We came back to Lake Tahoe where we were married 25 yes ago and we stayed at the Black Bear Inn. It was our first time at a bed and breakfast and I'm afraid nothing will ever compare to the BBI. This place was amazing! The grounds were just beautiful, the Inn was breathtaking, the staff was friendly and very accommodating. We stayed in the Senaca room and it was perfect. We had dinner in the restaurant our first night and even though it was pricey, it was a great experience and the food was delicious. Breakfast didn't disappoint either. We have nothing be great things to say about the BBI. Pictures on their website don't do it justice. Can't wait to stay here again on our next visit to Lake Tahoe!

My husband and I stayed two nights at the Black Bear Inn in Lake Tahoe. When we arrived we were greeted by a lovely young woman named Elise. She knew who I was and made us feel immediatly welcome. She was very helpful through our entire stay with suggestions for eating and hiking. She seems to love her job.
We chose to stay in the "duplex" unit just behind the main lodge. When we stepped outside to walk the short distance to our cabin I was blown away by the beauty of the grounds. Beautiful trees, amazing flowers, green grass and a lovely herb/veg garden that is used is the food prep on premise. There are several great wood sculptures and a beautiful water garden. I could have spent my entire visit just sitting and relaxing in the gardens. I could not get enough of the beauty. I can only imagine what it looks like covered in a blanket of snow with the 34 ft. stone fireplace emblazened. I hope I can go back for ski season.
Our room was spacious, clean and comfortable. It was also very private and quiet.

We dined at the in house resturant one night. The food was wonderful and the staff was charming. I believe they were under staffed on our night as the service was a bit slow though the food is individually prepared by the chef and served by his lovely wife and we knew it was not a quick meal. I know thew will work out the kinks and I suggest a meal at this establishment as the chef is talented and the food was creative and delicious.

Our breakfasts were lovingly prepared by the propriotors of Black Bear Inn. We ate the first morning at our lovely garden table and the next in the main lodge. Both were excellant and served by two very attentive and freindly owners.
Each evening, 5-6 they have a lovely assortment of cheeses and wines to enjoy. Very nice to sit and enjoy all the books, magazine, pictures and artifacts that adorn the main lodge while eating cheese and sipping delicious wine.

We will be back when we visit Lake Tahoe next time. I would recommend this establishment to anyone who enjoys quality lodging and friendly service. The location is great too, shops, coffee, great resturants and an amazing view of the lake within walking distance.

The owners have created something very special.

My wife and I stayed at the BBI for four nights in mid July. After reading so many good reviews on TA we had pretty high expectations - some were met while others fell short.
For the most part this inn and property is beautiful and worth the rates they charge, but we found the owners to appear stressed out and not as friendly as we wanted them to be. Anyone staying here should be made aware that check-in time is after 3:00 but before 6:00. This is a pretty small window. We arrived around 6:20 and felt rushed by one of the owners as he was literally waiting in the paking lot for us to arrive so that he could direct us to park in a handicapped parking space to hurry check in. This 'rush us through' begining set a bad tone for our stay.
At check in we were upgraded to a cabin, which was really appreciated and unexpected. The room was big but the decor was very unusual. Although the furnishings could be called antiques, it looked more to us like old junk. Not our style I guess.
Breakfasts were varied yet superb every morning. Each day the dishes and silverware were different also- nice touch. Those staying in cabins can have breakfast delivered if desired - also nice.
Our spa/hot tub experience wasn't the best. Both times there we were startled by finding huge centipeeds in the water, brushing up against us while we were enjoying the spa momenet. Although dead, these 4 inch long creepy things totally ruined the mood. One that I threw out next to the spa stayed there our entire visit next to a dozen or more unsightly bottles of spa chemicals. Come on guys, buy a cabinet or rustic old trunk to store these chemicals. Leaving them lying around is tacky.
Although we most likely won't return, the experience was about 87 out of 100 - which is really pretty good, but it should have been better.

We could not have been more pleased with our July 15th stay at the Black Bear Inn. The Inn is simply drop dead gorgeous. Throughout our stay, the staff consistently presented as friendly, genuinely warm, respectful, and willing to accommodate our every wish. The picturesque grounds were found to be carefully sculpted and manicured. The rooms were clean, quiet, inviting and relaxing. And as other reviewers have raved, Chef Alex was amazing and completely blew us away with his sumptuous 6 course sample dinner.

It is obvious that a lot of thought, time and effort went into successfully creating the warm ambiance at this Inn. It is the little details such as the staff professionalism, the food and wine selections, amenities and the architectural and landscape beauty that all add up to make this a very special place.

I have absolutely no doubt that you will love your stay at the Black Bear Inn.