Resort Trend One: Forget Rustic

(ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: MAY/JUNE 2006)

Vacationers still yearn for lazy days in a cabin beside a lake, but what cabins! Full kitchens, stylish furnishings, whirlpools, DVD players and high-speed Internet connections have joined the fishing boats and barbecue grills that once were the sole amenities at laid-back family retreats. Families want to get away from it all, but not from conveniences. Resorts such as Minnesota’s Grand View Lodge and Missouri’s Still Waters Resort have responded by building vacation homes and condominiums as nice or nicer than the ones travelers leave behind. Guests also want plenty of space and comfort. They’re reconnecting with family and friends in huge "reunion cabins" (like the eight-bedroom homes at Illinois’ Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa), complete with multiple whirlpool baths and gathering spaces.

ILLINOIS Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa

Four golf courses star at this retreat sprawling across 6,800 acres in northwestern Illinois near Galena. The variety and number of lodgings (motel-like rooms to eight-bedroom vacation homes) are perfect for family reunions and other groups. NEW Stonedrift Spa has 10 treatment rooms, including a couple’s suite. LOVED The spa’s comfortable but classy atmosphere. BUT The property is so big with a labyrinth of roads leading to vacation homes, it’s easy to get lost, even with a map. DETAILS A full range of activities, including hot-air balloon rides. 80 inn rooms from $209 and 400 vacation homes from $259 (800/892-2269; www.eagleridge.com).

Indian Lakes Resort

The service measures up to the striking appearance of this west-suburban Chicago resort’s Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture. More than 250 shady acres in Bloomingdale also offer 36 holes of golf. NEW A $23 million, 2003 renovation upgraded the six-story atrium lobby and other public spaces, as well as rooms and suites. All holes were improved during renovation of the Blackhawk Trace course. LOVED An away-from-it-all feel despite suburban surroundings. BUT Indian Lakes hosts large business conferences during the week. DETAILS Spa Vargas, six restaurants and lounges, indoor and outdoor pools and a kids’ program with crafts and movies. 308 rooms from $119 (800/334-3417; www.indianlakesresort.com).

MICHIGAN Grand Traverse Resort and Spa

This Grand Traverse Bay landmark with its distinctive 17-story glass tower rising above 900 acres of forest and shore ranks as one of the region’s largest and most elegant retreats. More than 50 holes of challenging golf include The Bear, an acclaimed Jack Nicklaus course, and the resort has a full-service spa, fitness center and tennis courts. NEW A renovation is well under way. So far: more than $10 million in upgrades, including redone hotel rooms and suites. Rental condominiums are scheduled to be renovated by 2007. LOVED Views from the west side of the tower of sunsets over Grand Traverse Bay. BUT There’s a townlike bustle about this resort that solitude-lovers may find disturbing. DETAILS A dozen shops, fine dining at Trillium (with great views from the 16th and 17th floors of the tower), three other restaurants. More than 500 rooms, suites and condos from $255 (800/748-0303; www.grand traverseresort.com).

Mission Point Resort

In an amazing setting along Lake Huron on Mackinac Island, this May— October retreat feels like a friendly, peaceful community in its own right. (Think spa, sauna, steam rooms and health club.) If it weren’t a short walk from the village shops and historic sites on this Victorian Island where no cars are allowed, you might be tempted to settle in and savor the lake view. NEW Observation tower overlooking Lake Huron. Continuous updates to more than a dozen types of rooms. LOVED The setting and relaxing in Adirondack chairs looking out on the water. BUT If you enjoy the island’s touristy summer bustle, this resort may seem too quiet. DETAILS Bike rentals, heated outdoor pool and hot tubs. 240 rooms from $194 (800/833-7711; www.missionpoint.com).

Boyne Mountain

This retreat and its sister property, Boyne Highlands, are northwestern Michigan institutions, and both are reliable sources of fun, including six golf courses, swimming and other summer activities, as well as winter skiing. The resort’s latest addition, Mountain Grand Lodge and Spa, features European-chalet style and comfort in rooms and a first-class spa, plus a thoroughly 21st century-style family attraction (an 88,000-square-foot indoor water park. NEW The lodge opened in summer 2005). LOVED The Solace Spa offers friendly, attentive service and 19 treatment rooms. BUT The landscaping around the new lodge isn’t as lush yet as the rest of the resort’s. DETAILS 35 kilometers of hiking and biking trails and a nationally rated tennis center. Six restaurants and lounges, including Everett’s, with fish and game dishes. An indoor/outdoor swimming pool, shops, private trout stream, flyfishing lessons and chairlift rides. 220 lodge rooms from $118 (800/462-6963; www.boynemountain.com).

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