On the lookout for the right winter getaway in Maryland? The Merriweather Lakehouse Resort in Columbia provides luxurious lakefront lodging with gorgeous views of Lake Kittamaqundi. This boutique lodge supplies a really perfect base for exploring considered one of America’s most livable cities.
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 wonderfully 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 Middle, 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 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 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 they usually 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 house, 114 miles of trails, and 5 lakes for anybody eager to benefit from the open air. Columbia’s Lakefront District is a well-liked spot for festivals and different outside occasions all year long.
The Merriweather Lakehouse Resort

The entrance entrance of the Merriweather Lakehouse Resort in Columbia, Maryland | Photograph: Higher Residing
For the reason that opening of the Merriweather Lakehouse Resort in 2022, Columbia is turning into a sought-after vacation spot. With trendy lake home vibes and lovely floor-to-ceiling lake views all through, The Merriweather Resort is the right spot for a calming winter getaway.
With 212 trendy rooms and a part of Marriott’s Autograph Assortment (a gaggle of over 180 distinctive unbiased motels, upscale and luxurious motels), Merriweather Lakehouse 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 residing space within the Presidential Suite on the Merriweather Lakehouse Resort | Photograph: Higher Residing
Lovely, serene visitor rooms with luxurious linens (many with lakeside balconies views), a beautiful 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 go away.
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 | Photograph: Higher Residing
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 attractive views, luxurious facilities, and scrumptious onsite eating that may make you need to come again repeatedly.
As you enter The Merriweather Lakehouse Resort, 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 Resort | Photograph: Higher Residing
With a impartial palette with accents of blues and greens and lake-inspired décor in each nook, one of the crucial 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 option to not really feel relaxed. We particularly loved sipping complimentary sizzling 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 the most effective 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 lodge.
Lake Kittamaqundi

Having fun with espresso and the winter view of Lake Kittamaqundi from our suite’s non-public balcony. | Photograph: Higher Residing
The Merriweather Lakehouse Resort overlooks Columbia’s stunning 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 yr.
A reputation that means “assembly place” within the language of the primary domestically settled Indian tribe, Lake Kittamaqundi, is a fairly little lake. Calm down on considered one of its many benches, take a leisurely stroll, or get your every day run alongside its simple paved path. Whereas the lake actually sees extra site visitors in summer time, it’s simply as stunning 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 world, it appears and feels prefer it belongs right here. And native wildlife agrees.
Fowl lovers will likely be completely satisfied to study that the lake and its surrounding space are actually residence to quite a lot of chook 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 every day chook sightings at Lake Kittamaqundi!
An incredible 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 | Photograph: Higher Residing
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 in the event you’re in search of an extended outside trek (2.9. miles whole). See the path right here
Lake Kittamaqundi makes an important 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’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 | Photograph: Higher Residing
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 go away the lodge property for a scrumptious chew. The lodge’s onsite restaurant, lāk provides a inventive menu of basic American with Worldwide infusions.

Merriweather Lakehouse Resort’s model new restaurant, lāk | Photograph: Higher Residing
lāk Restaurant at The Merriweather Lakehouse
Serving breakfast and dinner every day, lāk (pronounced “lake”) is taken into account a high-quality eating restaurant. However its heat service, cool trendy, pop artwork décor and relaxed environment give it sensible informal vibes. And we love that.
Even higher is the meals.

Fried Calamari at lāk. | Photograph: Higher Residing
All the pieces 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 Rooster Piccata, a Parmesan-crusted hen breast with angel hair topped with a delicious Lemon Caper Sauce.

Crab Desserts at lāk | Photograph: Higher Residing
Since there’s no higher place for crab muffins than Maryland, we couldn’t go away with out making an attempt their two lump crab muffins served over a creamy forest mushroom risotto with lemon garlic aioli. Completely unbelievable. In case you love crab, don’t miss this dish.

Skillet Cowboy Cookie Sundae | Photograph: Higher Residing
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 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. | Photograph: Higher Residing
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 | Photograph: Higher Residing
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. | Photograph: Higher Residing
Stylish and trendy, with a number of 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 cozy 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 in the event you don’t have time for a sit-down breakfast.

A contemporary chocolate croissant and Lavazza espresso at Osprey Cafe. | Photograph: Higher Residing
Don’t neglect to choose up considered 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 need to break a sweat.
To get in a superb exercise, the Merriweather Lakehouse Resort has a 24-hour onsite health heart 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 heart. | Photograph: Higher Residing
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 dwell real-world interactive programs that may transport you across the globe. They’re loads of enjoyable! Make an account, and it can save you your exercise information for later.
The Pearl Spa
For spa facilities, therapies, and health lessons like yoga, The Pearl Spa, is a 27,000-square-foot wellness heart solely a brief stroll from the lodge.
Apart from stress-free massages, physique wraps, and reiki, additionally they supply magnificence therapies 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 novel expertise, guide a session in The Pearl’s Halotherapy (salt) room which advocates consider 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 supplies company 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 component 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 may prepay when reserving the lodge with code SPA at checkout.

The entrance exterior of the Merriweather Lakehouse Resort | Photograph: Higher Residing
Merriweather Lakehouse Resort Location and Parking
Resort: 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 instantly throughout from the lodge.
Attending to the Merriweather Lakehouse Resort
Close by Airports
- Balt/Wash Intl (10.25 miles southeast)
- Ronald Reagan Natl (27.25 miles southwest)
- Dulles Intl (36 miles southwest)
Close by Points of interest
The Mall in Columbia
Merriweather Put up Pavilion
THE Pearl Trendy Spa
Fairway Hills Golf Membership
Historic Ellicott Metropolis
Robinson Nature Middle
Patapsco Valley State Park
Toby’s Dinner Theatre
Misplaced Ark Distilling Firm
Sapwood Cellars Brewery
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