or paper towels and it's a 10 person rental. read more

I've never had a desire to yelp a business. I have to say, this is well deserved. We stayed in condo #28. The rental was amazing and beautiful. I was surprised with how clean and beautiful the kitchen was. We had everything we needed from all the basic supplies for cooking, washing our clothes and our bed wasn't bad. We have normally only stayed at hotels, never tried something like this. Sadly it's was raining the whole time we were here but with our fireplace on, our DVD player and some movies we didn't care if we never left our condo. We will be back, again and again. read more

I am sitting in #16 right now, and I feel compelled to counter the previous review. After reading the review I was very concerned about the booking I had already made, and I even phoned the rental agency to be sure that if we found the townhouse unacceptable we would be able to switch to another townhouse assuming one were available. All I can say is that there is nothing wrong with this condo. It is not a luxury unit, but the other reviewer has obviously never actually stayed in a cheap cheap motel! The kitchen is very well stocked with plates, bowls, cutlery, glassware, pots, pans, etc. Going to Safeway to buy disposable plates and cutlery? Honestly? You must live a privileged life but yet you somehow manage to do so on a beer budget. What is your secret? One of the burners on the stove is tricky. Oh my goodness. How will we ever cope? It was never like this growing up at the manor when Cook did everything beneath stairs. Not to be rude, but if the six guests were unable to fit on the small couch and three comfortable recliner/gliders, perhaps they need to exercise more. The pots and pans which are described as being so burned as to be unusable indicate the reviewer is delusional. This is a very lovely and homey dwelling. The beds are comfortable enough although not brand new though a few more pillows would be great. The bathrooms are newly remodeled and the showers are huge with fabulous rainwater showerheads. The towels are not fluffy as one would expect at a high end hotel, but they are hardly rough! Please. The floor in the downstairs bedroom has a very slight slope, but if the couple with the bad knees felt so sensitive to this, they obviously needed to better research their accommodation and perhaps pay a little more. We are paying $240 a night including tax and cancellation insurance. For four of us that is equivalent to $120 a night a couple for two hotel rooms. For six people that would be equivalent to $80 a night. Did these folks honestly expect luxurious accommodation for that price? Don't hesitate to stay here. read more

First of all, I booked this 3 bedroom/2 bath condo thru Living Social. When I called the reservation office to book my dates, the person asked me if I wanted to pay extra to "upgrade" to a better condo. Of course I said yes. If I was in an "upgraded" cabin I hate to see what the "regular" cabins looked like. Granted it's always a balance of cost/benefit..and if you aren't going to be spending much time in the cabin- then this is probably fine..but if you are going to be spending time in the cabin..I think you would be better off going somewhere else- paying more money and getting something that is more comfortable and doesn't have the absolute cheapest fixtures and finishes. For example my flat screen computer monitor at home is bigger than the flat screen TV in the cabin- SERIOUSLY! We brought a few DVDs to watch but didn't because the TV was soooooo small and the living room could only seat 4 people comfortably. The master bedroom also had an older TV but it wasn't any bigger than the flat screen in the living room... The cabins are vertical floor plans- iike townhouses with 3 levels - kitchen/living room on the second level, bedroom on the top level (open loft)..and two bedrooms on the bottom level - the top floor bedroom gets too warm and the bottom bedrooms get too cold..leaving the kitchen/living area the only place where the temperature is comfortable. The place is poorly designed and constructed..and don't even get me started about the light fixtures! read more

We've stayed here for two years for our office snow trip, and Trent has been very helpful with our group bookings. Trent's timely email responses and flexiblity in accommodating our group needs have been incredible. When we needed to find a group meeting space for our dinner, he went out of his way to contact local meeting areas to see if we could use their spaces. I'll definitely keep them in mind for future group trips and for personal trips as well. The properties are very nice, well-maintained, and well-stocked with kitchen supplies, TVs, games, etc. read more

Stayed in Townhome #60 and it's very homey and clean. Love the view. Check-in was very easy. Close to a Safeway for food shopping. Family vacation with 2 kids (high school and college age) and they loved it too. Wifi works better than at some hotels we've stayed at in the past. Would definitely recommend this rental development for vacation. The only negative is 4 of us couldn't shower with hot water in the morning so we staggered showers or one of us would shower before bed. Do not park near tree though - pine cone fell and cracked our front windshield of car. Overall very quiet and very relaxing. Loved that it's very near beach for water activities too. Pool, hot tubs, and rec room were very clean and spacious. read more

We stayed in Unit 48 and were very pleased. It was roomy enough for the 5 of us. The facility was in decent shape, a few scrapes in the bathroom but otherwise all OK. The dishwasher did not run on hot water. Also, if you have a fire, you must clean out the fireplace yourself - apparently not part of the maid service. But otherwise, a nice location, quiet and condo unit was in good shape. read more

The place itself was fine. DO NOT book through First Accomodations with Trent and Cynthia. They are rude and unprofessional. I left a $200 bathing suit at our unit. I called a few days later and was told to mail a box with a prepaid label for them to return. I did so, and never received the suit. A month later I called again and Cynthia was short with me, and admitted she was the one that threw the suit away. She was unapologetic, and did not offer anything. I asked for a refund for the suit, as well as the $13 prepaid priority envelope. She said I would need to talk to Trent. I received one short email from him, then nothing. I. have emailed and called several times over the past 3 MONTHS and have heard nothing. Mostly disappointed in the poor customer service and runaround. So Many other places to book in beautiful Tahoe! read more

I've traveled to Tahoe three times in the past four months, and this was the worst experience ever. I brought a Living Social deal, which turned out to be a real nightmare, the guy who rented the place did not honor the deal and give us a two bedroom loft, when our deal was suppose to be a three bedroom. This place was suppose to fit 6-8 people, not sure how that would be possible because their was two full bedrooms, an upside with kicthen/living room, and upstairs deck with two bunk beds, that if I had small children, I would not feel safe renting, mind you their was only three of us, my teenage son, myself, and my mom, my son was forced to sleep on the couch. The sheets were ripped, and torn, forget about the small T.V's working, or the DVD player. The owner has no customer service skills, I would definitely not stay here again, their were much nicer places in this area, that were more reasonable price, and I would recommend trying those before you check this one out. read more

I have stayed in other townhouses at Carnelian Woods in the past and this condo #63 is, by far, the nicest! The unit was very clean, comfortable with beautiful, luxurious furnishings. Fantastically designed this contemporary mountain condo was a delight for our 7 people party. The kitchen was well equipped and the unit was fully stocked with household supplies. This did not seem like a typical, run down rental unit - rather, it seemed like someone's well-kept vacation home. There were new flat-screen TVs in every room including the loft. Cable TV & DVR and an awesome, thermostatically controlled fireplace. There was a great updated video library, poker set, dominos and informational North Lake Tahoe books and activities guides. The internet worked great. The beds were comfy and all of the towels and linens were high quality. The bathrooms were recently renovated and we were very impressed by the quality of the workmanship. The condo was amazingly quiet and had nice views of the nearby creek and lovely trees. It snowed while were there and the HOA kept the roads clear for our morning drive to the slopes. The location is ideal for its proximity to all of the great North & West Shore ski resorts like North-Star-at-Tahoe (our favorite), Alpine Meadows, Squaw, Mountain Rose. The management company - www.firstaccommodations.com was very responsive and made us to want to come back to this property again and again. read more

We've stayed here twice this year. First time we had a broken shower and mice in the kitchen. Second time we were charged for extra cleaning fee. We couldn't shower with hot water in the morning so we staggered showers. read more

We rented Unit 48 (Howling Wolf) through https://vacasarentals.com/unit.php?UnitID=506&adults=1. This unit was recently remodeled to add more light and update the kitchen. I'm giving this unit 5 stars for the VALUE and LOCATION (not luxury mansion, but affordable and FUN). I love the fact that it is within walking distance to the lake, miniature golf, CB's (a great pizza joint) and an upscale restaurant (Garwoods). The facilities are amazing. The pool is huge with lawn, flowers, and pine tree surrounding it. Just breathtaking. It also has a hot tub, tennis courts, small game room, pool table, horseshoes, volleyball, and a really fun exercise par course that takes you through the beautiful woods. The walkable beach at the lake has kayak, standup paddle boards, paddle boats, and a snack cafe. There are even barbecues on the beach near Garwoods. We also enjoyed floating down the Truckee River starting in Tahoe City (~10 minutes away). Ski resorts close by are North Star and Squaw. Enjoy! read more

The grounds and common areas were nice and just redone. The pool and spas were very clean, although they did not enforce the "no one under 14 in the spa area" and when it was full of families and small children we just left. The unit #16 we stayed in was like a cheap cheap motel. The beds are so very old none of the 6 of use got a restful night. It has no ventalition, one high ceiling fan that was useless (no AC!) The kitchen was poorly stocked cheap and mimium is the best that comes to mind. With pots and pans burnt so badly you wont think of using them. The dishes were all full of unused dishwasher soap as the bottom of the dishwasher had piles of soap in it, we had to wash everything we used by hand before we could even use it. Ended up going to Safeway and getting plastic sliverware, plates and cups. The bath towel were cheap and rough! After being in the sun they felt like sandpaper, we all started using our beach towels we had brought. We left a complete day early as no one wanted another night there. The six of use were triping over each other it is so small, watching TV was not an option. The downstairs bedroom floor is so uneven my husband and I had trouble walking around it with our bad knees............If you are looking for cheap then this it the place, but if you want an enjoyable relaxing time look else where. read more