The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Lake Tahoe

This is an absolutely stunning spa. It's pricey but it can be an all day experience that is worth the high price tag. The facilities were some of the nicest I've seen at any spa and the staff there was all great.

My husband and I got massages and he got the men's facial. We were pleased with all of the services.

I knocked off one star because there were a few things that weren't quite up to the standard of the rest of the spa. The attendants struggled with English. The attendant in the women's side spoke no English at all. It was difficult trying to figure out where to wait for the treatments or if we needed something. I sat next to the lockers for 10 minutes before miming I was waiting for a massage and then being shown the lounge. My husband had a similar issue when the restroom was out of hand towels and he had to show his attendant the empty space as the attendant did not seem to understand what he was saying.

You pay up front when you enter, including gratuity before the services. This was strange but made the check out process easier.

Keep in mind that all Ritz guests have access to the sauna and hot tub - so it can be loud in those areas. There were little kids everywhere, including in the spa to use the bathrooms. Definitely bring a bathing suit if you intend to use the sauna, steam room, or hot tub because it's open to hotel guests and was busy.

After the spa services we went to the outdoor pool for some sun, lunch, and drinks. This was super convenient and extended our relaxation. I highly recommend this spa if you are in Tahoe.

Beautiful facility but front desk staff was awful. I'd booked two services and was casually told one had been changed as there was a shortage of the supplies needed for it. The service I did have was lovely, but very expensive for what it was. The back and forth about other treatment was distracting and negative. Front desk staff was aloof and rude. I received a bit of a lecture and told needed to be more understanding of the shortage of product. Which I was, I simply requested to cancel the treatment it was replaced with. Not why I go to a spa. Also didn't love how they sent us out to the lobby in bathrobes to order lunch. Surely there's a better way to accommodate guests. Beautiful resort, I'll skip the spa. ext time.

Great, but expensive treatment. A pleasant afternoon was negated by the terrible spa desk experience. Nowhere do they state they have a mandatory 23% service charge. They ask for a tip before telling you this. Nowhere is this listed or mentioned. Listen, I am not going to give someone a 43% tip of the total bill.

They also told me it was a California law to bill this way. No it isn't, you need to pay into a fund but it is your policy how you bill so don't tell your customers this BS. Your policy is to falsely state a lower price instead of rolling a fair wage into the price you advertise.

They also messed up the receipts for the valet service.

Nice facility, but customer service made for an awful (but still very expensive) experience.

We booked three 80-minute massage appointments three weeks in advance. One was for 10a and two for 11a. THE AFTERNOON BEFORE I got an email saying they had to move one of the massages to 1p. So we'd all have to sit around the spa for five hours to get our services. I wrote back immediately saying that wouldn't work, but didn't hear back, even after calling several times. Finally, the day of, we got someone on the phone who said they could get us in for two 50-min massages and a facial. We said okay.

The women's area was closed I guess, so we were put in the men's locker room, which was fine except a male construction worker came strolling through. Also the slippers were comically big on our feet.

My massage was great and we got a 20% discount, but I'll never go back.

Positives: great massage, beautiful facility. Negatives: Arrived early to use the fitness center, which is described as part of the spa on the website, and was rather abruptly told that it was only for hotel guests because of covid. The manager did step in and allowed me to use it. However, given that the only reason I chose what is the most expensive massage in the Tahoe area was to use the wide range of facilities, and that we are beyond covid closures, I think it's unreasonable to not allow spa guest to use the fitness center (which is large and thus there were no space constraints).

Beautiful and luxurious spa!! Loved my facial and massage, especially in late pregnancy! The pre natal massage came with the belly support so I could lie on my stomach and Jennifer gave me a heavenly massage (and really worked on my knots!!! YES!). Lisa did my facial and my face has been glowing every since and it's already been 2 weeks!

Yes it's a VERY expensive spa, but we'll worth the money for the service you get. One thing I really wanted to mention was that the front office staff, especially Diana and Melissa, were just ANGELS for helping me watch and play with my 2 year old toddler while I went to check in. My mom was coming out from her spa session to switch off with me but our overlap was about 15 min! So those lovely ladies went above and beyond to make sure that I enjoyed my time at the spa but also made sure my daughter was safe and happy. Cannot recommend them enough!

Wow... this was a nightmare. The Hotel itself is amazing and immaculately clean, but the spa was a complete and total nightmare. Let's start from the top. When I walked in for my morning massage appt the girl was on the phone with her co worker she chatted them up for so long I moved on to look at some spa product. Finally when I got her she told me that there were so many call outs and they are understaffed. I asked if it effected my treatment she said no.... she then proceeded to call me by the wrong name as she walked me downstairs and literally dropped me off to some poor Brazilian girl who had no idea what was going on and had just started her shift. She gave me a tour around. I then waited for my massage. A older lady came and took me into the room, she talked my ear off about her granddaughter getting her doctorate (I'm happy for her) and then would correct me on if I said the pressure was to hard. Example: Oh the pressure on my collarbone is a little hard. Her: oh sweetie that's not your collarbone I know anatomy. I'm like okayyy carry on because your clearly not interested in how I feel at all. She used very little oil so it was more like a sandpaper dry rub. When I walked out I looked in the mirror and I had scratches all over my neck and underarms. Went to use sauna didn't work. Looked for employees to help no one there. Went to take shower and no shampoo or conditioner in the bottles. Went to use blow dryer and q tips long black hair all over products. This was disgusting. I left upstairs to pay and the girls who arrived for shift asked how everything was and I said ehhh not so good. They kept their mouth shut and charged me and urged me to go. This was horrific. Save your money.

Eric was wonderful, excellent customer service. Very Nice very polite and very accommodating. And I had a best Facial ever done by Jenifer. I like good facial but that was something else!!

My husband and I spent a half-day at the Ritz-Carlton spa in Lake Tahoe during our recent stay at Northstar Resort, and it was all the things we love about visiting any Ritz property. :) I especially want to compliment my massage therapist Ruth, who did a fantastic job on my deep-tissue massage, really working hard to get out the knots in my muscles and providing an exceptional experience. Highly recommended for deep tissue massage -- she really gets in there and knows what she's doing! I wish I lived closer so I could visit her regularly. Thank you, Ruth!

Amazing massage by Micheal! Staff treats you right. They have a pool, hot tub, sauna, and steam room to enjoy before or after. They also have a relaxation room. I would def go back for another treatment. The spa will also validate your parking if you are not a hotel guest.