Condos Offer Comforts, Convenience of Home
at Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks
LAKE OF THE OZARKS, MO --Visitors to Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks enjoy many choices in entertainment, shopping, dining, sightseeing – and lodging. The Lake area offers a wide array of accommodations: hotels and motels, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds, resorts, even houseboats. Another increasingly popular lodging option is a vacation rental condominium – and with more than 1,000 condos available throughout the Lake area, you’re sure to find one that’s just right for your next getaway.
“There are a million reasons to stay in a condo at the Lake of the Ozarks,” says Mark Krantz, CEO of Keys to the Lake Lodging, which manages 75 rental condos. “More people are renting vacation condos because they offer the spaciousness and conveniences of home.” He explains, “You have room to move around. And you don’t have to bring along your coffee maker or pots and pans or linens because it’s all right there. Just bring your clothes and food and open the door to a great vacation.”
Keys to the Lake Lodging rents condos with one to five bedrooms; all are lakefront units. “Many of our condos are quite luxuriously decorated,” Krantz says. “Some even have a hot tub on the deck where you can look out over the Lake and see the moon sparkling on the water.” Condo renters have access to all of the amenities of the condo complex, he notes, including swimming pools, tennis courts, playgrounds, and boat, PWC and boat slip rentals. “You can take a virtual tour of our condos on our Internet web site, www.keystothelake.com,” Krantz says. “It’s a convenient way to choose the condo that fits your needs.”
In addition to the comforts of home, many vacation condos offer the amenities of a resort. Kim Ruffino, president of 6-Star Management, says, “Most of our condos are just 20 feet from the water’s edge. They have kitchens, washers and dryers, outdoor and indoor heated pools, hot tubs, saunas and a workout center. It’s almost like staying at a resort, but for a lot less money.” Her company manages rental condos in two complexes in Osage Beach.
The condo complexes offer a friendly family atmosphere, Ruffino adds. “Several of our rental condos are located next to each other or in the same building, so families can be close but still have their private quarters. It’s very convenient for groups and large families,” she says. “And inside the condos, the kids can have their own rooms to play video games while the parents can watch movies or TV or play cards in another room.”
What’s more, when a family stays in a condo, they can cook “at home” instead of going out. “Families can save money and also have fun dining together on a deck or patio overlooking the Lake,” Ruffino says. “You don’t have to worry about where to eat for every meal.”
Thanks to the abundance of rental condos at the Lake, you can stay in a basic unit or one that’s beautifully decorated and accessorized. You can choose a top-floor condo with a panoramic view or an easy street-level walk-in. You also can select a condo that’s right where you want to be – in the thick of fast-paced Lake of the Ozarks action, close to shopping or overlooking a quiet cove. You can even stay in a condo located on a gorgeous fairway at a world-class golf course like Old Kinderhook in Camdenton.
Designed by Tom Weiskopf in 1999, Golf Digest gives the 18-hole, par-71 Old Kinderhook course a 4½-star rating, while Golf Week ranks it one of the top two semi-private courses in Missouri. The course is renowned for its elevation changes and breathtaking views. Rental lodging at the golf resort includes condos as well as cozy golf cottages and luxurious patio homes.
“Old Kinderhook is a mecca for golfers and other groups that like to stay here,” says Blake Conklin, director of lodging. “Our 25 golf cottages are highly in demand among people who want to be close to the course and golf shop.” The one- and two-bedroom cottages sleep four to six people and have decks, fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. Eight three-bedroom patio homes can accommodate up to 10 people, and also have fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. The three condos located in the Marina Tower have a far-reaching Lake view and boat slips.
April 1 through November 1 is prime time for visitors booking the rental units, Conklin says, with September and October the busiest months. Year-round, Old Kinderhook offers special money-saving Stay & Play packages and participates in the Golf-A-Round program, which includes lodging, golf and cart rental at one or more of the Lake area’s 14 participating golf courses.
Other condo rental companies also offer discount golf packages, and are glad to make complete arrangements for vacations, reunions, honeymoons, anniversaries or other occasions. “It’s important when you come to the Lake on a busy weekend that your boat rental and water-park tickets are taken care of in advance,” says James Leveridge, director of lodging and marketing at Lake Ozark Vacations-A PMG Company. “Your condo becomes your base for venturing out to enjoy all the Lake-area attractions” – such as excursion boats, musical entertainment, mini-golf and go-karts, arcades, indoor and outdoor water parks, show caves and state parks, to name a few.
Condos are available year-round. “In the fall the Lake slows down but that’s when we rent vacation condos to groups of ladies who come to the Lake to shop at the 110-store Osage Beach Premium Outlets and the hundreds of specialty and antique shops,” Krantz says. “We also rent condos to couples and small groups who like to play golf in the fall when the courses are so pretty and the weather is still decent. And more visitors are renting condos over Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve.”
In fact, people increasingly rent condos in the winter, especially units with fireplaces, Leveridge notes. “Visitors enjoy the quiet beauty of the Lake then, and there’s still quite a lot to do around the area,” he says.
The bottom line, says Russell Burdette, manager at Al Elam Property Management, is when it comes to a vacation condo rental, “you just can’t beat the price.” Al Elam Vacation Rentals offers more than 40 one- to six-bedroom condos and 20 two- to five-bedroom homes in various areas of the Lake. Most of the units are located directly on the water and have a dock, swimming pool, tennis court and playground.
“A three-bedroom home that sleeps 10 may cost up to $500 per night, but that’s just $50 per person,” Burdette says. “That’s a lot less than a hotel that may not even have a Lake view.”
In-season, 6-Star Management offers a two-bedroom condo for $175 a night, a three-bedroom unit for $230 and four-bedroom for $325. Off-season rates are $125, $150 and $225. Keys to the Lake Lodging condos rent from $99 to $575 in-season and $69 to $399 off-season. At Old Kinderhook, in-season rates are $120-$170 for one-bedroom, $195-$280 for two-bedroom and $260-$375 for a three-bedroom cottage, patio home or condo.
Five- and six-bedroom condos allow Al Elam to host a lot of large family reunions from 75 people on up, Burdette says. “Also a couple might come by themselves in the fall and bring the whole family back the following summer,” he adds. “A lot of our customers ask for ‘their’ condo every year.” Leveridge notes, “At a lot of the complexes there are numerous rental condos available as well as a club house and meeting rooms. This works out well for larger groups having reunions or meetings.” As 6-Star Management’s Kim Ruffino says, “Vacation condos have the best of everything.”
So what are you waiting for? There's a condo that's just right for you at Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks. For more information, contact a vacation rental condo management company.
And, for more information about condo rentals and many other outstanding Lake-area accommodations, as well as area attractions, dining, shopping and more, call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau at 800-FUN-LAKE (386-5253), or visit www.funlake.com.
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