we went skiing for the first time in Tahoe at Squaw valley, and stayed at the Plumpjack for the location close to the lifts. we ended up staying at the hotel a lot, as no other restaurant in the area could measure up. great food, great options, and so close to the hill. the only drawbacks were really just that we felt a little cooped up since there wasn't much to do in the town. hot tub was great, the gym was a bit small but not very busy. Overall this was probably the best place to stay in squaw valley, but the town doesn't really compare to some of the other big ski towns so bring other things to do for the family.

The title of the review sums it all up. If you'd like being right in the center of Squaw village, and would like to roll down to the lobby to the best dining in Squaw...this is the place. A short walk, < 50 yards to the high camp cable car and < 100 yards to the lower level chair lifts. Mountian concierge(ski and snowboard rentals) adjacent to the lobby...makes experiencing Squaw very convenient indeed. Likewise, < 65 yards to the only Starbucks in Tahoe.

Those of us from the SF Bay Area think of Plumpjack as a chic luxury brand, from their restaurants to their wines, so our first stay at their lodge in Tahoe was a let down. Usually we stay at the Village at Squaw Valley when we're at Squaw, but this time we decided to try a night at Plumpjack as the Village was full. The common area/restaurant is adorable--very creative and whimsical, but the magic ended there for us. The room was freezing--literally and in terms of the vibe. They painted this entire place in a really cold color that makes you feel sad vs. warm and fuzzy. When we arrived in our room, the window had been left open even though it was 19 degrees outside. There was NO central heat, only a floorboard heater, so even though we cranked it, the room never warmed up. We got under the covers and just hid. (Interesting that a previous poster said these rooms were hot--clearly something is going on with climate control). There was very little furniture and what there was was spartan. It was not a room you wanted to hang out in, so it's a good thing we were leaving first thing in the morning. Breakfast buffet was fabulous though--no complaints there at all. Even with breakfast included, this room was expensive for what it was. I would not stay here again or recommend, unfortunately, unless everything else is booked up.

There are good things and bad things about this hotel. The good: Overall the staff are excellent and go to no end of trouble to try and make your stay comfortable (we did have not so great service on check in, but fortunately this was an anomaly and otherwise the staff were first rate). The hotel is located literally only 50 or so metres from the main cable car which makes it super convenient to go skiing. On site is also an excellent restaurant and cafe/bar area. If you don't want to eat in the restaurant then the same kitchen cooks for the bar area (and does room service as well). The not so good things: The hotel is a refurbished older building and as such there are a number of things that even the high quality service can't overcome. The rooms are really hot (even in winter) and there is no climate control system. Even when we completely turned off the heating and opened the windows wide (and it was snowing outside!) the rooms were too hot and prevented comfortable sleep. We had to use the supplied plastic fan to try and draw some cool air into the room.
The hotel is just outside the village and half the rooms directly overlook the huge Squaw Valley car park. When it snows they spend ALL night clearing the car park with graders scraping the snow and ice off the asphalt. It is loud and unpleasant and makes it impossible to get any sleep (particularly if you have to leave the window open due to heat problems). This must be something that others find disturbing as the front desk did not seem to be surprised when we mentioned it and offered ear plugs).
Only a select few suites have a bath. The Family Suite does not have a bath.
There is no laundry in the hotel. The nearest laundry facilities are over 15 mins away.
Breakfast does not start until 7.30am. You are supposed to eat breakfast in the bar area on 1m round tables. This really did not work for us as we had a party of 6. Upon request we were allowed to eat in the dining area which was so much nicer. It really would be a better experience for everyone if they just served breakfast in the dining area.
I was disappointed by Plumpjack and wouldn't go back (unless they installed air con and double glazing).
PS We did not have a problem with dogs at all - saw one or two well behaved ones but that was it. Perhaps the new dog policy has worked?