Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa offers discount luxury family vacation

Mountain Harbor Resort porch offers lake view. Photo courtesy Mountain Harbor Resort & Spa

Mountain Harbor Resort & Spa on Lake Ouachita in Arkansas is both family vacation resort and luxury holiday spot. Located on the shores of Arkansas’s largest lake, less than a half hour from Hot Springs, Mountain Harbor is the ideal vacation spot.

As I drove into what I’d been told was a luxury resort, I loved the seclusion, but I didn’t know what to expect. I knew there was a spa, but I also knew there was a marina and a full offering of water sports. I didn’t want loud and noisy. I didn’t want to rough it. I didn’t want a fishing lodge or a tired motel. What I found was the perfect place to relax and get away in completely comfortable surroundings.

Resort Accommodations

The resort offers several types of accommodations: lake view guest rooms and kitchenette units; cottages with lake views, hot tubs, and fireplaces; and luxurious condominiums. The newest unit is a spacious 3 bedroom, 3 bath “green” cottage with energy efficient appliances, bamboo flooring, carpet made from recycled soda bottles, and more.

I stayed in a lake-front cabin with a great deck overlooking the water and a hot tub that was perfect for quiet evenings. The bed was fabulous, there was a great fireplace, and complete solitude without feeling isolated and alone. It definitely fit the bill for a luxury vacation with just a touch of the unique.

Dining

I loved my room, but I wasn’t sure what to expect from the restaurant. I could cook in the full kitchen in my cottage, but I was there to pamper myself, so I made my way to The Lodge Restaurant. I was, once again, pleasantly surprised. The restaurant features Southern-style cooking and healthy cuisine with breathtaking lake views.

Turtle Cove Spa

Relax at Turtle Cove Spa. Photo courtesy Mountain Harbor Resort & Spa

The spa, tucked in its own building up the hillside from the lake, was a wonderful treat. There are four treatment rooms, a fireside couples suite, an open air pavilion for outdoor treatments, and pedicure/manicure stations. One of Turtle Cove Spa’s signature treatments is the Crystal Energy Balance Therapy using locally mined polished crystals, tuning forks, and vibro-acoustic sound table. You can check out the full menu of treatments at http://www.turtlecovespa.com. Even if you don’t plan to stay at the resort, Turtle Cove Spa is an exceptional day spa on an excursion from Hot Springs.

Outdoor Activities

Of course, the crowning glory of Mountain Harbor Resort & Spa is the lake front location on Lake Ouachita. Even though the activities include horseback riding and hiking, the majority of the fun revolves around the water sports — the perfect playground for a family vacation.

The full service marina has a party barge, deck boat, and fishing boat rentals, along with a floating marina and covered patio. There is also a dive shop and you can rent a variety of water toys or a houseboat. If you bring your own water craft, Mountain Harbor offers over 1,300 storage slips.

I enjoyed a leisurely cruise on the lake at sunset. The expansiveness of the water and the sun glistening off the cottages alongside the lake gave me a sense of serenity. It was everything I was looking for in a vacation.

• I’m on a Budget Spa Package includes two nights lodging in a Mountain Harbor Resort guestroom with two queens or one king bed, coffee maker, refrigerator, microwave, VCR, and patio overlooking the lake. The package include a $200 credit at Mountain Harbor’s Turtle Cove Spa and all lodging taxes. Now through September 2nd, the package is $487.76 Sunday through Thursday and $553.16 on Friday/Saturday/Holidays through September 6th. Prices drop to $370.04 for the package from September 7 through December 31st.
• Fantastic Lodging and Boating Package offers you the best of both worlds. You’ll enjoy two nights in a 2-bedroom, 2-bath luxurious condominium with a fully appointed kitchen, wood-burning fireplace, washer and dryer, and a private deck with a charcoal grill. The package includes a $200 credit at the marina, where you can rent party barges, ski boats, fishing boats, and water toys. The package also includes all lodging taxes. The price is $808.22 Sunday through Thursday through September 2nd and $919.40 Friday, Saturday, and Holidays through September 6th. Prices drop to $581.50 September 7th through December 31st.
• Honeymooners Private Cruise/Spa Romance Package includes two nights lodging in the special couple’s cottage with fine chocolates, fresh cut flowers, and a rose-petal turn down for your bed. The package also includes a 50-minute couple’s hot stone massage in the Wilderness Pavilion or Fireside Couple’s Suite, as well as a two-hour romantic, private, lake cruise with a captain and a cheese tray. You’ll enjoy a romantic, three-course candle-lit dinner for two at Mountain Harbor’s Lodge Restaurant. All taxes and gratuities are included. The package is $1,769.10 on weekdays through September 2nd, $1943.50 for weekends and holidays through September 6th, and $$1627.40 September 7th through December 31st.

There are a variety of other packages available online at
http://www.mountainharborresort.com/packages. I definitely recommend Mountain Harbor Resort & Spa for the perfect luxury escape, vacation deal, and all-around great family vacation.

Tags: Arkansas, Lake Ouachita, Resorts, Turtle Cove Spa, Water Sports