So there I was, trying to figure out how best to use up my free annual night certificate courtesy of the Marriott Bonvoy Business credit card from American Express when I stumbled upon an interesting option – The Lake Arrowhead Resort And Spa.
Editor’s Note: The Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa is no longer affiliated with Autograph Collection, Marriott, or Marriott Bonvoy as of 2020.Â
Review: Lake Arrowhead Resort And Spa, Autograph Collection (Lake Arrowhead, CA)
About The Lake Arrowhead Resort And Spa
Here is the official video from Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa (video courtesy of lakearrowheadresort.com):
Location
The resort is ideally located on the shores of Southern California’s Lake Arrowhead, within walking distance to Lake Arrowhead Village.
Getting There
Lake Arrowhead Resort is located about 2 hours from Los Angeles (LAX Airport) in the mountains northeast of of the city.
The best way to get there is by automobile (in winter months this may require tire chains). The drive is scenic and will take you through twisty mountain roads and along the infamous “Rim of the World” highway.
The Redemption
As mentioned above, what brought me here was the fact that I could cash in my free annual night certificate courtesy of the $125 annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Business credit card from American Express. This certificate is good for redemptions up to 35,000 points.
That was great for me as a Standard King Room at the Lake Arrowhead Resort was going for 35,000 Bonvoy points during peak season! What did this mean? Well, if you scroll down, you’ll see I was able to wring a weekend night at $491.53 out of this certificate.
This gave me a CPP value of 1.40 which is all but unheard of for Marriott Bonvoy (whose point values usually hover around the .04 CPP mark). Put another way, the $491.53 nightly rate – $125 annual fee = $366.53 in value. Amazing.
Parking
Although there was a large parking lot, parking was extremely scarce. The parking attendant even said “good luck finding a spot” as I drove in.
But alas, I did find the one available spot left in one of the back rows of the parking lot.
You can’t tell from this picture, but the parking lot to the right (not pictured here) was packed
The Check-In
As I made my way to the front desk, I was immediately greeted and helped.
Although I had arrived at about 4:30 PM, I was told that my room (with a 3:00 PM check-in time) was not yet ready. We were told to wait on the lobby couches and that we’d be notified when the room was ready.
All-in-all, it took about 45 minutes before the room was ready and we were handed our room key. I was not a very happy camper at that point. However, because I held Marriott Bonvoy Gold status, they surprisingly offered to give me an upgrade to a room with a “lake view”.
The front desk
Waiting on the room – for about 45 minutes
Finally, the room key
The Lobby
I have to admit, the lobby was quite attractive, especially the wine rack at Bin 189 (the in-house restaurant) and the magnificent fireplace.
The entrance to Bin 189
The wine rack
The center-piece fireplace
The Room
The room itself was pretty much exactly as I pictured it would be. It was cozy, a little dated (fine for mountain lodges), clean and bug-free.
There was even a nice leather couch with a footstool. But the best part of the room was the balcony and the view of the pool and the lake.
My two complaints were that the bed was “sunken in” in the middle, so much so that I had back-pain the next morning. But worse than that was the horribly loud A/C unit that kept clicking on and off throughout the night (and waking me up each time).
Room Amenities
The closet
Coffee machine and ice bin
Refrigerator (unfortunately, the Alaska Beer does not come with the room)
The Bathroom
The View From The Room & Balcony
The best view in the hotel!
The Beach At Lake Arrowhead
The Lake Arrowhead Resort has its own private beach accessible from the pool area.
This pathway (by the pool) leads down to the beach
Beach at the lake
Walking Path To Lake Arrowhead Village
Just past the entrance to the beach is a walking path around the property that leads toward Lake Arrowhead Village. You will still need to walk to the top of the hill to the roadway then follow it east to the Village.
The walking path to Lake Arrowhead Village
The Check-Out
Check-out was a breeze.
The final bill came to $20.40 which was comprised of the $20 resort fee and a $0.40 cent tourism assessment tax.
The Bottom-Line Review: Lake Arrowhead Resort And Spa, Autograph Collection (Lake Arrowhead, CA)
I do have a bit of mixed feelings regarding my stay at Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa. On the positive side, it is the only “points game” hotel in town and an amazing bargain at that (35,000 points = $491.53). It is also a beautiful hotel in the perfect location on the lake next to the village. Also, surprisingly, Bonvoy Gold status got me a decent upgrade.
On the negative side, the service was slow (and not that friendly). The bed was horrible enough to tweak my back out, and the loud constant clicking of the A/C throughout the night was akin to some type of dripping water torture.
Even so – for 35,000 points during peak season, this place is a steal. However, I keep asking myself, “would I pay $500 per night out of my own pocket to stay here”? The answer is probably a “no”.
Final Rating: 6 out of 10. Great location, average room, below average service. However – easily recommended for a 35,000 point redemption (just bring some ear plugs).
Cheers!
