Mountains and Lakes Surround the Transformed, Viking Lodge-Inspired Hotel Marina Riviera in Big Bear, California

Hotel Marina Riviera is a Viking lodge-inspired hotel located on the edge of Big Bear Lake in California.

In Southern California, Big Bear is known as a small mountain town with convenient access to lakes, ski slopes, and mountains. What it’s not known for is luxury lodging options — until now. Hotel Marina Riviera has changed that.

After a massive transformation in June 2025, the alpine lodge has been elevated and refined, exuding elegant mountain energy with Viking-inspired architecture with natural oak, terracotta, and pine accents.

Recently, travelers have been in search of “townsizing,” a trend centered on slowing down in boutique inns with chic interior design, chef-led kitchens, and walkable villages on their doorsteps. Hotel Marina Riviera ticks off those boxes in Big Bear, located in the midst of the San Bernardino Mountains.

The hotel’s 42 renovated guest rooms feature vintage, nature-inspired art complements and lake views.

The bones of the hotel date back to 1968 when it was first built as a mountain escape for snow and hiking, less than three hours away from major Southern California cities like San Diego and Los Angeles.

In recent years, Big Bear developed a reputation for worn-out motels and cobwebbed cabins until the Casetta Group led the lodging’s transformation in June 2025. The hotel is barely recognizable since I stayed there before the renovation in 2018.

The Hotel Marina Riviera is a calming alpine mountain retreat with the amenities of a boutique hotel. There are 42 rooms, six cabins with full kitchens and a fireplace, and an on-site restaurant with heated outdoor snow globes.

De La Nonna brings its signature pizza and warm hospitality to the hotel with seasonal dishes and a communal spirit.

De La Nonna is not just a run-of-the-mill rural restaurant. De La Nonna is the only waterfront restaurant overlooking Big Bear Lake with views of trees bordering the water and wide skies on the horizon.

The restaurant’s décor exudes casual chic so characteristic of Southern California. It’s also the second outpost of an L.A. eatery, led by Chef Patrick Costa and Beverage Director Lee Zaremba, both of whom have experience in Chicago venues that have achieved Michelin and James Beard recognition.

The restaurant also has a bar area and serves a a variety of drinks including natural wines.

The hotel and restaurant are also a perfect place for s’mores and hot cocoa around outdoor firepits or cocktails after time spent hiking in the mountains or a day of skiing.

With our two-bedroom cabin nearby, my daughter and I came back from a day spent in the mountains and relaxed on a couch in the outdoor snow globe while eating and looking out over the glistening lake.

The hotel and restaurant are also a perfect place for s’mores and hot cocoa around outdoor firepits.

Venture out onto the grounds behind the hotel to find a cozy barrel sauna with perfect views of Big Bear Lake. From the clear wall on one end of the barrel, I spotted rolling hills, trees, and a placid lake with a small dock lined with boats.

Before heading out to the mountains, I donned the hotel’s spa robe in my cabin and went out early in the morning and felt like I had the entire lake to myself. There is also an outdoor pool and a hot tub behind the sauna. A totally peaceful experience!

Hotel amenities include a lakeside swimming pool set against stunning natural scenery.

After the sauna, I walked on the path back to the ground-floor spa area, where there’s a cold plunge tub and a spacious dry sauna room. Posted above the cold plunge tub are a few guidelines, reminding plungers to “take a few moments to connect with your breath, unwind, and enjoy the plunge.” So true!

While the duration time is recommended to be between one and three minutes, I’m the type of plunger who can only handle putting my weak ankles and knees in the ice-cold water. Still, partial immersion is better than no immersion.

I’m still a novice when it comes to cold plunges, but I felt the tingling restorative process in my joints in a good way. One day, I might take the “plunge” and drop in the tub all the way.

Indoor and outdoor saunas offer guests an opportunity for recovery after a day spent outdoors, in addition to a cold plunge.

Hotel Marina Riviera provided a luxurious getaway in Big Bear, where we could enjoy the outdoors. It’s so West Coast to have a mix of warm temperatures and mountain crispness, and I still haven’t gotten used to how special that is. Growing up in the Northeast meant I was usually shivering in the mountains and spending hours getting to a warm abode.

Conveniently close to the mountains and lake in Big Bear, the transformed Hotel Marina Riviera is making the small town a destination with a beautiful resort worth traveling to if you’re looking for a quick relaxing getaway.

The hotel has plenty of outdoor seating and lounge chairs where guests can relax and enjoy the view.

Insider Tips

• If you don’t want to drive, the hotel is also within walking distance to restaurants and bars nearby, enhancing the small-town vibe.

• Bring a bathing suit to enjoy the cold plunge and saunas. The hotel provides spa robes in the room, which you can use to experience the amenities.

• The Hotel Marina Riviera is a perfect base to embark on outdoor adventures year-round, whether it’s hiking, boating, snowboarding or skiing.

Big Bear Lake is just outside the hotel’s door and guests can also reserve a dock slip and arrive by water.

For more information and to book a stay at Hotel Marina Riviera, visit their website or call (855) 693-6583. For special deals on your stay, click here. Follow on Instagram: @hotel_marinariviera

40770 Big Bear Boulevard, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315

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[Photos by Patrick Chin Photography and courtesy of Hotel Marina Riviera]

Helen I. Hwang is an award-winning journalist, author, and mechanical engineer. Her works have appeared in The New York Times for Kids, Eater San Diego, People Magazine, Parents.com, Trip Advisor, Huffington Post, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine,TravelSavvy.com, and other publications. 

She has also written a book, titled All Grown Up: Please Touch Museum and Its Move to Memorial Hall, for the Please Touch Museum, a children's museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In addition, Helen worked as a researcher for the Peabody Award-winning NPR radio program, Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Over the years, she's lived on three continents and traveled to more than 40 countries.

She currently lives in San Diego, CA, the 16th place she's called home. More about her can be found at helenihwang.com.