Lake Living at the Ozarks
A New Condo Lifestyle Is Born
Condo-Hotels Arrive at the Lake
BY
Jennifer Bondurant
PHOTOGRAPHY
Courtesy of Avila at the Lodge

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If you frequent the beach scenes on the East or West coasts, you might be familiar with condo-hotels, but for many Missourians, the term is a new one. Visit the Lake of the Ozarks this summer, however, and chances are you’ll hear a buzz about this real estate offering. The offering might be a new one for potential Lake condominium buyers, but the ideas behind it come down to old-fashioned hospitality and a package deal: ownership, lifestyle and rental management.

“A condo-hotel combines condominium ownership with the amenities and services of a hotel and an optional rental management program,” says Peter Brown, president of Four Seasons Homes and vice president of the Four Seasons Group. “You find key differences between a traditional condominium and a condominium hotel in the list of services that are offered.”

Avila at the Lodge, being built by Four Seasons Homes and part of the Four Seasons Group, and the Resort at Toad Cove are two new condo-hotels under development at the Lake. The Resort at Toad Cove welcomed its first owners and guests over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, and Avila expects to open this month.

According to Peter, who has served on panels at two different national condominium hotel symposiums, condominium hotels are growing in popularity because they provide second-home ownership benefits without maintenance hassles, and the optional rental program can offset some ownership costs.

“Condo-hotels are a much more efficient way to own real estate at the Lake of the Ozarks,” he says. “With a condo-hotel, you own your second home in a great location with all the amenities you could want but minimize your investment through the rental program.”    

For many condo-hotel buyers, the idea of walking in and walking out without having to clean or fix anything is a major draw. “People don’t want to mess with the headaches of owning a traditional  condo,” Peter says. “With a condo-hotel, they get more amenities, more service and pampering — they get to enjoy every minute of their stay at the Lake.”

“You don’t just stay for the room,” comments Mike Barnett, general manager at the Resort at Toad Cove, on the condo-hotel appeal. “You stay for the experience.”