A trio of lakefront resorts transform Elkhart Lake from cottage country into
a beloved eastern Wisconsin summer destination, steeped in traditions and memory
making. Younger folks connect to the 1950 origins of the Road America grand prix race
that put Elkhart Lake on the map. Their great-grandparents were titillated by the illicit
gambling; and their elders, who lived along the shores of Lake Michigan, may have come by railroad for the water, believed by the native Potawatami people to have curative powers.
All three of today’s resorts have deep roots and together provide an array of accommodations to enjoy an increasingly year-round destination just an hour north of Milwaukee.
Courtesy of The Osthoff Resort
The Osthoff Resort
The Osthoff Resort is the grand-daddy of the Elkhart Lake hospitality industry and today it
offers something for everyone, as well as a AAA four diamond rating. Condo-style suites as
large as three bedrooms appeal to families and multi-gen visitors, who make memories with fishing, sunset cruises on pontoon boats, beach bonfires, cooking classes, and so much more. The hotel rooms are popular with Osthoff’s booming meeting and events business that attracts some of Wisconsin’s largest employers like Sargento, and even the global icon Ferrari.
Osthoff’s is a sprawling, full-service property with a wide range of restaurants and bars,
including the seasonal Lake Deck, a waterfront hangout with live music every day in summer. Amenities include indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, whirlpools, fitness center and arcade. Its Aspira Spa is impressive. We suggest you start your Osthoff visit with a 50-minute session zoned out on one of six loungers in the salt room, the perfect
space to shift into a slower speed, like the Osthoff family and their friends did when they began visiting Elkhart Lake in the 1800s.
Siebkens Resort
Siebkens Resort
Siebkens Resort balances past and present with updated, simple hotel rooms in a historic
building and lake cottage, as well as modern, multi-bedroom condominiums with a pool.
Breakfast is housemade grab-and-go paired with Wisconsin-based Ruby Roasters coffee in the open living room of the stately Victorian home that is both office and heart of the Siebkens experience. Just out the front door is “The Hard Left,” the dangerous first sharp corner of the 1951-52 circuit that put Elkhart Lake on the map. (Note, the racetrack at Road America is an exact replica of the original route through town, without the perils of potentially harming bystanders).
Downstairs in the circa 1880 farmhouse is the P.A.M. Dining Room with its elevated menu and tiny but charming cocktail bar where bartender David shares his handwritten recipe book filled with classics he’s perfected, with a twist. Go here for cocktails. But for beer and spirits, Siebkens is also home to the Stop-Inn Tavern, a see-and-be-seen paraphernalia-filled watering hole of the racing circuit and an irrevocable part of the Road America experience.
The Shore Club
The Shore Club
The Shore Club has the most contemporary style, with fully renovated and creatively styled
pet-friendly hotel rooms, all with balconies and an in-room bar featuring a built-in ice-bucket whose former life was the bathroom sink. Like Siebkens, the reception and guest lounge are in a historic home – this one an all-white Victorian that would be equally at home on Martha’s Vineyard. Ladies, if you need a couple pieces for your summer wardrobe, the owner’s wife shares her impeccable taste with a few racks of stylish and colorful clothing and accessories.
The Shore Club’s prime real estate are all lakefront hospitality venues. The Social has a
speakeasy vibe with leather club chairs and a machine that dispenses Wisconsin’s favorite
party-game: pull-tabs. You can cash your winnings right at the bar. The menu includes its own take on a Friday fish fry (accompanied by live jazz) and possibly the best Beef Wellington you’ll ever try. The century-old theater next door is a a dedicated event space with a dance floor, bar and a lakeview deck. All are welcome at the Tiki Bar, a lakefront bar with an island vibe and a regular rotation of live music.
