CRYSTAL BAY, Nev. – On the evening of August 12, close to 60 people gathered at the Incline Village Library to hear about the progress on the Cal Neva revitalization efforts from McWhinney Senior VP of Development-Hospitality Jason Newcomer.  

In the hour-long presentation, Newcomer recapped when McWhinney purchased the property (in 2023) and what it has done since.  

“Over 1200 people signed up on our website to receive updates and shared stories with us,” Newcomer said. “We’ve never encountered a property with this kind of past.” 

McWhinney is a family-owned Colorado-based real estate development/investment firm with a 33-year history of specializing in multifamily, commercial, hospitality, and mixed-use acquisitions. McWhinney bought the 13-acre Cal Neva property straddling the California-Nevada state line on the northeast shore of Lake Tahoe from Larry Ellison in April 2023. 

“Having not developed here, we just wanted to come and listen, and then deliver on our promise,” said Newcomer. McWhinney brought on Proper Hospitality as its operator, believing Proper is ideal at building hotels that match historic relevance with luxury. Its other McWhinney-owned Proper gem is a luxury hotel in downtown Austin, TX. “Proper provides great service and a great aesthetic, each with their unique vibe,” Newcomer added.  

He then delved into Cal Neva’s antiquity, describing how the soon-to-be revitalized property is a “refresh infused with history” with intentions to keep the Circle Bar, casino, showroom, and other architectural nods to the Rat Pack era.  

“We will bring back the Follies and the Nutcracker,” Newcomer said about beloved Cal Neva events that had to find new homes after lodge’s closure.  

Newcomer explained that since McWhinney’s acquisition of the Cal Neva, it put in a temporary stormwater protection system first and has been working with the Washoe tribe to bring in native landscaping elements and restore the health of the surrounding trees. While all the Cal Neva artifacts were lost during its closure and McWhinney’s acquisition, the team has hired local artists to help reimagine historic design elements.  

“All that had disappeared when we got the property, so if you all have any leads then know we’ll offer total amnesty,” Newcomer smiled.  

Newcomer talked about using fire-resistant materials in the new lodge, restoring the former cabins (“Bears were living in the old cabins, and they were full of asbestos,” he says), but the only new construction will be a spa and fitness center. 

In looking at the color tones and exterior renderings, Newcomer admitted that the TRPA wanted McWhinney to soften it even more to blend into the landscape. McWhinney donated the A-frame canopy in the front of the former Cal Neva (worth about $100k in steel) to Donner Memorial State Park.  

“We’re cognizant of the scenic impacts—we didn’t ask for more area or heights; we felt we already had everything we needed,” he said about not necessarily expanding the Cal Neva. The tower rooms and suites will seem a bit smaller compared to newer hotels because they didn’t want to rebuild them, however, all of them have a view of either the lake or the mountains.  

About the interior, the revitalized Cal Neva will have lots of rich woods and stone materials that are warm and welcoming. Displaying a photo of what used to be known as The Indian Room featuring a bar that stretches from one state to the other– so you can have a drink in California and one in Nevada– Newcomer said, “It’s been a Rubik’s Cube trying to figure out state liquor licenses.”  

McWhinney is also adamant about keeping the casino. 

“We’ve never had one before at any of our properties, so we’re learning a lot about them,” he explained. “The Cal Neva is the oldest resort casino in the country and possibly the oldest one in Nevada before they even legalized gambling, so we felt like we had to keep it.”  

The new Cal Neva will have five different food and beverage outlets, a few of which rotate often. 

“We want to make sure it’s comfortable for everyone no matter what you’re wearing, seeing, doing. You can wear jeans and a fleece or be dressed up to go to a show, everyone is welcome. The Cal Neva will have a more sophisticated feel, but we certainly welcome families,” Newcomer addressed to a member of the audience, mentioning there will be a game room/play space for kids. 

“But we hope they will be outside enjoying the lake,” he adds.  

Newcomer said they have great music already lined up, showing a picture of the Rat Pack. He found historical indication that Dean Martin played Friday nights, Frank Sinatra played Saturdays, and Sammy Davis Jr. played shows on Sunday at the Cal Neva, wondering how a stellar weekend lineup like that would be received today. 

“When Frank [Sinatra] built this, he designed the theater to be able to sing at a microphone to a full showroom, so the acoustics are amazing in there,” said Newcomer.  

Then Newcomer opened it up for questions.  

When asked if there’s a chance that changing costs in materials and economic factors could affect construction progress, Newcomer replied, “Absolutely changing costs in materials could impact this project and we may have to switch out using certain materials depending on their availability and cost. But it’s important to McWhinney to stay true to the aesthetic and inspiration; and our design team is staying openminded to that.” 

There were questions about parking– there will be no parking garage or multilevel parking structures; it will all be surface parking with trees surrounding them (300 spaces)—and one attendee was concerned about not enough parking or visitors trying to avoid valet parking by parking on the surrounding neighborhood streets. Newcomer acknowledged that may be a problem, and said they would offer a shuttle service, as well as encourage micro transit/e-bike usage.  

The revitalized Cal Neva will have 197 rooms and is planning to have six staff units in the hotel tower but are looking to partner with local companies or organizations that can help provide housing. 

Andy Chapman, president/CEO of Travel North Tahoe Nevada, asked if they will be bringing back the underground tunnel tours.  

“The tunnels were filled in when we acquired the property, but a portion has remained open under the bar (in the Indian Room). The tunnels break every safety rule there is but we’re trying to convince authorities to let us open them,” Newcomer said.  

When someone asked how much the room rates will be, Newcomer responded, “It will be more expensive than the Hyatt but lower than the Ritz [Carlton].” Newcomer acknowledged that the Tahoe Biltmore is under new ownership, stating, “We haven’t had a chance to meet them, but we would love to partner.” 

The new planned opening is sometime in 2027; no date or month set yet. McWhinney originally wanted to reopen by December 2026 to celebrate the historic property’s 100-year anniversary as well as Frank Sinatra’s birthday, but Newcomer admitted, “we realized that’s too ambitious, and we want to do this right. 

“We’re excited to be a part of the revitalization of that area [referring to Crystal Bay] by providing quality lodging. And my understanding is that there hasn’t been a new hotel built in the North Shore in over 40 years,” Newcomer said.  

Cal Neva is in the process of redoing its website, but you can still see renderings and sign up to receive updates at http://www.revitalizecalneva.com.