Nobody sleeps at Willow Woods Park, the couple included. Everyone stays nearby in Lake Arrowhead, 5 to 15 minutes away. That's where this guide comes in.
Below: places guests like, what to know about vacation rentals, and how to set up a room block. Send the link to your guests, or put it on your wedding website.
Where do wedding guests stay near Lake Arrowhead?
The park sits on Highway 18, about 2 miles from Lake Arrowhead Village. Lodging comes in three kinds: hotels and inns, lodges and B&Bs, and vacation rentals. Rentals are the most common pick on the mountain. More on them below.
Drive times here are from the park.
Hotels, inns and lodges guests like
Arrowhead Lake Inn is a small inn on the lake, about 5 minutes away, close to the Village. Guests praise the view and the location. Visit the inn.
UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge is a mountain lodge with chalets and cottages, about 13 minutes away. Guests rate it very highly. One catch: from late June through August, it runs its own summer program and doesn't take individual guests. If your wedding is in summer, call before you count on it. Visit the lodge.
Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa is the largest hotel nearby, about 5 minutes away. It has a private beach, a pool and a spa. It's a full-service resort, so it suits guests who want more than a room. Visit the resort.
Ratings change, so read recent reviews before you send anyone somewhere.
Vacation rentals: Airbnb, VRBO and cabins
Many guests will book a rental, and that's fine. Cabins and vacation homes are a big part of the lodging on the mountain. They work well for groups. A family can share one house, split the cost and cook breakfast together.
Check these before you book:
- Headcount. Every rental has a limit on how many people can sleep there.
- Minimum nights. Many rentals require 2 nights on weekends.
- House rules. Mountain neighborhoods are quiet. Some rentals limit noise, guests and events.
- Parking and roads. Many cabins sit on steep, narrow roads. In winter, ask about snow chains and where cars go.
- Pets. Not every rental allows dogs.
Book early. Good rentals go first, and wedding weekends are busy ones.
Why guests should stay on the mountain
Music stops at 9 pm here, and a room close by is what lets guests enjoy every hour before that. Nobody leaves early to beat a long drive home. They stay for the last dance, then they're in bed in minutes.
It makes the next morning easy too. Guests wake up on the mountain, with one more chance to see everyone before they head home.
How a room block works
A room block holds a set of rooms at one rate for your guests. Ask about it early. There are two kinds:
- A courtesy block. The lodging holds a few rooms for your group at a set rate. You owe nothing if some go unused. Small inns often do this.
- A contracted block. You sign an agreement. If fewer rooms are booked than promised, you may pay for the gap. Larger hotels often work this way. Read the attrition clause before you sign.
To set one up:
- Pick 1 or 2 places. One near the park, and one with a wider price range.
- Call and ask for the group rate. Ask what the cutoff date is.
- Ask about the terms. Do you owe anything for unused rooms? Can guests cancel?
- Share the booking details. Put the name of your block and the cutoff date on your wedding website.
Most couples with a short guest list need only a handful of rooms. You may not need a block at all. A few calls and a list on your website often do the job.
Breakfast and the morning after
Plan for the morning. Some guests stay an extra night, and some leave early.
- Inns and B&Bs vary on breakfast, so ask when you book.
- Lake Arrowhead Village is about 5 minutes from the park and has places to get coffee and breakfast.
- Rental guests can stock the kitchen, so buy groceries on the way up.
A casual breakfast or a coffee meet-up gives everyone one more hour together.
Put this on your wedding website
Copy this, and change what you need:
Our wedding is at Willow Woods Park, 28561 State Highway 18, Skyforest. Everyone stays in or near Lake Arrowhead, 5 to 15 minutes away. Hotels and inns fill up on busy weekends, so book early. Vacation rentals are popular too. Plan a ride for after 9 pm, when the music stops.
See the park, and your guests' options
The best way to plan where people sleep is to see where the day happens. Book a tour. It takes about an hour, it's free, and Katie, our lead coordinator, will answer your questions about the mountain, the drive and who stays where.
Still deciding on size? Read what a micro wedding is.
