Review: Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa, Autograph Collection

Background:

My roommates and I wanted to have a quick retreat before the school year started. We thought about Hearst Castle, but eventually I stumbled upon the Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa. Even though it’s only 1.5 hours away from Los Angeles, I didn’t even know this hotel existed (or a part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection). We decided to book here after finding a good rate!

LAKE ARROWHEAD RESORT AND SPA, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION SHORT REVIEW WITH SCORES (OUT OF 5, 5 BEING THE BEST)

MY OVERALL SCORE: 3.5

5: Excellent, Highly Recommend
4: Very Good, Solid Choice to Consider
3: Ok, Check Other Options Before Booking
2: Below Par, Try to Avoid
1: Terrible, Run Far Away

Rooms: 3.5/5
Amenities: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Location: 5/5
Cleanliness: 3.5/5
Sleep Quality: 4/5

Quick Summary: The Lake Arrowhead Resort has a beautiful lobby on a picturesque location but the rooms and corridors need some TLC.

Check In:

We arrived quite early, a bit past noon, and thankfully the hotel let us check-in at the time. Originally we were assigned to a “Pool View” on the ground floor with a patio but it was just too close to the pool for me. I was worried about the noise, especially since someone was tanning on a pool chair right outside our patio. Easy access to the pool, but lack of privacy. So, we upgraded to a Lake View with balcony for $30 a night. The view was much better 🙂

Room:

On the way to the room, I was a bit in shock with the condition of the elevator buttons. A renovation is definitely needed. The hallways were fine, although the doors were showing its age.

The view from the room was gorgeous, and the balcony is a nice touch! My friends and I were really happy that we upgraded. The beds were quite comfortable and generally clean (minus the red stain on my mattress that seeped to the sheet so I covered it with a bathroom towel). There were carpet stains, and the slider door to the bathroom was kind of broken as you needed to push really hard to move it. Additionally, for sharing with friends, we all didn’t really like how the bathroom slider door didn’t have a lock.

My friends did complain about the pillows being either too soft or too hard. The bathroom was nice, with double sinks. The tub/shower combo was great as it was very clean.

If I have to nitpick, it would be on the hotel guide. I love going to hotels and finding the hotel info book on the desk. This one had a pretty one, with a nice leather cover. But when I opened it, the pages were falling out, food stains were on a majority of the pages. Yuck.

The Infamous Video Arcade:

Touching the info guide very carefully, the words video arcade appeared on the page. A video arcade in the hotel?! So cool! The guide said it was on the 4th floor of the North Tower, (our room was in the West tower if i remember correctly).

So, my friends and I went to check it out, and this appeared…

What?! Sigh, I was really looking forward to it. The tape on the door was a bit scary though, and the missing lock.

Curious about this “video arcade”, I did some digging and I found a YouTube video on it. It’s titled “Scary Arcade in Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa. Interesting….. You can see the video here. After watching the video, now I know why it’s closed… I wish they fixed it up and made a nice arcade.

Amenities + Location

There is a spa and fitness center on the ground floor, and it was really nice! I did a short workout with one of my friends and we thought it was well equipped.

The pool outside was not huge, but a good size. And, there’s a private beach!

The hotel is a quick walk to Lake Arrowhead Village where lots of restaurants and shops are. And there’s a Stater Brothers market! Great location!

The Verdict:

Overall, the Lake Arrowhead Resort was a nice staycation getaway. But, I would love to see the hotel invest in more renovations, as it is clearly showing its age.

Happy travels,

theresorttraveler