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Places to Stay : Ephraim

Edgewater Resort
Hwy. 42, P O Box 143
Ephraim, WI 54211
920/854-2734

Modern conveniences and history converge at Edgewater Resort, which overlooks pretty Eagle Harbor in Ephraim. In fact, most accommodations give you a water view.

Here, three buildings have suites, hotel rooms and studios. There are separate vintage cottages, too, for a total of 28 accommodations. Edgewater began as the Edgewater Lodge in the 1890s.

There is easy access to the resort’s beach property, where some benches are reserved for guests. You can also find next door a restaurant called the Old Post Office Restaurant (formerly the town’s post office in the early 1900s). Or meander to nearby shops and galleries such as Celeste Wegman Interiors, 3064 Church St. It’s filled with affordable art, home accents and furniture. Also popular is Hanseatic Art Gallery, where long-time Door Peninsula-based artists Karsten Topelmann and Ellen Sprogo-Topelmann create and share their paintings.

Checking In
But you may find it hard to leave the resort, located just north of the iconic Wilson’s Restaurant and Ice Cream parlor. Find plenty of parking, and a sign directs you to the “lobby,” where you check-in and pick up a variety of materials on local sites. There’s a gas-burning fireplace in the lobby, and from here you can meander to one of the buildings (each is three-stories high) or cottages to get settled.

Make a note to come back to the lovely arbor area outside the lobby. There is a bench and swing to sit on, and you have a view of the water from right here.

Suites
The suites offer a spacious interior—a living room with fireplace, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. The décor is coastal cottage—a lot of blues, sage green and neutral colors are used in the upholstery, linens and wall colors. There are hardwood floors in the living room and kitchen and carpeting in the bedroom.

A premium suite we saw on the second floor has a queen sofa sleeper in the living room and king-size bed in the bedroom and a whirlpool tub.

It gives you outdoor access to the veranda, where you can sit on a wicker chair and look at the view of water and people sailing away. People with suites on the third level have their own private veranda but no cover above them.

“We have one of the best views in Ephraim. Every suite but one has a view of the water, and you are the closest,” says Jan Torres, hospitality associate.

But what about the traffic on Hwy. 42? Well, you’ll no doubt hear it in the middle of July, but when we were in the suite with the doors shut we did not hear it.

“We are between two marinas, and you can rent boats there. We are located very well,” Jan adds.

A note on suites: premium is the largest, a deluxe suite is over the pool, and a standard is poolside. Each has two TVs with DVD players, fully equipped kitchens and a whirlpool tub in the bedroom. Oh, very important: all accommodations come with a 12-cup coffeemaker and coffee packet.

Speaking of the standard suite, we loved the layout of one we saw on the first level. It has the water view as well as a woody view to the rear and there was enough room for a table with four chairs, even though the kitchen breakfast bar was smaller (three seats).

Studios/Hotel Rooms
A studio or hotel room may be all a couple needs. The studio, for example, does not have the living room and fully equipped kitchen. But it does have the coffeemaker, a small refrigerator, microwave, and gas fireplace, as well as the whirlpool tub.

Cottages
If you are here with a family, you may want your own little place. The cottages (one or two bedroom) have been nicely updated and preserve original amenities such as sparkling clean hardwood floors. There is no dishwasher, and they are looking into adding ovens. A microwave is available.

Also enjoy the TV/DVD and gas fireplace. These amenities give you views of the fish boil by the Old Post Office Restaurant and not really the water, and you are further back from the highway.

“A lot of people stay here for the week. Our staff is very guest-oriented. We are here to help and go out of our way to do so,” Jan says.

Bathrooms
All amenities had private bathrooms with a shower, vanity and the requisite hair dryer. The toiletries were made by Lord and Mayfair.

Other Amenities
The pool is a centerpiece here and ranges from three to five feet deep. A fence surrounds it, and there are lots of chairs if you just want to lie around. Or take a dip in the three-foot deep outdoor Jacuzzi. Nearby is an exercise room and sauna with available towels and equipment such as a Stairmaster machine, bike and weight-bearing equipment. There are some paperback books here, which you can borrow.

Summary
We liked the Edgewater Resort. The staff is very pleasant and experienced and the accommodations are updated and well taken care of. The location is great for the visitor who wants to be in a historic location and near a lot to do. Give them a call or visit their website now, and please tell them DoorCountyNavigator.com chartered your way there.