Stayed 2 nights in July on our Sierras trip. We were grateful that they could accommodate us when a reservation with the Stanford Alpine Lodge had failed because of misunderstandings. They told us they had two rooms available, we chose the best one on the second floor for 185$ per night. Nice room, nice dinner on the restaurant terrace next to the river. Excellent food and service. Next day, after coming back from hike in Squaw valley, found a note on our door that our belongings had been moved to the ground floor room because our present room was no longer available. Bad management, they should have known and told us the night before, It was made very clear that we were staying for 2 nights.
On the plus side:
1. Nice location on the Truckee River
2. Nicely designed building
3. Good food and service in the restaurant, nice dining on the terrace next to the river.
On the minus side:
1. The breakfast included in the room price was poorer than in a Super 8 motel.
2. The overall service level was poorer than what one should expect at this price level.

This lodge has a lovely location and a good restaurant with excellent service. Those are the pluses. The minuses are: located directly off of Hwy 89 which means you have horrible road noise that stops at 1:00a.m. and starts up again at 5:00 a.m. Don't plan on getting much sleep.The decor is both dated and laughable-with fish on both our pillows and valance and a moose lamp. Mosquitoes are everywhere! Make sure you bring repellant. I didn't and was positively eaten alive.
One plus was the room's size. It was quite large and had 2 balconies. However, I wouldn't sit out there unless you are slathered in bug spray and have ear plugs on. Another minus was the breakfast buffet. It consisted of stale bagels, granola, and weak coffee. I had to ask for plates and utensils to be brought out as there were none.
The outdoor cafe has poor service and marginal food. We had to go up and get our own food . They do, however, bring alcoholic drinks quickly. The minuses outweighed the positives for me. It is a relatively cheap place to stay by the river, but you get what you pay for.

After being told that the music and noise from the resturant/bar would not affect us. Its 1130pm and we are lying in bed and the pounding noise is making it impossible to sleep. Not happy but what can you do, the office is closed. $180/night ain't worth it. move on.

Located at the entrance of the Alpine Meadows access road the River Ranch is a convenient spot to stay. With shuttle service to the ski area, a good restaurant and bar, you don;t have to drive anywhere. The rooms have a B&B feeling, and have been renovated recently. The bar is a great meeting place for an apre-ski get-together.