As you know, I’ve raved about the ice wonderland Ice Castles. If you truly want to make the most out of your experience, I highly recommend staying and enjoying the area to its fullest. If you’re looking for a convenient place to stay with Ice Castles perks, look no further than The Ridge Hotel in Lake Geneva. As the closest hotel located by Ice Castles, you can have your fun then relax at the hotel. Or if you’re looking for more winter activities, The Ridge has you covered too! Find more reasons why you’ll want to stay at The Ridge Hotel this winter.
Related: Amazing Ice Castles in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Disclosure: Our family was provided a complimentary stay at The Ridge Hotel. I was not required to express a particular point of view, and all opinions are my own. .Some links may contain affiliate links.
Ice Castles Perks
If you plan on going to Ice Castles (read all about it here), staying at The Ridge Hotel is one of the best decisions you can make. As the closest hotel to the Ice Castles, you can enjoy your winter wonderland experience then rest and relax at the hotel or continue your fun at the hotel.
Another huge perk is not having to worry about parking since The Ridge offers shuttles to Ice Castles. On our particular visit, we checked in, parked our car, then hopped on the shuttle. So easy. It ended up being a good decision since the Ice Castles parking lot had run out of room and were redirecting new visitors to park at The Ridge.
As the exclusive host properties, both The Ridge Hotel (dog friendly) and their sister property, The Inns of Geneva National, are able to offer Ice Castles packages with tickets. Insider tip: If Ice Castles is sold out on a specific date/time, you may be able to secure tickets through one of the properties’ exclusive Ice Castles overnight packages.
Ice Skating
Don’t want the winter fun to end? Guests can grab complimentary ice skates and skate as long as they want on the ice skating rink. The kids (and husband) did a great job without much assistance.
Gourmet S’mores!
Nothing better than warming up by the fire and making s’mores! The Ridge offers gourmet s’mores with all the fixins. I’m talking about different flavor chocolates (and Reese’s!) along with a couple different types of marshmallows. ($10, Fridays to Sundays 4 – 6 p.m.)
Igloos
Indoor Biergarten
From Fridays to Sundays, you’ll find the cozy rustic Biergarten the perfect place to grab beer and eat some yummy grub while having fun playing board games. The kids were almost too busy playing board games and having fun to eat. Almost. But seriously, who could resist larger-than-your-head Bavarian pretzels and an almost too-good-to-eat charcuterie board? For a fun experience you’ll want to get Das Boot, 2 liters of beer in a glass boot.
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Scratch kitchen
Another option when hunger strikes is Crafted Americana, a two-time Wine Spectator-recognized restaurant. Some of their more popular items include the Ahi tuna, Spotted Cow cheese curds, steakhouse burger, and ice cream sandwich.
Coffee & wine bar
Serving Milwaukee’s Collectivo coffee, bean + vine is a chic coffee shop that also serves food on the go like Boar’s Head sandwiches, bagels, soups, and wraps. If you bought one of those super adorable Ice Castle mugs, you can get refills of coffee or hot chocolate here.
More winter fun
The Ridge has you covered with other winter activities like curling and making snow candy. I was really hoping to try curling but due to the unseasonably warm weather, it wasn’t quite ready.
Splash away
When we were ready to relax indoors, their fairly large pool provided splash-tastic fun. The glass windows of the atrium made it extra bright. I appreciated the hot tub across from the pool while my husband totally took advantage of the sauna and steam room.
Bottom Line:
Staying at The Ridge Hotel not only had its Ice Castle perks, but also enhanced our winter getaway with all the special activities provided by the hotel.
Nitty Gritty:
Website: https://www.ridgelakegeneva.com/
Location: W4240 WI-50, Lake Geneva l WI 53147
Check-in and Check-out: 4 p.m. and 11 a.m.
