Merriweather Lakehouse Is The Good Winter Getaway

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

Constantly making it to the highest of Cash Journal’s finest locations to reside within the U.S. every year, and named the “most secure metropolis” by Forbes Journal, Columbia, Maryland is a wonderfully landscaped instance of a tree-lined suburban utopia with city conveniences. 

Near each Baltimore and Washington, D.C., Columbia’s quickly increasing downtown, often known 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 turning into a hub for arts and tradition, with quite a lot 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 possibly can go ice-skating at their seasonal out of doors rink in winter they usually even host out of doors film nights and reside 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 eager to benefit from the outdoor. Columbia’s Lakefront District is a well-liked spot for festivals and different out of doors occasions all year long.

The Merriweather Lakehouse Resort

The entrance entrance of the Merriweather Lakehouse Resort in Columbia, MD.

Now, with the opening of its brand-new luxurious, Merriweather Lakehouse Resort final 12 months, Columbia is turning into a sought-after vacation spot. With fashionable lake home vibes and lovely floor-to-ceiling lake views all through, The Merriweather Resort is the proper 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 resorts, upscale and luxurious resorts), Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel is a surprising lakeside retreat tucked in seven wooded acres the place you possibly can take time to loosen up 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 Resort

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

Visitor room comforts and facilities embody:

• Luxurious Linens
• C.O. Bigelow Lavender-Peppermint Tub Necessities
• 55′ Flat Display screen Good TV
• Mini Fridge
• Keurig

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

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

The nice and cozy and attentive workers makes this lodge really feel like a boutique property, but it surely’s the beautiful views, luxurious facilities, and scrumptious onsite eating that can make you wish to come again time and again.

As you enter The Merriweather Lakehouse Resort, 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 Resort

With a impartial palette with accents of blues and greens and lake-inspired décor in each nook, one of the hanging issues in regards to the lodge is its floor-to-ceiling glass home windows that supply larger-than-life lake views from virtually each spot within the lodge. There’s no approach 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 reside 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 the most effective out of doors amphitheaters within the U.S. For the final 40 years, it’s drawn a number of the greatest acts in music, together with Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, and Taylor Swift. And it’s solely a 15-minute stroll from the lodge.  

Lake Kittamaqundi

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

The Merriweather Lakehouse Resort overooks Columbia’s lovely 27-acre Lake Kittamaqundi. Surrounded by a peaceable 1.4-mile wooded path, it’s excellent for nature lovers and health fanatics. A beautiful 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 fairly little lake. Chill out on certainly one of its many benches, take a leisurely stroll, or get your every day run alongside its straightforward paved path. Whereas the lake definitely sees extra site visitors in summer time, it’s simply as lovely and serene within the winter.

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

Fowl lovers might be completely satisfied to study that the lake and its surrounding space at the moment are house to quite a lot of hen 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 lodge 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 proper path to take in the event you’re on the lookout for an extended out of doors trek (2.9. miles complete).  See the trail here

Lake Kittamaqundi makes an ideal 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 possibly can seize lunch, a snack, or take a espresso to go to benefit from the lakeside. It’s additionally identified for its lovely sunsets. 

Lake Kittamaqundi at sundown.

Eating At The Merriweather Lakehouse Resort

The lodge 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 lodge property for a scrumptious chunk. The lodge’s onsite restaurant, lāk presents a inventive menu of basic American with Worldwide infusions. 

Merriweather Lakehouse Resort’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 advantageous eating restaurant. However its heat service, cool fashionable, pop artwork décor and relaxed environment 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 night time 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 lately joined the Merriweather Lakehouse workforce because the lodge’s culinary director after working all through the U.S. at premier eating places and luxurious resorts, 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 Desserts at lāk

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

Skillet Cowboy Cookie Sundae

Even in the event 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 obtainable, 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 lodge.

The Rookery Bar & Lounge

The Rookery Bar & Lounge

At night time, unwind on the lodge’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 finest lake views in the home, The Rookery Bar  & Lounge opens at 4 pm every night time. 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 lodge’s stylish lobby-side cafe.

Together with contemporary brewed Lavazza espresso, espresso, and fancy espresso drinks, it’s also possible to seize a fast chunk within the morning in the event you don’t have time for a sit-down breakfast.

A contemporary chocolate croissant and Lavazza espresso at Osprey Cafe.

Don’t overlook to choose up certainly one of their freshly baked pastries, like their buttery chocolate croissants. 

The Health Middle

The fitness center right here is so good right here you’ll wish to break a sweat.

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

A rowing machine with a lakeside view on the Merriweather Lakehouse Resort health middle.

In addition they have a rowing machine, Peloton® bikes, and high-tech Elevate Life-style treadmills and elliptical machines, that are Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled and have reside real-world interactive programs that can transport you across the globe. They’re a whole lot of enjoyable! Make an account, and it can save you your exercise knowledge for later.

The Pearl Spa

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

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

For a novel expertise, e book a session in The Pearl’s Halotherapy (salt) room which advocates imagine helps promote cleansing, reduces irritation and improves respiration. 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 rest.

The Pearl Spa’s Wellness Passport supplies company 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 ingredient 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 lodge with code SPA at checkout.

Merriweather Lakehouse Resort Location and Parking

Resort: Merriweather Lakehouse, Autograph Assortment

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