Kiwi Curated
Great Summer Escapes: 10 Lakeside Retreats
by Joy PecknoldSummer’s coming soon (at least for the top half of the world), and with it quintessential experiences, one of which is escaping to great lakes. Herein, 11 idyllic properties that front freshwater bodies and offer rest, relaxation and a really good time.
A 75 minute drive from Montreal or just 20 from Vermont, Manoir Hovey overlooks Lake Massawippi. With a rich history, the 39-room boutique property retains much of original charms, including antiques purchased by its first owner, Henry Atkinson, from 1900 through 1940. Having a paddle around the lake in one of the supplied canoes is a favorite pastime.
Plan a road trip and make this lakeside wilderness resort in the Ozarks your final destination. Stonewater Cove Resort and Spa offers ATV rides, zip-line tours, wake boarding and leisure boat rides to keep the whole family entertained. A “Full American Plan” booking makes things easy with its inclusion of meals, fishing off the dock or shore, kayaking, complimentary amenities and a whole lot more.
There’s nothing to worry about here, this modern 18-suite hotel resort is all-inclusive. Located on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, every room at Titilaka affords you a view, as well as heated floors and spacious spa bathrooms. A Experience Concierge will line up a activities for you, one of which could be Chullpas de Sillustani, a nearby archaeological site.
As the name suggest, this Patagonia property boasts both a spectacular 18-hole golf course and a spa offering an array of innovative treatments. Llao Llao Hotel & Resort also has two lakes enveloping it Moreno and Nahuel Huapi. Open year-round, it offers activities to suit the seasons, including water sports in the summer and skiing in the winter.
Built in 1899, Lido Palace is a Belle Epoque beauty situated on lovely Lake Garda, a 45-minute drive from Verona. While the building is vintage, the interiors are crisply modern, so guests get the best of both worlds. Gaze on the lake all afternoon by parking yourself on the patio and keep the Prosecco coming.
Grand indeed. For starters, there’s a pool that floats in the lake—that lake being Como, the one beloved by George Clooney and company—and another two on the grounds. The rooms at Grand Hotel Tremezzo are rich and colorful, decorated in the Liberty style. Golfers and spa fiends will both find their needs met.
Two and a half hours outside Warsaw, this 21-room retreat sits on the shores of Wulpinskie Lake. The couple that owns Hotel Galery69 has made each room unique, filling them with the coolest details and handmade furniture. The lounge chairs on the dock provide a perfect spot for sunning, reading and all round unwinding.
On Lake Lucerne with Mount Rigi overlooking it, Park Hotel Vitznau is a century-old wonder. Some of those wonders include the regionally-focused restaurant, helmed by two Michelin star Chef Nenad Mlinarevic, and its extensive spa with a heated indoor-outdoor infinity pool.
Udaivilas isn’t a palace, but it sure feels like one, with its pavilions, courtyards, fountains and reflecting pools. There’s a view of the City Palace and a boat that can take you there, should you wish to see an actual palace, but you might be happy enough visiting the spa to be pampered like royalty.
A few minutes from Queenstown on the South Island lives Matakauri Lodge. Right on Lake Wakatipu, it overlooks a regal range of snow-capped mountains. Its location affords guests both sides of the coin—absolute relaxation, epic adventures, or both. With winter on its way, cozy fires and heli-skiing beckon. If you wait for the southern summer, it’s patio drinks and hikes to Sawpit Gully.