Kingsbury of Tahoe is a Sunterra Resort located off of Kingsbury Grade (at the summit) at 335 Tramway Drive in Stateline, Nevada on the south shore of Lake Tahoe. It's a condominium (timeshare) complex located steps away from Heavenly's Stagecoach ski lift, and across from the "Ridge" (also a well known resort complex) at Heavenly Valley Ski Resort.

My husband and I rented a two bedroom condominium for a week up here for our anniversary. We came up the third week in October and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. The least expensive time of year to come up here, we found a lot to do in the Lake Tahoe region. But most people come up here to ski, and with this resort's close proximity to Heavenly (you can literally walk to one of the ski lifts) I can see why people are willing to pay a premium to stay here.

Kingsbury of Tahoe is much like the other timeshare resorts off of Tramway Drive. The complex itself is one of the smaller ones in the area. There are 18 two bedroom units and 2 three bedrooom Penthouse Suites all in a seven story building built over a peak. Both three bedroom units have fireplaces and lanais. Our two bedroom unit had a small balcony, a ceiling fan in the dining room, and an incredible view of the valley 7000 feet below! The small lobby area was located on the 4th floor. However, the condo complex had ample parking and very comfortable upscale accommodations, typical of Lake Tahoe. You will find all units here with large kitchens, berber carpeting, big master suites and all the comforts of home.

Our two bedroom condo was typical of timeshare resorts; no regular maid service. It came equipped with a large master bedroom with a king size bed and bath; a big kitchen and dining area; a large living room, with an enclosed (hidden) queen size bed and a couch and love seat; and a smaller bedroom and bath. The condo was tastefully decorated with light pine furniture and coordinating window treatments and upholstory for a more upscale, contemporary design. There was a washer/dryer pair hidden away in a closet and a large TV and VCR in the livingroom. Our unit was large, comfortable and a pleasure to return to every evening.

I have very few complaints, and what I found to be somewhat annoying, others may infact welcome. I found it somewhat odd that there was only one TV per unit. Probably not even worth mentioning, except for the fact we were disappointed in not having a TV in the master bedroom. We also found it unusual that there was no clock in the master bedroom, but one in the smaller, second bedroom. In reality, we didn't spend much time in our condo, as there was so much to do in Lake Tahoe. As usual, I packed too much food, and brought home most of it. And like I said earlier, depending on your point of view, these two minor annoyances for us might in fact be a welcome change for you.

Kingsbury of Tahoe is a member of the Tahoe Village Homeowners Association. A communal pool and jacuzzi are about a block away and open until 9pm. We found it convenient enough to walk to, but returning home in damp bathing suits in 30 degrees isn't fun, so I recommend you drive over. You'll find a barbecue and picnic area in the back of the building off of the first floor. There is a health club on the third floor, including a sauna and exercise equipment. On the third floor you'll find a large screen TV, pool table and assorted games as well as a racquetball court open from 10-6. There is also a free casino shuttle bus.

As we live in Northern California, we frequently come up to Tahoe for the day to ski in the winter, but seldom do we splurge on a condo for the week. We found coming up to Tahoe in the fall to be both relaxing and less crowded. I did some research prior to our trip, and mapped out a few of the day trips we had planned for the week. Besides the casino action, about 10 minutes by car (20 by shuttle), we spent one day hiking around Grover Hot Springs State Park near Markleeville (about 45 minutes from the resort) and thoroughly enjoyed the soothing hot water. We also spent one day touring Carson City and later driving up to Reno. Midweek, I paid a visit to David Walley's Resort and Spa (800-628-7831) while my husband spent the day golfing at the Genoa Lakes Golf Course. David Walley's Resort also has natural hot springs and a day spa, where I opted for a 90 minute massage treatment and a facial. It's $20 per person/per day to use the spa's facilities which include six mineral pools, a fresh water pool, steam room and dry sauna and two outdoor tennis courts. My morning massage treatment cost me around $100 and my afternoon facial was $45. We spent a couple of days hiking around the lake and went to two evening shows. We also booked an afternoon Horseback Dinner Ride tour (530-542-1080) which began at 3:30. Although pricey, we found we ate out more than we expected. Harrahs comped us two champagne buffet brunches on Sunday and found the many choices in restaurants hard to resist. On average, we paid around $20pp for dinner.

Coming up to Lake Tahoe for the week wasn't exactly an inexpensive vacation. But we found a lot to do, no crowds and great weather. On average, our days peaked at around 70 degrees, but the evenings were down right cold at 39 degrees; by the morning it was below freezing. If you come in the fall, plan to dress in layers. I found the casinos in the evening quite informal, as were the two show we saw. But people seemed to dress up more on Friday and Saturday nights in the hotel restaurants and casinos, which surprised me somewhat.

We are very active people, and enjoy scuba diving, skiing and hiking. Our vacation to Lake Tahoe was one of the best we have had in many years. And prices on accommodations in the fall are the most affordable. Our two bedroom condo rental for the week ran us $500! Unfortunately, eating out, golf, spa treatments, gambling, tours and show tickets are still expensive. And since it's been many years since we vacationed in Lake Tahoe, no guilt feeling here. But I recommend you do some research and come having an idea of what you want to do. Thanks for reading.







Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime