Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal

The holidays are looking a lot merrier for Lake Tahoe this season as an improving economic outlook, combined with an assist from Mother Nature, has the lake’s resorts and lodges more optimistic about the remainder of the year.

Several properties are reporting an uptick in bookings as of early December, including the traditionally slow weeks preceding Christmas and New Year’s. The addition of a new high-profile property, the Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe, also is adding some extra buzz to the region.

Add a healthy dose of early snowfall to the mix, and Tahoe’s hotel and resort industry is hopeful it has the recipe for a better holiday season this year.

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