Name: Clair Tappaan Lodge
Address: Donner Pass Road 19940, Truckee, 95724, US

4/10

Poor

03 Aug 2026

kyle

the description on hotels.com, as far as i know, did NOT say this was a hostel. In fact, the room said it came with \"sheetS\". It did not. It came with 1 mattress sheet. There was no water to drink at the location; no blankets, not bed sheets... you had to walk across the highway to park... none of this is in the description.

The place is BEAUTIFUL. I probably still would have booked this location but i would have packed better. I had never stayed at a hostel.... but it IS ONE!

8/10

Excellent

30 Jul 2026

Dominic

I appreciate that I was staying here out of season, so most of the amenities described weren't actually available at this time of year. As such, there are things which regulars would know already about this lodge, but as someone booking at the last minute, I encountered a number of unhappy \"surprises\" when I arrived - starting with the fact that there were no staff on site.

With no staff, there was also nothing around to eat, and they didn't even leave me a towel or bedding.

Was somewhat unfortunate that I was placed on the floor with the Womens' toilets, meaning I had to go downstairs, through an empty wing, to reach the toilets.

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jul 2026

Rosalinda

I love it here! I want to say thank you to the team at Claire Tappan Lodge. There were meals ready and tea, and coffee and they make it really special. I was so happy to arrive to a warm fire and popcorn made. Thank you and I will always be staying here. Everyone and all the guests were very nice and sweet. It was like we were rooming with family. Thank you.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jul 2026

Fernando

We loved the place and the surroundings we stayed Friday and Saturday. It was cool. Juan was very friendly and helpful definitely recommend this place.

8/10

Excellent

27 Jul 2026

Michael

Good if you know what you are getting. It’s a hostel so if you are open minded and only spending a day or two then this place is perfect

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2026

Brian

Great staff.

4/10

Poor

25 Jul 2026

Gabriel

The lodge itself is charming, but the staff is somewhat incompetent, and basic necessities, notable potable water, are not readily available.

Prior to checking in I confirmed with the staff via Expedia messenger that I would 1) be given an adjoining twin room and 2) a late checkout. While late checkout was honored (although the front desk attendant seemed confused about the matter), the desk attendant gave me the wrong room — they claimed to have never seen the request in spite of the written receipts that clearly show the request was confirmed. Additionally, there was no readily available potable water on site — the kitchen sink was non functional, as was the water dispenser. The desk attendant (after multiple requests) filled a single 60oz container of water from the otherwise locked kitchen, which was supposed to hydrate the entirety of lodge guests for the night. It’s not particularly hard to hire competent staff and I’d suggest the Sierra Club look into doing just that.

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jul 2026

Brian

Great staff, great location.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jul 2026

Brian

Great experience. Juan, the manager, was great. Will come back.

Self

2/10

Poor

10 Jul 2026

Tanvi

Room was smaller than a closet. Didn't get a refund even after having insurance

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jul 2026

Lucia

Juan gave me a very warm welcome and helped me get situated. Loved the location and the unique accommodations. I will be back!

Self

6/10

Pleasant

01 Jul 2026

Charles

Great value for these hostel-like accommodations, so one must look at it in that context and not attempt to compare it to a hotel in any way. The old ski lodge lobby and library has charm. One must accept squeaky floors and a shared bath down the hall, but you can’t beat the locations of you want to be on the edge of nature with hiking trails just outside. Great staff.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jun 2026

Alyssa

A little slice of heaven in the mountains. I haven’t stayed during ski season but this lodge is part of the Sierra Club. I stayed towards end of spring/early summer and found this to be a beautiful lodge with every amenity a weekend camper or van lifer would need. They have clean bathrooms, a beautiful main room to hangout in, a kitchen room with fridge and microwave (I believe the original kitchen is no longer available unless they have events or food plans running for ski season). Breakfast was included as well and the host was very friendly!

There are local hiking trails and it’s only a 10 minute drive to Donner Lake.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jun 2026

Adam

The staff was very responsive and helpful. It was a short visit, but I loved the environment and the amenities. I wish I could have stayed longer!

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

20 Jun 2026

Kevin

Single private room for $150 a night was not pictured as advertised. I get it’s a hostel but the rooms you charge regularly rates for absolutely need to be pictured as advertised. Waste of time and money

Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jun 2026

Anna

Loved this spot!! so charming and taken care of- I’ll definitely be back

8/10

Excellent

29 May 2026

Agamjot

The location of this place is amazing. The staff was friendly and everything was clean. Will recommend and stay again

10/10

Exceptional

19 Apr 2026

Brent

Nice location and historic lodge. The staff was very accommodating.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Mar 2026

Jose

Parking is kind of far but ok. Staff was very friendly too bad due to new management they’re kind of forced to leave but anyways it is what it is.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

22 Mar 2026

Allan

Clean room. Hot water

10/10

Exceptional

11 Mar 2026

Savannah

Juan who works the front desk and more was a gem. Made me feel so welcomed and relaxed after I had a very stressful day. The whole environment was homey, safe, and comfortable. I will be staying here again!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

10 Mar 2026

Elizabeth

The lodge is a gem ! Staff friendly and beautiful location

10/10

Exceptional

27 Feb 2026

Julia

Love this place for years

Self

2/10

Poor

24 Feb 2026

Jennifer

I had no idea when booking this place that there wouldn't be any heat in the (closet-sized) bedroom. There wasn't even a source of heat in the bedroom. There seemed to be a heater in the hallway, but that did nothing to warm the bedroom. And the hallway heater appeared to be off all night. I was freezing despite two sleeping bags and left after one night, not wanting to freeze for two nights in a row. This place might be okay in the summer but definitely not in the winter in the mountains!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

22 Feb 2026

Thomas

Incredible experience! Go in with an open mind because this kind of place is not for people that want plush comforts. This is more like summer camp but the staff was awesome and the space is beautiful! Sitting by the fire in the great room is the best.

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2026

Yasuko

This isn’t your typical hotel experience. The lodge is centered around communal spaces where guests can connect, meet new people, and spend time with other families and kids. Unfortunately, we visited during a severe snowstorm, so we weren’t able to ski and had to leave a day early to avoid getting stranded. Despite that, the lodge has a beautiful Western look and feel that adds to its charm. If you’re open to a simple but solid stay with a strong sense of community, you’ll likely enjoy it.

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

17 Feb 2026

Sujan

This lodge doesn’t have proper descriptions about the room and stay. I wasn’t expecting to share room with bunch of other people. I ended up not staying there and booked a hotel in Reno instead.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

17 Feb 2026

Nedina

Very good accommodation! Great staff especially Juan. He is very nice! Making you feel at home! The rest room and bedroom are clean. Breakfast is super delicious and the price is very affordable plus you can eat all you can. They have many choices on breakfast.
Highly recommended!

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jan 2026

Ms. Grisel

Rustic gem, staff super accommodating.

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jan 2026

Rebecca

Amazing experience. Very clean. Nice

2/10

Poor

02 Jan 2026

Chi-Wen

The heater on the second floor was extremely disruptive. Its turbine fan produced terrifying noise starting around 2:00 a.m., intermediately, waking everyone and keeping me awake for the rest of the night. As a result, I was unable to get adequate rest, which created a safety concern due to fatigue while driving the following day.

Self

8/10

Excellent

29 Dec 2025

Matthew

Charming location and setup

Self

10/10

Exceptional

10 Dec 2025

EDDIE

Yes, all good

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

14 Sep 2025

Benedicte

Wonderful lodge - can be totally empty off season

I was not expecting to see not a single soul during my entire stay.
If I appreciate the simple check in process, it would have been nice to get a real person to talk to get the basic infos on the way around.

It was off season and I enjoyed the surrounding, the coziness of the main rooms and the quality of the prestation. But alone in the unheated building was a very awkward feeling.

Think of bringing a lighter to start a fire if you’re on your own 😃

Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Aug 2025

Aryanna

This place was super cute! A great place to stop in for a night

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jul 2025

Robert

You can pay for the breakfast meal that’s served at 8 a.m. If you miss it, then you can make your own sandwich after 9 a.m. Laundry is available for free and communal areas are spacious and inviting.

Leisure Self

2/10

Poor

03 Jul 2025

Preston

Misleading no sheets provides. Not willing to help.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jun 2025

Glenda

Decline

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

26 Mar 2025

Richard

Did not like the lack of info provided regarding access to the property. No advance notice of parking and distance from the road in snow conditions was provided. Once in the bldg it was fine as a hostel.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

20 Mar 2025

Sam

The staff was friendly. Rooms were clean and the library was cozy. The games and game room were in terrible condition. Everything was unusable or broken or missing pieces. Also, the food was a bit disappointing. We paid $40 a person for 1 breakfast and one lunch. Breakfast was a limited amount of scrambled eggs, plain hasbrowns, and sausages. Lunch was make your own PBJ. Unfortunately there is only a microwave available to guests so bringing your own food is difficult. And if you want dinner, make sure to order when you book reservation as they didn’t accommodate us as we arrived too late to add on site (something they advertised as an option online).

2/10

Poor

19 Mar 2025

Katherine

I booked the 5 bed dorm. They put me in a room the size of a small closet with two tiny bunks. It had two single pane widows and it was very cold all night. The mattress was terrible. I booked two nights but left after the first night.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Feb 2025

Quang

Staff was very accommodating given our last minute stay due to weather conditions.

2/10

Poor

22 Feb 2025

Verified traveler

Didn’t get what I paid for

It is not the room l booked and we couldn’t stay. so we left and find another hotel.

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

21 Feb 2025

Ronald

Winter indoor camping. Ski coats are a necessity at breakfast. Heat was off for two days on our wing including bathrooms. Bring sleeping bags and towels. Parking and unloading luggage is an Olympic nightmare. You walk on a narrow path on top of 6 feet of snow for 150 yards. Path is maybe 2 feet wide, steep and has holes ,and if you are off the path you will sink to your waist. But, the sledding is excellent.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Feb 2025

Manuel

Great place!

4/10

Poor

09 Feb 2025

Chris

Icy outside, and cold inside!

They’ve got a driveway they don’t maintain well, and a parking lot they don’t maintain well, that are the slipperiest we’ve ever experienced! And it was not clear there was no point to driving up the crazy driveway / no parking up there.

Sometimes one factor can ruin an experience no matter how nice everything else is, and in this case it was two factors.

1) Every time we were in our moving vehicle on their property, I was afraid the vehicle was going to be damaged by sliding off the road or into another vehicle in their parking lot. The public roads were fine, it was only their driveway and parking lot that were horribly maintained and thus icy af.

2) The window in our room did such a horrible job blocking the cold, and no heat in the room, that we were cold all night even after renting blankets since they don’t provide ANY with the room! Crazy.

Friends_and_family Family

2/10

Poor

01 Feb 2025

Edward

If your planning to come to the Sugar Resort in the winter do not book at this location. They will close the hotel without telling you but worse off all they don’t even own a snow plow to clear their entrance. Bad service and bad management. Their rooms are non refundable too, garbage

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

02 Jan 2025

Tessa

I was sad to return to Clair Tappaan after many years of visiting throughout my childhood. The facility was still beautiful, but advertised amenities such as the hot tub and kitchen are no longer available. The meals are expensive and meh.

4/10

Poor

01 Jan 2025

verginia

Heater outside the single dorms is very loud Not able to get proper rest at night.

Leisure Self

2/10

Poor

24 Dec 2024

Venkat Ravi Teja

There are not even blankets to sleep with, it was freezing cold out side