“Just a little tranquil lake is extra vital to my life than any huge metropolis on this planet.” – Munia Khan (writer and poet)
Constantly making it to the highest of Cash Journal’s greatest locations to dwell 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 called the City Heart, attracts each locals and vacationers to its leisure and occasions, but in addition 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 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 may go ice-skating at their seasonal outside rink in winter and so they even host outside film nights and dwell 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 outside occasions all year long.
The Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge


The entrance entrance of the Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge in Columbia, Maryland | Picture: Higher Dwelling
Now, with the opening of its brand-new luxurious, Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge in 2022, 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 Lodge is the right spot for a calming winter getaway.
Open only a 12 months, with 212 fashionable rooms and a part of Marriott’s Autograph Assortment (a gaggle of over 180 distinctive unbiased accommodations, upscale and luxurious accommodations), Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge is a shocking lakeside retreat tucked in seven wooded acres the place you may 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 Lodge | Picture: Higher Dwelling
Stunning, 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 need 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 | Picture: Higher Dwelling
The excellent news is if you wish to deliver your pooch alongside, they’re pet-friendly too.
The nice and cozy and attentive workers makes this lodge really feel like a boutique property, nevertheless it’s the attractive views, luxurious facilities, and scrumptious onsite eating that may make you need to come again time and again.
As you enter The Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge, you’ll immediately get transported right into a Zen-like area that mixes the fantastic thing about lakeside dwelling with an appreciation for the musical facet of Columbia’s historical past.


The welcoming and spacious foyer at Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge | Picture: Higher Dwelling
With a impartial palette with accents of blues and greens and lake-inspired décor in each nook, one of the putting 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 dwell 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 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. | Picture: Higher Dwelling
The Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge overlooks 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 stunning 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. Chill out on certainly 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 lovely 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 to be and feels prefer it belongs right here. And native wildlife agrees.
Hen lovers will likely be blissful to be taught that the lake and its surrounding space are actually house to quite a lot 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: Test right here for up-to-date day by day chicken 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 | Picture: 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 when you’re on the lookout for an extended outside trek (2.9. miles complete). See the path right here
Lake Kittamaqundi makes a fantastic 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 may 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 | Picture: Higher Dwelling
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 chew. The lodge’s onsite restaurant, lāk presents a artistic menu of traditional American with Worldwide infusions.


Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge’s model new restaurant, lāk | Picture: Higher Dwelling
lāk Restaurant at The Merriweather Lakehouse
Serving breakfast and dinner day by day, lāk (pronounced “lake”) is taken into account a positive eating restaurant. However its heat service, cool fashionable, pop artwork décor and relaxed ambiance give it good informal vibes. And we love that.
Even higher is the meals.


Fried Calamari at lāk. | Picture: Higher Dwelling
All the pieces 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.


Crab Desserts at lāk | Picture: Higher Dwelling
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. In case you love crab, don’t miss this dish.


Skillet Cowboy Cookie Sundae | Picture: Higher Dwelling
Even when 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, 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. | Picture: Higher Dwelling
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 | Picture: Higher Dwelling
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. | Picture: Higher Dwelling
Stylish and fashionable, with among the greatest 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 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, you may as well seize a fast chew within the morning when you don’t have time for a sit-down breakfast.


A contemporary chocolate croissant and Lavazza espresso at Osprey Cafe. | Picture: Higher Dwelling
Don’t neglect to select up certainly one of their freshly baked pastries, like their buttery chocolate croissants.
The Health Heart
The health club right here is so good right here you’ll need to break a sweat.
To get in a great 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 lively restoration.


A rowing machine with a lakeside view on the Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge health heart. | Picture: 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 dwell real-world interactive programs that may 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, therapies, and health courses like yoga, The Pearl Spa, is a 27,000-square-foot wellness heart solely a brief stroll from the lodge.
Moreover enjoyable massages, physique wraps, and reiki, in addition they supply magnificence therapies 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, 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 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 leisure.
The Pearl Spa’s Wellness Passport supplies visitors 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 factor 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’ll prepay when reserving the lodge with code SPA at checkout.


The entrance exterior of the Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge | Picture: Higher Dwelling
Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge Location and Parking
Lodge: Merriweather Lakehouse, Autograph Assortment
Web site: https://merriweatherlakehouse.com/
Tackle: 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 straight throughout from the lodge.
Attending to the Merriweather Lakehouse Lodge
Close by Airports
- Balt/Wash Intl (10.25 miles southeast)
- Ronald Reagan Natl (27.25 miles southwest)
- Dulles Intl (36 miles southwest)
Close by Sights
The Mall in Columbia
Merriweather Put up Pavilion
THE Pearl Trendy Spa
Fairway Hills Golf Membership
Historic Ellicott Metropolis
Robinson Nature Heart
Patapsco Valley State Park
Toby’s Dinner Theatre
Misplaced Ark Distilling Firm
Sapwood Cellars Brewery
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