Merriweather Lakehouse Is The Perfect Winter Getaway

 “A little tranquil lake is more significant to my life than any big city in the world.” – Munia Khan (creator and poet) 

Consistently making it to the highest of Money Magazine’s greatest locations to reside within the U.S. annually, and named the “safest city” by Forbes Magazine, Columbia, Maryland is a wonderfully landscaped instance of a tree-lined suburban utopia with city conveniences. 

Close to each Baltimore and Washington, D.C., Columbia’s quickly increasing downtown, also referred to as the Town Center, 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 Town Center is rapidly turning 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’ll be able to 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 desirous to benefit from the outside. Columbia’s Lakefront District is a well-liked spot for festivals and different out of doors occasions all year long.

The Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel

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

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

Open only a 12 months, with 212 trendy rooms and a part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection (a gaggle of over 180 distinctive unbiased accommodations, upscale and luxurious accommodations), Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel is a surprising lakeside retreat tucked in seven wooded acres the place you’ll be able to take time to calm down and refresh any time of 12 months.

And there’s a lot to like right here.

The residing space within the Presidential Suite on the Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel

Beautiful, serene visitor rooms with luxurious linens (many with lakeside balconies views), a stunning 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 wish to depart. 

Guest room comforts and facilities embody:

• Luxury Linens
• C.O. Bigelow Lavender-Peppermint Bath Essentials
• 55′ Flat Screen Smart TV
• Mini Refrigerator
• Keurig

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

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

The heat and attentive employees makes this lodge really feel like a boutique property, but it surely’s the attractive views, luxurious facilities, and scrumptious onsite eating that can make you wish to come again repeatedly.

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

The welcoming and spacious foyer at Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel

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 lodge is its floor-to-ceiling glass home windows that provide larger-than-life lake views from virtually each spot within the lodge. There’s no method 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 Post Pavilion, which each Billboard Magazine and Rolling Stone have acknowledged as probably the greatest out of doors amphitheaters within the U.S. For the final 40 years, it’s drawn among 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 lodge.  

Lake Kittamaqundi

Enjoying espresso and the winter view of Lake Kittamaqundi from our suite’s personal balcony.

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

A reputation which means “meeting place” within the language of the primary domestically settled Indian tribe, Lake Kittamaqundi, is a reasonably little lake. Relax on one among its many benches, take a leisurely stroll, or get your every day run alongside its straightforward paved path. While the lake definitely sees extra visitors in summer season, it’s simply as lovely and serene within the winter.

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

Bird lovers will likely be pleased to be taught that the lake and its surrounding space are actually dwelling to a wide range 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: Check right here for up-to-date every day hen sightings at Lake Kittamaqundi!

An ideal place to “dog 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 should you’re on the lookout for an extended out of doors trek (2.9. miles complete).  See the path right here

Lake Kittamaqundi makes an awesome picnic spot within the hotter months. There’s a Whole Foods a brief stroll from the south finish of the lake (2 minutes) the place you’ll be able to seize lunch, a snack, or take a espresso to go to benefit from the lakeside. It’s additionally recognized for its lovely sunsets. 

Lake Kittamaqundi at sundown.

Dining At The Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel

The lodge is inside strolling distance of the eating places within the Merriweather District and The Mall of Columbia. But you don’t want to depart the lodge property for a scrumptious chunk. The lodge’s onsite restaurant, lāk affords a artistic menu of traditional American with International infusions. 

Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel’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 high-quality eating restaurant. But its heat service, cool trendy, pop artwork décor and relaxed ambiance give it good informal vibes. And we love that.

Even higher is the meals.

Fried Calamari at lāk.

Everything 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 Chicken Piccata, a Parmesan-crusted rooster 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 just lately joined the Merriweather Lakehouse group because the lodge’s culinary director after working all through the U.S. at premier eating places and luxurious accommodations, 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 Cakes at lāk

Since there’s no higher place for crab muffins than Maryland, we couldn’t depart with out attempting their two lump crab muffins served over a creamy forest mushroom risotto with lemon garlic aioli. Absolutely unbelievable. If you’re keen on crab, don’t miss this dish.

Skillet Cowboy Cookie Sundae

Even should 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 accessible, strive the Apple Crisp served with caramel ice cream or the Skillet Cowboy Cookie sundae topped with vanilla ice cream and moist walnuts. Both are tremendous scrumptious.

Pastry Chef Brian Holland icing a carrot cake.

Pastry Chef Brian Holland, a graduate of the International Culinary Center in New York City who spent greater than a decade on the Four Seasons in Baltimore, creates tantalizing desserts and pastries for the lodge.

The Rookery Bar & Lounge

The Rookery Bar & Lounge

At evening, 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.

Chic and trendy, with among 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 lodge’s stylish lobby-side cafe.

Along with contemporary brewed Lavazza espresso, espresso, and fancy espresso drinks, you may also seize a fast chunk within the morning should you don’t have time for a sit-down breakfast.

A contemporary chocolate croissant and Lavazza espresso at Osprey Cafe.

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

The Fitness Center

The health club right here is so good right here you’ll wish to break a sweat.

To get in exercise, the Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel 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 lively restoration.

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

They even have a rowing machine, Peloton® bikes, and high-tech Elevate Lifestyle 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 lots of enjoyable! Make an account, and it can save you your exercise information for later.

The Pearl Spa

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

Besides enjoyable massages, physique wraps, and reiki, in addition they provide magnificence remedies like facials, manicures, pedicures, and waxing. A singular 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 Healing Waters.

For a singular expertise, guide a session in The Pearl’s Halotherapy (salt) room which advocates consider helps promote detoxing, reduces irritation and improves respiration. To quiet your thoughts, THE Great 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 visitors with an reasonably priced bundle with a few of their hottest experiences for relieving stress. It contains: 

• 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 individual and you may prepay when reserving the lodge with code SPA at checkout.

Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel Location and Parking

Hotel: Merriweather Lakehouse, Autograph Collection

Website: https://merriweatherlakehouse.com/ 
Address: 10209 Wincopin Circle
Columbia, Maryland, 21044
Tel: +1 410-730-3900
Nearest Cross Street: Little Patuxent Parkway
Parking: Parking on the lodge is free and simple. Self-park within the storage straight throughout from the lodge.