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

Persistently making it to the highest of Cash Journal’s finest 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, often known as the City Heart, 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 Heart is rapidly 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 yr together with a “crossanterie.” In Merriweather District’s Colorburst Park, you’ll be able to go ice-skating at their seasonal outside rink in winter and so they 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 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

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

Now, with the opening of its brand-new luxurious, Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge final yr, 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 calming winter getaway.

Open only a yr, with 212 fashionable rooms and a part of Marriott’s Autograph Assortment (a bunch of over 180 distinctive impartial resorts, upscale and luxurious resorts), Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge is a surprising lakeside retreat tucked in seven wooded acres the place you’ll be able to take time to chill out and refresh any time of yr.

And there’s a lot to like right here.

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

Stunning, serene visitor rooms with luxurious linens (many with lakeside balconies views), a beautiful 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 Bathtub Necessities
• 55′ Flat Display screen 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 deliver your pooch alongside, they’re pet-friendly too.

The nice and cozy and attentive employees makes this lodge really feel like a boutique property, nevertheless it’s the attractive 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 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 vital hanging issues concerning the lodge is its floor-to-ceiling glass home windows that provide larger-than-life lake views from nearly 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 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 probably the greatest outside 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

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 excellent for nature lovers and health fans. A beautiful spot to reconnect with nature any time of the yr. 

A reputation which means “assembly place” within the language of the primary regionally settled Indian tribe, Lake Kittamaqundi, is a reasonably little lake. Chill out on considered one of its many benches, take a leisurely stroll, or get your day by day run alongside its straightforward paved path. Whereas the lake definitely sees extra 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 and feels prefer it belongs right here. And native wildlife agrees.

Chicken lovers shall be joyful to study that the lake and its surrounding space are actually house 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: Verify right here for up-to-date day by day fowl sightings at Lake Kittamaqundi!

An excellent 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 right path to take for those who’re in search of an extended outside trek (2.9. miles whole).  See the path right here

Lake Kittamaqundi makes an ideal 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’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 stunning sunsets. 

Lake Kittamaqundi at sundown.

Eating At The Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge

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 affords a inventive menu of traditional American with Worldwide infusions. 

Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge’s model new restaurant, lāk

lāk Restaurant at The Merriweather Lakehouse

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

Even higher is the meals.

Fried Calamari at lāk.

All the pieces we tried at lāk was recent 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 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 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 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. Completely unimaginable. If you happen to love crab, don’t miss this dish.

Skillet Cowboy Cookie Sundae

Even for those who’re full from dinner, don’t miss out on their ever-changing made-from-scratch dessert menu. Dessert choices change right here usually. If obtainable, strive 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 Heart 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 among 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 connoisseur espresso served with lake views and cozy seating in entrance of a hearth, head to the Osprey Cafe, the lodge’s stylish lobby-side cafe.

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

A recent chocolate croissant and Lavazza espresso at Osprey Cafe.

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

The Health Heart

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

To get in a very good 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 energetic restoration.

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

In addition 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 a number 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. 

In addition to stress-free massages, physique wraps, and reiki, in addition they supply 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, ebook 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 gives friends with an inexpensive package deal 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 lodge with code SPA at checkout.

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 lodge is free and straightforward. Self-park within the storage immediately throughout from the lodge.