Big Cedar Lodge

"Tucked in the Ozarks, this lodge on more than 4,600 acres overlooking Table Rock Lake "has the feel of a wilderness retreat with the modern amenities and dining you usually get at a big-city hotel." Adirondack-style buildings made of rough stone and deep-grained wood house "cozy but elegant accommodations" that range from private log cabins with stained-glass accents and wood-burning fireplaces to rooms with vaulted ceilings in Tudor-style cottages. Guests extol "all the specialty food items," like the ice cream served at Frosty’s, in a vintage Airstream. Devil's Pool Restaurant offers Southern home-style dishes such as hickory-smoked prime rib and smoked trout in a rustic log structure with antique furnishings, a stone fireplace and a 100-year-old mahogany bar. "There’s so much to do or nothing to do, depending on how you like it," including "great bass fishing in the lake." The staff’s "attention to detail is impressive," and a cookie lady visits every room before turndown."