Head to Osage Beach and find a slice of paradise at Margaritaville Lake Resort. Choose from multiple activities, dining choices and accommodation options.
Outside the entrance to the lobby, a sculpture of a giant blue flip-flop flanked by palms greets arriving guests at Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake of the Ozarks. The photo-worthy installation signals the tropical beach vibe that awaits vacationers ready to chill out and unwind.
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Sprawling across a hillside overlooking the main channel of one of the Midwest’s largest manmade lakes, the central Missouri playground has been a destination in itself since 1960 but only recently took on the Margaritaville brand, a synonym for island ecstasy and casual fun. I remember staying at the storied resort with my family when it was called Tan-Tar-A Resort, Golf Club & Spa. For a period, it flourished under the Marriott banner. Tan-Tar-A became Margaritaville in 2019.
The spirit of Jimmy Buffett lives on at Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake of the Ozarks.
As one of the 40-some Margaritaville resorts in the real estate/restaurant/retail empire inspired by the lyrics and lifestyle popularized by late singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, the 520-room property embodies the spirit of relaxation reflected in hit songs like “Margaritaville,” “Come Monday” and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.” Indeed, the theme of escapism is a common thread woven throughout Margaritaville Lake Resort.
For decades Buffett filled arenas with fans who called themselves “parrotheads.” At various venues within the resort, you’ll hear Buffett’s music and see videos of his performances in addition to songs and clips showcasing other pop artists.
You Won’t Go Hungry in Paradise
The lobby’s License to Chill Bar & Grill, named after a Buffett song title and 2004 concert tour, serves tasty flatbread pizzas and other light fare. For breakfast, the adjacent Margaritaville Coffee Shop offers flavored coffees, espresso and cappuccino, plus pastries, yogurt and egg sandwiches.
LandShark Bar & Grill
A shuttle ride or five-minute walk down the hill takes you to the waterfront LandShark Bar & Grill, where—indoors or on the patio—you might have nachos, a fish taco or cheeseburger with your margarita or LandShark Lager, the Margaritaville-brand beer brewed by Anheuser-Busch. Or just enjoy a drink by the bonfire in the sand beach seating area. The adjacent swimming pool, whose adult section has a swim-up bar and surfboard-shaped bar tables in the water, is one of five at the resort.
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On the other side of LandShark Bar & Grill is the lakeside Tiki Hut Pool Bar. The pool has a waterslide and just got new decking. Steps away, the newly remodeled Windrose Marker 26, a fine dining restaurant, specializes in steak and seafood.
In the resort’s main complex, which spills down the hillside in a series of hallways, stairways, nooks and crannies, are two other eateries. The multi-level JB’s Boathouse Grill, featuring a wall of colorful buoys and other nautical paraphernalia, has a great breakfast buffet offering everything from biscuits and gravy to made-to-order Belgian waffles. JB’s serves lunch and dinner in peak season, May to October. A Bloody Mary and Mimosa Bar is available on summer weekends.
Games at Fin City Pizzeria & Billiards include darts, indoor shuffleboard, pinball and Pac-Man in addition to billiards. TV monitors show music videos, and there are 12 beers on tap. Nearby are Fin City Arcade (with prize redemption center) and newly refurbished, eight-lane Fin City Bowling with cool mood lighting and super-efficient string pinsetters, the sport’s latest technological advance.
Margaritaville Lake Resort’s marina rents all kinds of boats and water toys.
Recreational Activities Abound at Margaritaville Lake Resort
The marina rents boats, water skis, WaveRunners, tubes and paddle boards. A 125-passenger yacht, the Tropic Island, offers narrated afternoon and evening cruises on Lake of the Ozarks, which was created more than 90 years ago by the construction of Bagnell Dam.
Jolly Mon Indoor Water Park has a three-story beach house with interactive features, a 600-gallon tipping bucket, four waterslides, a lazy river, large activity pool and oversized hot tub. Nearby is Fins Up! Indoor Pool and Fitness Center.
Active Margaritaville guests also can tackle the challenging 18-hole mini golf course and, across the road, the 18-hole championship course at The Oaks Golf Club. Or they can saddle up for horseback riding at the resort’s stables. The tennis courts soon will be replaced by six pickleball courts.
Spacious Guest Rooms
My eighth-floor nest, two floors up from the sixth-floor lobby, was typical of the generously proportioned, lake-facing suites in the Anchor Building. With a balcony affording scenic views, it had two king-size beds, a sleeper sofa, table with two upholstered chairs and full kitchen. The white bed covering sported a subtle parrot motif, and one pillow bore a slice of lime and the inscription “If Life Gives You Limes, Make a Margarita.” Framed art depicting a sailboat and palm-fringed beach enhanced the laid-back feel. Written in turquoise cursive letters across one wall was the phrase “Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude.”
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Besides eight floors of guest rooms in the Anchor Building, Margaritaville Lake Resort provides accommodations on six levels in the Edgewater Building, which is connected to the Anchor Building by a catwalk, and three additional hotel buildings. Cottages by the lake contain one- and two-bedroom units. The resort also controls 78 rentals at Tan-Tar-A Estates, the neighboring vacation home community.
Worries waft away soon after entering the front gate of Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake of the Ozarks.
Shops on the Boardwalk, up the escalator from the lobby, includes a store purveying Margaritaville-themed merchandise, from margarita and beer glasses to plush parrots, Jimmy Buffet CDs and tank tops proclaiming “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem.” You can buy an “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” lime-slice clock or even order a Margaritaville bicycle ($528). Or maybe grab a copy of Margaritaville The Cookbook: Relaxed Recipes for a Taste of Paradise.
Recharging at Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake of the Ozarks is the next best thing to a Florida fling.
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Photos courtesy of Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake of the Ozarks
