Merriweather Lakehouse Is The Excellent Winter Getaway

 “A bit tranquil lake is extra important to my life than any massive metropolis on the earth.” – Munia Khan (creator and poet) 

Persistently making it to the highest of Cash Journal’s greatest locations to stay within the U.S. annually, and named the “most secure metropolis” by Forbes Journal, Columbia, Maryland is a superbly landscaped instance of a tree-lined suburban utopia with city conveniences. 

Near each Baltimore and Washington, D.C., Columbia’s quickly increasing downtown, also referred to as the City Middle, attracts each locals and vacationers to its leisure and occasions, but additionally to buy on the Mall of Columbia, the place there are over 200 locations to buy and eat. 

The newly developed Merriweather District in Columbia’s City Middle is shortly changing into a hub for arts and tradition, with a wide range of distinctive eating choices that embody Thai, Indian, and a speakeasy with a number of extra eating places and eateries set to open this 12 months together with a “crossanterie.” In Merriweather District’s Colorburst Park, you may go ice-skating at their seasonal outside rink in winter they usually even host outside film nights and stay music in the summertime.

There’s an appreciation for nature and sustainability right here too. Columbia maintains 3600 acres of open area, 114 miles of trails, and 5 lakes for anybody desirous to benefit from the outside. Columbia’s Lakefront District is a well-liked spot for festivals and different outside occasions all year long.

The Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge

The entrance entrance of the Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge in Columbia, Maryland.

Now, with the opening of its brand-new luxurious, Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge final 12 months, Columbia is changing into a sought-after vacation spot. With fashionable lake home vibes and lovely floor-to-ceiling lake views all through, The Merriweather Lodge is the right spot for a soothing winter getaway.

Open only a 12 months, with 212 fashionable rooms and a part of Marriott’s Autograph Assortment (a bunch of over 180 distinctive unbiased inns, upscale and luxurious inns), Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel is a shocking lakeside retreat tucked in seven wooded acres the place you may take time to calm down and refresh any time of 12 months.

And there’s a lot to like right here.

The dwelling space within the Presidential Suite on the Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge

Lovely, serene visitor rooms with luxurious linens (many with lakeside balconies views), a beautiful foyer and bar, a contemporary health heart, a cute little foyer cafe/espresso store, and lake views for days will all make you by no means need to depart. 

Visitor room comforts and facilities embody:

• Luxurious Linens
• C.O. Bigelow Lavender-Peppermint Bathtub Necessities
• 55′ Flat Display Sensible TV
• Mini Fridge
• Keurig

The bed room within the Presidential Suite on the Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge

The excellent news is if you wish to carry your pooch alongside, they’re pet-friendly too.

The nice and cozy and attentive employees makes this resort really feel like a boutique property, but it surely’s the beautiful views, luxurious facilities, and scrumptious onsite eating that can make you need to come again many times.

As you enter The Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge, you’ll immediately get transported right into a Zen-like area that mixes the great thing about lakeside dwelling with an appreciation for the musical aspect of Columbia’s historical past.

The welcoming and spacious foyer at Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge

With a impartial palette with accents of blues and greens and lake-inspired décor in each nook, one of the crucial hanging issues in regards to the resort is its floor-to-ceiling glass home windows that provide larger-than-life lake views from nearly each spot within the resort. There’s no option to not really feel relaxed. We particularly loved sipping complimentary scorching chocolate within the cozy foyer every night. 

There’s additionally a real appreciation for stay music right here. Musical performances streamed within the foyer, honor the close by Merriweather Put up Pavilion, which each Billboard Journal and Rolling Stone have acknowledged as probably the greatest outside amphitheaters within the U.S. For the final 40 years, it’s drawn a number of the largest acts in music, together with Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, and Taylor Swift. And it’s solely a 15-minute stroll from the resort.  

Lake Kittamaqundi

Having fun with espresso and the winter view of Lake Kittamaqundi from our suite’s non-public balcony.

The Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge overooks Columbia’s stunning 27-acre Lake Kittamaqundi. Surrounded by a peaceable 1.4-mile wooded path, it’s good for nature lovers and health lovers. A stunning spot to reconnect with nature any time of the 12 months. 

A reputation that means “assembly place” within the language of the primary regionally settled Indian tribe, Lake Kittamaqundi, is a reasonably little lake. Calm down on one among its many benches, take a leisurely stroll, or get your every day run alongside its simple paved path. Whereas the lake actually sees extra site visitors in summer season, it’s simply as stunning and serene within the winter.

Lake Kittamaqundi is the most important of Columbia’s 5 deliberate and developed lakes. However though it’s not unique to the realm, it seems and feels prefer it belongs right here. And native wildlife agrees.

Fowl lovers shall be blissful to be taught that the lake and its surrounding space at the moment are dwelling to a wide range of fowl species, together with water birds like belted kingfishers and nice blue herons. Head to the lake’s pier to identify one of many many species of geese like ring-necked geese, northern shovelers, and hooded mergansers fortunately swimming by.  

Tip: Examine right here for up-to-date daily bird sightings at Lake Kittamaqundi!

A fantastic place to “canine watch”, the lake is a favourite spot for locals to stroll their canines of all breeds. Welcome to kayakers, you’ll want a allow if you wish to fish. 

A panoramic view from the resort of Lake Kittamaqundi

What’s good is that the path that wraps round Lake Kittamaqundi additionally connects with different paved trails that wind all through Columbia. For extra exploration, veer to the left the place the path forks on the northwest finish of the lake. This path will take you to close by Wilde Lake and is the right path to take in case you’re in search of an extended outside trek (2.9. miles complete).  See the trail here

Lake Kittamaqundi makes a fantastic picnic spot within the hotter months. There’s a Complete Meals a brief stroll from the south finish of the lake (2 minutes) the place you may seize lunch, a snack, or take a espresso to go to benefit from the lakeside. It’s additionally recognized for its stunning sunsets. 

Lake Kittamaqundi at sundown.

Eating At The Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge

The resort is inside strolling distance of the eating places within the Merriweather District and The Mall of Columbia. However you don’t want to depart the resort property for a scrumptious chunk. The resort’s onsite restaurant, lāk gives a inventive menu of basic American with Worldwide infusions. 

Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge’s model new restaurant, lāk

lāk Restaurant at The Merriweather Lakehouse

Serving breakfast and dinner every day, lāk (pronounced “lake”) is taken into account a nice eating restaurant. However its heat service, cool fashionable, pop artwork décor and relaxed ambiance give it sensible informal vibes. And we love that.

Even higher is the meals.

Fried Calamari at lāk.

Every part we tried at lāk was contemporary and scrumptious. The highlights from our order the evening we visited was the sunshine and crispy Fried Calamari with pepperoncini and Fra Diavolo sauce and the Hen Piccata, a Parmesan-crusted hen breast with angel hair topped with a delicious Lemon Caper Sauce.

Chef Zach Dollak within the kitchen at lāk.

Raised on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania close to the Poconos, Chef Zach Dollak not too long ago joined the Merriweather Lakehouse group because the resort’s culinary director after working all through the U.S. at premier eating places and luxurious inns, together with Emeril’s NOLA and The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia. Now he’s placing lāk on the map as a culinary vacation spot to not be missed.

Crab Truffles at lāk

Since there’s no higher place for crab desserts than Maryland, we couldn’t depart with out attempting their two lump crab desserts served over a creamy forest mushroom risotto with lemon garlic aioli. Completely unimaginable. When you love crab, don’t miss this dish.

Skillet Cowboy Cookie Sundae

Even in case you’re full from dinner, don’t miss out on their ever-changing made-from-scratch dessert menu. Dessert choices change right here typically. If out there, attempt the Apple Crisp served with caramel ice cream or the Skillet Cowboy Cookie sundae topped with vanilla ice cream and moist walnuts. Each are tremendous scrumptious.

Pastry Chef Brian Holland icing a carrot cake.

Pastry Chef Brian Holland, a graduate of the Worldwide Culinary Middle in New York Metropolis who spent greater than a decade on the 4 Seasons in Baltimore, creates tantalizing desserts and pastries for the resort.

The Rookery Bar & Lounge

The Rookery Bar & Lounge

At evening, unwind on the resort’s Rookery Bar & Lounge serves up craft cocktails, wine, and beer with tasty bites like Steak & Cheese Egg Rolls, Bavarian Pretzel Sticks, and Cubano sandwiches. 

Steak & Cheese Egg Rolls and Bavarian Pretzel Sticks at The Rookery Bar & Lounge.

Stylish and fashionable, with a number of the greatest lake views in the home, The Rookery Bar  & Lounge opens at 4 pm every evening. You even have the choice to order from lāk’s menu however get served up within the bar.

The Osprey Cafe

For gourmand espresso served with lake views and comfortable seating in entrance of a fireside, head to the Osprey Cafe, the resort’s stylish lobby-side cafe.

Together with contemporary brewed Lavazza espresso, espresso, and fancy espresso drinks, you may as well seize a fast chunk within the morning in case you don’t have time for a sit-down breakfast.

A contemporary chocolate croissant and Lavazza espresso at Osprey Cafe.

Don’t neglect to select up one among their freshly baked pastries, like their buttery chocolate croissants. 

The Health Middle

The gymnasium right here is so good right here you’ll need to break a sweat.

To get in a superb exercise, the Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge has a 24-hour onsite health heart that’s well-equipped with weights, machines, and equipment like BOSU® steadiness trainers, yoga balls, and foam rollers for energetic restoration.

A rowing machine with a lakeside view on the Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge health heart.

Additionally they have a rowing machine, Peloton® bikes, and high-tech Elevate Way of life treadmills and elliptical machines, that are Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled and have stay real-world interactive programs that can transport you across the globe. They’re loads of enjoyable! Make an account, and it can save you your exercise information for later.

The Pearl Spa

For spa facilities, remedies, and health courses like yoga, The Pearl Spa, is a 27,000-square-foot wellness heart solely a brief stroll from the resort. 

Moreover stress-free massages, physique wraps, and reiki, additionally they provide magnificence remedies like facials, manicures, pedicures, and waxing. A novel characteristic of THE Pearl is its expansive water remedy room that features a jacuzzi, steam room and sauna, chilly plunge, leisure pool, and vitamin C bathe they name THE Therapeutic Waters.

For a singular expertise, e book a session in The Pearl’s Halotherapy (salt) room which advocates imagine helps promote detoxing, reduces irritation and improves respiratory. To quiet your thoughts, THE Nice Abyss – is a deep multi-sensory meditation expertise that mixes vibrations and magnetic remedy with layers of music – to induce deep leisure.

The Pearl Spa’s Wellness Passport supplies friends with an inexpensive bundle with a few of their hottest experiences for relieving stress. It consists of: 

• 1 mind-body motion or meditation class
• 1 component expertise salt session
• 1 hour in THE therapeutic waters
• A 25-minute session in THE nice abyss (meditation expertise)​

It prices $100 per particular person and you’ll prepay when reserving the resort with code SPA at checkout.

Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge Location and Parking

Lodge: Merriweather Lakehouse, Autograph Assortment

Web site: https://merriweatherlakehouse.com/ 
Deal with: 10209 Wincopin Circle
Columbia, Maryland, 21044
Tel: +1 410-730-3900
Nearest Cross Avenue: Little Patuxent Parkway
Parking: Parking on the resort is free and simple. Self-park within the storage immediately throughout from the resort.