GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE — Twenty years have come and gone since the Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake became a major player in the county’s tourism industry. “It is great,” said Ashtabula County Commissioner Casey Kozlowski, regarding the 20 years of successful operation. He said the lodge has led the way as a driver of tourism, and he hopes the success will continue for the next 20 years.
On Aug. 31, a celebration will take place at the lodge with an outdoor dinner buffet, followed by a fireworks display, according to General Manager Charlene Horgan. “Since opening 20 years ago, the lodge has continually ranked as one of the top destinations along Lake Erie.
We make the most of our spectacular Lake Erie view from Lake Erie Canopy Tours and Horizons Restaurant dining to the expanded resort pool area and wrap around cottage porches,” Horgan said. The lodge has 109 guest rooms and 25 two-bedroom cottages, the restaurant, a lounge, amenities, a fitness center, an indoor and outdoor pool and a gift shop. The outdoor dinner will cost $70 a person and is entitled BBQ and Boom.
It will be followed by a fireworks show for dinner guests and the community. The dinner buffet guests will have reserved seating for the fireworks and the public will be able to watch the fireworks from the north lawn areas of the lodge as well as from Geneva State Park Marina. The lodge is also offering a 20 percent discount on the Zipline at Lake Erie Canopy Tours for the celebration weekend, and throughout the month of October, Horgan said.
Horgan said the luxury sprinter shuttles for daily wine tours are a recent addition to the lodge’s offerings, as are larger golf carts that seat six people. Ashtabula County owns the lodge, but leases the land on which it sits from the state of Ohio. Last year, the county received funds from the state to pay off the remaining debt on the lodge.
The facility is operated by Delaware North, a global leader in the hospitality and entertainment industry, and the company serves more than a half-billion guests across four continents ranging from sports venues, to national and state parks and hotels and casinos. Horgan said the lodge is looking forward to a redesign of the Horizons Restaurant, which will incorporate the natural color of Lake Erie and update the decor. Visitors from many states come to the lodge annually and go to many area attractions including the wineries and businesses in Geneva-on-the-Lake and Geneva.
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