Basecamp Tahoe City, Tahoe City, California
Adventure-Inspired Design on the Shores of Lake Tahoe
Why DNA Hotels Loves It
● A creatively reimagined 1960s motel that celebrates outdoor adventure through playful, design-driven interiors.
● Rustic-chic guestrooms inspired by camping, hiking, and mountain life, with thoughtful details that never take themselves too seriously.
● An inviting social atmosphere where fireplaces, reclaimed materials, and woodland views make every season feel like campfire season.
A Basecamp for Modern Explorers
Basecamp Tahoe City was never intended to be just another mountain hotel. Created by founder Christian Strobel, the former 1960s motel was transformed into a boutique retreat designed around one simple idea: bringing the spirit of outdoor adventure into hospitality. Located just minutes from Lake Tahoe and surrounded by hiking trails, ski slopes, and forests, the hotel feels less like a place to stay and more like the starting point for your next expedition. Adventure shapes every corner of the experience.
Camping, Reimagined
Working with designer Kiko Singh, the interiors reinterpret classic mountain lodge style with a playful contemporary twist. Reclaimed wood, industrial lighting, salvaged materials, corrugated steel, herringbone timber, and charcoal-grey palettes create a rugged backdrop that reflects Tahoe’s natural landscape. Throughout the communal spaces, oversized windows frame the surrounding forest, while fireplaces clad in blue and charcoal tiles, Chesterfield sofas, colourful rugs, and handcrafted furnishings create a warm atmosphere that encourages guests to gather after a day outdoors. Rustic, but never predictable.
Rooms with a Sense of Adventure
The guestrooms continue the outdoor narrative. Canvas-upholstered headboards feature illustrated maps of Lake Tahoe, oak bedside tables resemble neatly stacked firewood, industrial fixtures add a utilitarian feel, and turquoise reading lamps inject cheerful colour throughout the otherwise muted palette. Military-inspired textiles and custom wool blankets reinforce the adventurous mood without compromising comfort. Each room feels playful while remaining surprisingly refined.
A Campsite Without Leaving Your Room
One room has become something of a legend. Room 105 transforms the traditional hotel room into an indoor campsite, complete with a queen bed beneath a canvas tent, faux grass flooring, picnic table, camp chairs, lantern-inspired lighting, and an electric campfire surrounded by stones. It’s a nostalgic tribute to camping that appeals as much to adults as it does to families. It’s impossible not to smile.
Designed for Life Outdoors
Everything about Basecamp encourages guests to embrace Tahoe’s landscape. After hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, skiing, or simply exploring the lakeshore, guests return to generous communal lounges, outdoor decks overlooking the mountains, evening bonfires beneath string lights, and plenty of comfortable spaces to share stories from the day’s adventures. The atmosphere is relaxed, social, and wonderfully unpretentious.
Why It Works
Basecamp Tahoe City understands that great design doesn’t always have to be serious. By transforming a modest roadside motel into a playful celebration of outdoor adventure, it captures the youthful spirit of Lake Tahoe with warmth, creativity, and genuine personality. For travelers who believe the journey is just as important as the destination, it’s one of Tahoe’s most enjoyable places to stay.
