Merriweather Lakehouse Is The Good Winter Getaway

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

Persistently making it to the highest of Cash Journal’s finest locations to stay within the U.S. every year, 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 embrace 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 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 house, 114 miles of trails, and 5 lakes for anybody eager 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

Now, with the opening of its brand-new luxurious, Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge in 2022, Columbia is changing into a sought-after vacation spot. With trendy lake home vibes and lovely floor-to-ceiling lake views all through, The Merriweather Lodge is the right spot for a calming winter getaway.

Open only a 12 months, with 212 trendy rooms and a part of Marriott’s Autograph Assortment (a gaggle of over 180 distinctive impartial inns, upscale and luxurious inns), Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge is a surprising lakeside retreat tucked in seven wooded acres the place you possibly can take time to chill out 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 Lodge | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

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 embrace:

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

The bed room within the Presidential Suite on the Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

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

The nice and cozy and attentive workers 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 wish to come again many times.

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

The welcoming and spacious foyer at Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

With a impartial palette with accents of blues and greens and lake-inspired décor in each nook, one of the vital 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 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 stay music right here. Musical performances streamed within the foyer, honor the close by Merriweather Submit Pavilion, which each Billboard Journal and Rolling Stone have acknowledged as among the finest outside 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 resort.  

Lake Kittamaqundi

Having fun with espresso and the winter view of Lake Kittamaqundi from our suite’s personal balcony. | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

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

A reputation which means “assembly place” within the language of the primary domestically settled Indian tribe, Lake Kittamaqundi, is a reasonably little lake. Calm down on considered one of its many benches, take a leisurely stroll, or get your each 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 biggest of Columbia’s 5 deliberate and developed lakes. However though it’s not authentic to the world, it seems to be and feels prefer it belongs right here. And native wildlife agrees.

Chook lovers will probably be comfortable to be taught that the lake and its surrounding space at the moment are dwelling to a wide range of chicken 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 each day chicken sightings at Lake Kittamaqundi!

A fantastic place to “canine watch”, the lake is a favourite spot for locals to stroll their canine 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 | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

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 if you happen to’re searching for an extended outside trek (2.9. miles whole).  See the path right here

Lake Kittamaqundi makes an awesome picnic spot within the hotter months. There’s a Entire 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 recognized for its stunning sunsets. 

Lake Kittamaqundi at sundown | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

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 affords a inventive menu of traditional American with Worldwide infusions. 

Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge’s model new restaurant, lāk | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

lāk Restaurant at The Merriweather Lakehouse

Serving breakfast and dinner each day, lāk (pronounced “lake”) is taken into account a positive eating restaurant. However 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. | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

All the things 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 rooster breast with angel hair topped with a delicious Lemon Caper Sauce.

Crab Truffles at lāk | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

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

Skillet Cowboy Cookie Sundae | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

Even if you happen to’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, 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. | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

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 | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

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. | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

Stylish and trendy, with a number of the finest 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 connoisseur espresso served with lake views and cozy seating in entrance of a hearth, head to the Osprey Cafe, the resort’s stylish lobby-side cafe.

Together with contemporary brewed Lavazza espresso, espresso, and fancy espresso drinks, you can too seize a fast chunk within the morning if you happen to don’t have time for a sit-down breakfast.

A contemporary chocolate croissant and Lavazza espresso at Osprey Cafe. | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

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

The Health Middle

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

To get in exercise, the Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge has a 24-hour onsite health middle 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 Lodge health middle. | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

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 stay real-world interactive programs that can transport you across the globe. They’re a variety of enjoyable! Make an account, and it can save you your exercise knowledge for later.

The Pearl Spa

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

In addition to enjoyable massages, physique wraps, and reiki, additionally they provide magnificence remedies like facials, manicures, pedicures, and waxing. A singular function 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, guide a session in The Pearl’s Halotherapy (salt) room which advocates consider helps promote cleansing, 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 gives friends with an reasonably priced bundle with a few of their hottest experiences for relieving stress. It consists of: 

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

It prices $135 per particular person and you’ll prepay when reserving the resort with code SPA at checkout.

The entrance exterior of the Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge | Photograph: Higher Dwelling

Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge Location and Parking

Lodge: Merriweather Lakehouse, Autograph Assortment

Web site: https://merriweatherlakehouse.com/ 
Handle: 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 straightforward. Self-park within the storage instantly throughout from the resort.