First, let me start out with saying that I had a great time while I stayed at Mourelatos. I will start out with the positive: Location and view were nothing short of AMAZING! It sits right on the lake on a beach. Also convenient to a Safeway and great dining. Truly a beautiful and relaxing setting. I doubt that there is hardly a better location in terms of view of the Lake on the lake. I could literally lay in my bed and look out over the lake as the sun rose every monring. I was in the room second to the end and it was a great location! I also enjoyed sitting on my porch in the afternoon and laying on the beach as the sunset. Words don't do the splendor of the view from Mourelato's justice! Beds and linens were very comfy. Loved the little patio and chairs that each room had. Also, the water while cold, is warm enough to get in briefly. Some people were playing in it. So if you are coming in July, August, early September, its location right on a beach is a plus. This seems like it would be a really good place for people with kids. Staff was very nice and helpful. Gave recommendations for restaraunts. Also, have menus and games in the check-in. Service (other than maid service) was great!
Now for the not so great: The room itself did not meet my expectations. Especially NOT for a $205+ a night room! From the reviews (and pictures) that it was not going to be "The Ritz" and I didn't expect it to. However, it did not even rise to the level of a Best Western or La Quinta or the like. Very dated. It was clean, roomy and and the beds were good, but that is about all positive I can say for the room otherwise. It also does not have A/C. This ended up not being a big deal as we just opened our window and door when it got a little warm at night. Most places I would have not left my door wide open in the middle of the night (and it did make me slightly uneasy), but it was fine here. The nights get very cool even when it gets up into the 80's during the day. Now I will say that if it had been10 degrees hotter during the day (90's instead of 80's), my experience might have been different regarding the AC.
The Bad: My two biggest complaints were related to the maid service and the noise. The maid did almost nothing. She changed the sheets and put in fresh towles, but that was it. Otherwise, I could not tell that she did a thing. Did not straighten up. Did not clean. Did not even put the toilet paper on the roll. Nada. I've been to condos where the maid only came when you left, but I've never had such poor service at a place that calls themselves a motel or hotel.
My other issue was the noise that the plumbing made by our upstairs neighbors. Honestly, I am not sure if it was the plumbing, but whatever it was sounded like a jack-hammer. It awoke me out of a dead sleep. And I had the misfortune of being underneath people who got up at about 6 a.m. There was no sleeping late for me. :(
This place is really more of a lodge than a "resort." It provides some outdoor beach toys and some other things, but it doesn't really rise to the level of being a "resort." No hotel/motel is perfect or quite like home and I would generally recommend the place if you are looking for more of a "lodge" or motel than a true nice hotel or resort. I guess my main issue is just that when I compare it to any other hotel I've spent $200 a night at (or even upwards of $150), they have all been alot nicer. This was my first time to Tahoe, so maybe I am not comparing apples to apples and this is just par for accomodations in the area. It seemed like ALOT of the places were very similar to Mourelatos - same style, older, rustic cabin-type places. So please keep that in mind when reading this. I did have a GREAT time there and I would recommend it to someone (especially a family), but if I come back I will probably spend the extra money to stay at the Hyatt or The Ritz or one of the more major resorts. But that is just my preference. I can definately see where others like it! :)
Room Tip: Try to get an end unit right nearby the beach
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
31 October 2011
I would like to thank you for your feedback.
First, I would like to apologize for the quality of maid service you received. Our daily service includes cleaning all bathroom surfaces, changing the towels, refreshing all supplies, make the bed and vacuuming as needed. Fresh sheets are provided upon request, with pleasure. Our staff also dresses the front entrance and patio of each unit. We do regular QA checks and follow-up immediately on any guest feedback or comments as well. As a result of your comments we met with our maid staff and reviewed your feedback with all of them.
Our rooms do not come with air conditioning as we are located on the shores of Lake Tahoe at 6,250 feet and rely on cool nights and regular northerly afternoon breezes off the lake to cool our rooms. We do offer portable fans for guests if needed on the few nights in the Summer where temperatures do not drop down or there is no breeze. As a result of your feedback however, we are purchasing a portable AC unit for future use in rooms as needed.
We have received similar feedback regarding your room and other downstairs rooms where plumbing noise is a concern. Again, we take this very seriously and are working on the flooring and internal insulation in the select upstairs rooms causing the issue to reduce the noise.
I encourage you to check in with us in the future as we are adding additional in-room amenities and outdoor recreational features based on what we learn more from our guests and our commitment to ongoing invest in the quality of our guest experience.
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
