Top Midwestern Resorts for Autumn Getaways
- The American Club, Kohler, Wisconsin
- Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan
- Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
- Deer Path Inn, Lake Forest, Illinois
- Big Cedar Lodge, Ridgedale, Missouri
- Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls, Michigan
- The Inn Hotel, Arnolds Park, Iowa
- Grand View Lodge Spa & Golf Resort, Brainerd Lakes, Minnesota
- West Baden Springs Hotel, West Baden Springs, Indiana
- The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake, Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio
As inspiring as the colorful fall foliage of the Midwest is, equally inspiring are the crackling fires, farm-to-fork dinners, and spa treatments you’ll find throughout the region. Luxurious resorts from Iowa and Ohio to Minnesota and Michigan provide picturesque autumnal scenery while pampering guests with a range of amenities. Whether you’re a nature lover, a spa-goer, or a parent seeking kid-centric seasonal activities, one of these Midwestern resorts is sure to fit the bill.
The American Club, Kohler, Wisconsin
An hour’s drive north of Milwaukee, Destination Kohler Resort offers five championship golf courses, wellness retreats, world-class dining, and sumptuous lodging across three locations. Choose the most luxe — The American Club — home to The Immigrant Restaurant and The Greenhouse, a café in a stained-glass solarium transported from England. Take in the panorama of Lake Michigan while hiking among the dunes of Kohler-Andrae State Park, about a 15-minute drive south from the resort, then recover with a massage or hydrotherapy treatment at Kohler Waters Spa.
Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan
Car-free Mackinac quiets down as the high season draws to a close in October. Many locals and visitors alike take advantage of the tranquility with hikes or bike rides around the island, which remains 80 percent undeveloped. Mackinac Island State Park features 70 miles of roads and trails, plus a tea room serving smoked whitefish dip, a local specialty. Back at the luxurious Grand Hotel, the design game is strong with pops of pink, green, and blue. The dining options are plentiful, and the spa menu is packed with facials and body treatments. Afternoon tea has been served in the parlor daily since the 1840s.
Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Grand Geneva Resort & Spa has something for everyone in the family during fall. For golfers, the Stay and Golf Free package offered through October guarantees two complimentary rounds a day on either or both of the resort’s courses. For relaxation-seekers, Well Spa + Salon offers an array of calming treatments. Additionally, kids will stay entertained at Dan Patch Stables, where there are spooky hayrides and a haunted barn attraction open every Friday and Saturday.
Suites and spacious villas make stays at Grand Geneva extra comfortable. With several bars and restaurants on site, as well as activities from rock climbing to pickleball, guests may find it hard to leave the property.
Deer Path Inn, Lake Forest, Illinois
This Tudor-style manor is a slice of Great Britain just 30 miles north of downtown Chicago — right down to the afternoon tea in the English Room and the fish and chips at White Hart Pub. Cozy details like Frette linens, Molton Brown shampoos, and rubber duckies for the bath help make this place a frequent World’s Best Awards winner. Outdoors enthusiasts can ride the inn’s complimentary bicycles along the Robert McLory Bike Path to Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve, home to a wide variety of flora, fauna, trails, and lakefront vistas.
Big Cedar Lodge, Ridgedale, Missouri
Big Cedar Lodge, overlooking Table Rock Lake in the Ozark Mountains, has over 300 accommodation options ranging from private log cabins to glamping tents. Every Saturday in October, guests can celebrate the season with hayrides, pumpkin picking, and foliage cruises on the lake before pampering themselves in the Cedar Creek Spa. The numerous dining venues include Canteen at Long Creek (serving breakfast and lunch from an Airstream) and The Worman House Bistro, which offers delicacies like lobster thermidor and 22-ounce, bone-in ribeye.
Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls, Michigan
Before the snow transforms Boyne Mountain into a skier’s and snowboarder’s paradise, the turning leaves frame the sprawling resort with a kaleidoscope of color. Accommodations range from lodges and condos to villas and cabins. The Mountain Grand Lodge and Spa alone has more than 200 rooms along with one- to three-bedroom suites. Guests have access to an indoor/outdoor heated pool, the spa, and the connected Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark. The highlight, however, is the 1,200-foot-long, 118-foot-high SkyBridge, providing panoramic views over the valley.
The Inn Hotel, Arnolds Park, Iowa
Opened in 2019, the art-deco themed Inn Hotel pays homage to the 1920s — what the developers refer to as the “Golden Age” of hospitality in the Okoboji Lakes region — with retro touches like Victrola radios and Edison bulbs. Guests can enjoy comfort-food classics like barbecue bacon cheeseburgers or Italian sausage and peppers at Tavern on the Park. There are also opportunities to hike along the 1.5-mile interpretative trail at Gull Point State Park, on the opposite side of West Okoboji Lake.
Grand View Lodge Spa & Golf Resort, Brainerd Lakes, Minnesota
Whether you’re receiving a hot-stone massage or herbal foot detox at the spa, life at Northern Minnesota’s Grand View Lodge Spa & Golf Resort is all about pampering. Accommodations at Gull Haven cabins and Interlachen townhomes feature full kitchens and easy access to secluded East Side Beach on Gull Lake. Meanwhile, cottages and villas along Roy Lake come equipped with docks, gas fireplaces, and game rooms with pool tables. Nearby, Pillsbury State Forest and Northland Arboretum boast excellent hiking trails for admiring the fall foliage.
West Baden Springs Hotel, West Baden Springs, Indiana
The architecture alone would justify a trip to this Gilded Age grande dame. The steel dome above the center of the hotel — once the largest in the world when it finished in 1902 — remains an engineering marvel. Guests can admire the dome from Ballard’s in the Atrium, which serves light fare like Wagyu burgers and margherita pies. After a day of hiking along the Shirley Creek or Springs Valley trails, unwind with a Signature Sprudel Bath at the spa.
The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake, Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio
Less than 50 miles northeast of downtown Cleveland, on the southern shores of Lake Erie, The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake serves as a luxurious base camp to explore Ohio’s wine country. Surprisingly, Ohio boasts over 20 wineries within minutes of this waterfront resort. When not out among the vines, guests can admire the stunning foliage of Geneva State Park from the saddle of one of the hotel’s complimentary bikes.
Each cottage at the resort offers privacy and a home-away-from-home feel, including a private porch with rocking chairs and views framing the lake. All-day dining at Horizons Restaurant ranges from midday croissant sandwiches to gourmet steak and fish dishes in the evening.