Back in the day, South Lake Tahoe looked a little, as they used to say, “rode hard and put away wet.” Today, South Lake Tahoe has blossomed beyond recognition. The Marriott folks, rightly so, are very proud of their part in revitalizing South Lake Tahoe and turning it into what it should have always been: a glorious lakeside destination village.

Heavenly Village sits at the base of both the Timber Lodge and the Grand Residence, and this charming village, with its European feel, delivers a movie theater, upscale shopping, fine dining and fun noshing. Both resorts are immediately adjacent to the Heavenly Gondola (just steps from the Timber Lodge lobby door), which will whisk you to 29 chairlifts and Adventure Peak at the Heavenly Ski Resort. Don’t want to ski? Then feel free to ride the gondola, and enjoy a picnic on The Deck while you take in the view. In the summer, Marriott rolls out a small miniature golf course, and in the winter, the space is transformed into an ice rink.

Marriott poured millions of dollars into developing both the luxurious Marriott Grand and her sister, the Marriott Timber Lodge. The Marriott Grand is an ownership property, but when the owners of these individual, homelike units aren’t visiting, Marriott opens them to the rest of us. Choose from a studio or generous one-, two- and three-bedroom units with balconies and amazing views. Most come with fully equipped kitchens (better than mine at home), dining tables that seat several and beautiful bathrooms with sunken tubs.

Luxury amenities on the property include restaurants, a year-round heated pool, two bubbling hot tubs, a large and well-equipped fitness room with Precor equipment, a sauna, a steam room, a sizeable library and a small but chic spa.