Ever wish you could go back to summer camp, but ya know, without the prepubescent acne and outdoor showers? Well, now’s your chance to quench your thirst for nostalgia with a little bit of rustic luxury.
Enter: Meier Lake Boutique Hotel in Hatcher Pass, Alaska, a hipster oasis where rest, recreation and the great outdoors collide.
Set on the shore of Meier Lake (as the name suggests), this restored summer camp sprawls over 120 acres of lush green land. At its center is a modern clubhouse outfitted with Native American art and vintage maps of Alaska.
Each of the 12 rooms on the compound are decorated in soothing neutrals and place focus on relaxation by featuring plush mattresses, locally made bed frames and no TVs or phones. Foreign as the no-screens room concept may seem, Meier Lake’s director of sales and marketing, Steve Solari, says it’s meant to encourage guests to connect with nature and truly unplug. For those of us who can’t imagine not Instagramming the entire experience, however, rest assured that there is electricity, as evidenced by the in-room heated floors.
In addition to the minimalist chic accommodations, each room boasts its own private deck with chairs and ample views of the lake. It appears, in our humble opinion, the perfect place to finally finish those dog-eared copies of The New Yorker.
But what would adult summer camp be without a little fun? Look no further than Meier Lake’s private hiking trails, pop in the lake for a refreshing swim or take out one of the hotel’s various paddle boats, canoes or kayaks. Did we mention there’s a fire pit for roasting marshmallows and imbibing cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon late into the night?
And for true lovers of the unexpected, the property is adding an 18-hole Frisbee golf course designed by none other than 2010 world champion Eric McCabe himself.
Pack up the paperback books and flannels. We’re heading north.
