T+L’s Hotel Review of The Lake Estate on Winnisquam in New Hampshire

As if on cue, the soulful howl of a loon pierced the autumn air as I stepped out onto my room’s balcony overlooking Lake Winnisquam, a place long treasured by New Hampshirites, yet little known to the outside world.

Opened in late September, The Lake Estate on Winnisquam is the first luxury resort to grace the Granite State since 1902, when the historic Mount Washington Hotel (now the Omni Mount Washington Resort & Spa) ushered guests into the halcyon era of opulent travel. Today, visitors are still transfixed by New Hampshire’s alpine wilderness, while the Lakes Region is a cultural touchstone that comprises 273 lakes and ponds, including the fourth largest lake in the state, Winnisquam. Its name translates to “pleasant waters” in Abenaki, a language spoken by the Algonquian people, who lived here until the mid-18th century.

With only a few days to explore the 36-acre resort, I let myself be drawn down a wide gravel path towards the waterfront, past the pollinator gardens lining the great lawn, the 84-degree infinity pool, and through a grove of Eastern white pine to a private beach with lounge chairs, kayaks, and stand-up paddle boards. On a warm September Sunday, just an hour and a half from Boston, there were no other people in the water, just quacking mergansers, laughing gulls, pearly oyster shells within arm’s reach, and a wondrous sense of peace.

A paddle around the bend revealed one of the resort’s secluded coves and an enchanting walking trail through the woods that would later feel like a parting gift. I floated between time-worn cottage communities, modern homes, and The Lake Estate, its dark brown facade, stone columns, and green teak railings blending in with the natural setting. Even though I knew there were dilapidated cottages on the berm three years before, and cows and farmland long before that, the 116-room resort somehow looked like a family compound that had always been part of the post-Colonial horizon.

Adirondack chairs side lakeside.

Lauren Crossley/Travel + Leisure

For Ed and Patti Rocco, the hospitality veterans and couple behind the $90-million project, the key to successfully reviving this under-the-radar destination was making guests feel at home.

“We wanted that residential vibe of a grand family summer house,” said Ed Rocco, who is also the general manager. “That’s why the names of the rooms—the Dining Room, the Library, the Bar, the Side Bar—are boring,” he chuckled, adding that they found inspiration in the great lake houses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries as well as their travels to places that value understated luxury and environmental preservation.

There were trips to Vail, Colorado; New York’s Adirondacks, Adare Manor in Ireland, and the Grand Hotel Royal Sorrento in Italy, where Ed Rocco delighted in the art deco lobby, the traditional brass key holders, handwritten welcome notes, and big door tassels in lieu of “do not disturb” signs. Bursting with ideas for an Old World-meets-New Hampshire aesthetic, the Roccos tapped local firm Samyn-D’Elia Architects and Boston-based designer Manuel de Santaren to create a romantic refuge.

There is no such thing as a frivolous design decision at The Lake Estate, where curios are tucked into cozy corners and hidden in plain sight without overstimulating guests. (The stunning lakefront views rightfully command the room.)

“Everything has a story,” Ed Rocco said. “Nothing here has been recently produced.” There are gold-leaf volumes of Shakespeare, exquisite pottery, and more than 100 artworks, including Audubon-style bird prints that lend a touch of whimsy in the hallways and 74 oil paintings by Hudson River School artists that Manuel de Santaren uncovered at estate sales around New England.

Nearby diversions run the gamut from Gunstock Mountain skiing to the quaint town of Laconia, but The Lake Estate’s homey milieu is an undeniable invitation to just chill: listen to live piano music by the fire, play backgammon in the lounge with an espresso martini, or read under the quilt in a canopy bed. There are plenty of resort-style activities, too: tennis and pickleball, fishing, a pontoon cruise, tastings in the wine cellar, a movie theater, a florist shop with well-curated gifts, and a 5,000-square-foot full-service spa with a heated mineral pool.

The resort’s many environmental initiatives include eliminating single-use plastics, a recycled cooking oil program, an energy-efficient HVAC system, and installing six EV charging outlets. Menawhile, the spa uses natural skincare products that all have charitable partnerships. Even the custom-made The Beauty of Hope candles contribute 10 percent of sales to Atlas Free, which fights human trafficking. In the coming months, guests can look forward to photography tours, cooking classes, yoga, holiday festivities, and a docked speakeasy serving bourbon.

With the possible exception of a large French tapestry installed in the dining room by expert textile hangers from Puerto Rico, The Lake Estate has been built by New Hampshire hands, from the electrical engineers to the millwork artisans to the husband-and-wife culinary team.

At the hotel’s formal farm-to-table restaurant, where all 96 seats have panoramic views of the lake and Belknap and Ossipee Mountains, executive chef Chris Viaud takes the helm next to his pastry chef Emilee Viaud. Having worked together in the kitchen at Chris’s three previous New Hampshire establishments, the duo’s delicious alchemy of skill, commitment to enhancing the New Hampshire dining scene, and respect for each other’s craft shines through every multi-dimensional dish.

A  2024 finalist for the James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur of the Year and a Top Chef season 18 contestant, chef Chris Viaud incorporates spices from his Haitian heritage on the seasonal menu, which doles out weekly surprises both on and off the setlist. There’s joie de vivre that sizzles in the colorful artistry and fall flavors, be it the roasted sweet potato and ricotta tortellini, pan seared scallops with pumpkin purée, or the tender spiced duck fanned over a cranberry yuzu coulis, accompanied by heaps of purple savoy cabbage, choucroute, confit potatoes, bright curled strips of pickled carrots, and punchy sprinkles of hazelnut dukkah.

Similarly, the desserts are arranged as inventive works of edible art, with the peanut butter s’mores semifreddo and the gluten-free caramel apple cheesecake resembling presents almost too pretty to undo. “I love using seasons as my inspiration and trying to envision what type of dessert guests would like to be enjoying when sitting out and looking at the lake,” pastry chef Emilee Viaud.

Back on my balcony, I couldn’t have anticipated a richer pairing than the mocha crème brûlée I brought in from the restaurant and the bright starry sky. The Lake Estate emits no light pollution at night, allowing this perpetual dialogue with the landscape. Sitting up close to nature in your Adirondack chair has the intended effect of deepening your connection with the spirit of this place, so that it haunts you, like a loon’s song, as all grand vacations should.

Rooms start at $399 per night and can be booked at thelakeestatenh.com.