A Tradition At The Lake – Hospitality, Classic Golf & Healing at The Lodge of Four Seasons
In 1964, Harold Koplar (better known as HK), a renowned entrepreneur, developed The Lodge of Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, Mo. From the beginning, it attracted a variety of well-known personalities, including sports stars such as Joe Garagiola and Stan Musial.
As a result, The Lodge immediately stood out from the crowd. Koplar — who also created the famous St. Louis-based Chase Hotel, along with airlines and television stations — envisioned providing memorable experiences to his guests. For instance, he often invited stars from the Rat Pack era to perform at The Lodge, and even had a live bull walk through one of its lounges.
The Lodge, which is still owned by the Koplar family, along with the Brown family (as HK’s daughter, Susan Koplar, married Peter Brown), continues to offer a resort experience like no other. It provides guests numerous room accommodations, 36 holes of championship-caliber golf, a marina with myriad of water activities, a nationally recognized spa, and more than 60,000 square feet of indoor meeting space. Furthermore, there are a variety of outdoor venues that can be used for meetings, social events, weddings, or to simply enjoy the pristine views of the Lake of the Ozarks.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
The Lodge of Four Seasons offers a wide array of accommodation options, from Seasons Bay rooms, to premium suites and the Main Lodge. In all, guests have 356 rooms to choose from at this lakefront resort, most of which have private, furnished balconies or patios. Each room also provides creature comforts such as a 55-inch flat screen TV, upscale bathroom amenities, and Hawaiian coffee, along with a Keurig coffee maker.
“The Lodge’s Lanai rooms are our most popular premium room choices,” said Robin Graf, COO, The Lodge of Four Seasons. “Located in our Japanese Gardens and near our beautiful Cloverleaf pool, as well as our Fire & Ice Bar that overlooks the lake, the Lanai rooms feature a king bed or two queen beds, natural rock walls, a refrigerator, and in some cases a fireplace. They’re absolutely lovely.”
He added, “For those looking to get away for a week or more, our Avila Condominiums provide a home away from home. They feature two separate bedrooms — one with a king bed and one with two queens — along with a living room, a fireplace, a kitchen, and bath-rooms that include jetted tubs, which enable guests to unwind as they enjoy the beauty of the Lake of the Ozarks.”
One thing all guests enjoy is the popular HK’s Restaurant & Bar, where excellent steaks, seafood, and pasta choices are complemented by broad lake views and live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
HIGH-LEVEL PUBLIC GOLF
Guests will also notice two other standout amenities at The Lodge of Four Seasons — its championship-caliber golf courses that are available for public play.
Developed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., The Cove is shorter than a majority of today’s golf courses at 6,553 yards from the back tees and 5,868 yards from the white tees.
“It exudes many of Jones’ architectural traits, none of which is more apparent than the accuracy golfers must have off the tee,” Graf said. “Throughout the Midwest, many courses are flat and long, leading golfers to swing away with their drivers without requiring many course management skills. But Robert Trent Jones Sr. ensured The Cove requires golfers’ best efforts to truly conquer it.”
On the other hand, The Ridge provides golfers an entirely different experience, unlike any other they’ll encounter in the Midwest, as its elevation changes are similar to those in Colorado and Utah. And, in contrast to most modern courses, which are surrounded by homes, The Ridge is enclosed by rock cropping, wildflowers, wildlife, and woods instead.
Aside from The Cove and The Ridge, all guests of The Lodge can also play the nearby Club at Porto Cima, which features a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course that has been rated among the top five layouts in Missouri, and is also owned by the Brown family.
TRANSFORMING BODY & MIND
After a day of golf, guests often enjoy a visit to Spa Shiki, where exclusive, signature treatments are found. A Japanese-inspired spa, the 16,000-square-foot retreat offers guests four primary opportunities to transform their bodies and minds: a bamboo facial, a green tea body treatment, a Himalayan salt stone massage, and a mango breeze manicure or pedicure.
The bamboo facial utilizes organic products that are infused with a variety of bamboo extracts, which have high antioxidant, mineral, protein, and vitamin contents. Meanwhile, the green tea body treatment includes a mask that has a honeycomb mitt that detoxifies, exfoliates, and nourishes. Additionally, the manicure’s or pedicure’s aroma enables guests to fully relax as their feet and hands are restored, whereas the hand-carved Himalayan salt stone massage heats muscles deeply, resulting in utmost relaxation.
“Shiki means ‘four seasons’ in Japanese, in honor of Harold Koplar,” Graf said. “With a team that’s dedicated to providing tranquility, refocusing guests’ tension into positive energy, and educating them on spa and wellness diversity, Spa Shiki will balance every guest’s chi (energy) and transform their bodies and minds.”
“We’ll always follow HK’s passion for offering guests magical experiences, from our lodging, to our golf courses, to our spas,” Graf said. “And, since one of our mantras is ‘from our family to yours,’ we’ll also consistently provide a family style sense of hospitality to each of our guests.”
The Lodge of Four Seasons
Lake Ozark, Missouri
(888) 265-5500
www.4SeasonsResort.com