AAA Three-Diamond Resort in Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Lancaster Host Resort sits on 225 acres in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, a scenic farmland region known for its Amish culture. Some of the area’s best attractions are located within walking distance of the resort, including the Amish Farm and House, a historic property with an original tobacco shed, an authentic one-room schoolhouse, and an 1803 stone bank barn. The nearby American Music Theatre hosts touring Broadway shows and rock concerts, with upcoming shows including Heart (January 27), Olivia Newton-John (February 22), and Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (March 5).
Both of Lancaster Host Resort’s two restaurants serve classic regional cuisine. At Vistas, a casual spot with views of the golf course, guests can enjoy a complimentary Amish breakfast buffet that includes scrambled eggs, sausage, and home fries. Next door, Legends American Grill offers hand-cut steaks and fresh seafood specialties, from caramelized sea scallops to pan-seared salmon. Lancaster Host Resort is also home to an adults-only comedy club. Open Friday and Saturday nights, Stitches has drawn top comedians over the years, including Drew Carey, Lewis Black, and Darrell Hammond.
There are plenty of recreational opportunities here as well. Set in the sprawling countryside, the resort’s beautifully landscaped grounds include a 1.9-mile walking trail and a championship golf course that’s open with weather permitting. You can also dive into the heated indoor pool or play pool in the game room. Many guest rooms offer views of the resort’s idyllic landscape, and all feature TVs and free WiFi.
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: Crossroads of Amish Culture and German Heritage
Lancaster County sits in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. A number of Amish families—many of them descendants of the German immigrants who settled in the region in the 18th and 19th centuries—still farm the land here, living and working by the same timeless principles and unadorned methods they've been using for generations. On a drive through the area, you'll see covered bridges spanning the Conestoga River and probably share the road with a horse-drawn buggy or two.
At stops such as Kitchen Kettle Village, you can watch experts canning jellies, jams, and relishes and sample homemade baked goods. The Lancaster Quilt & Textile Museum houses more than 3,700 artifacts, including a number of antique Amish quilts. The building itself is a Beaux Arts gem previously used as a bank.
To tour the countryside in style, take a ride aboard a coal-burning steam locomotive on the Strasburg Rail Road. As the train chugs past farmers tending fields and cattle grazing on hay and strudel, parlor-car attendants serve cocktails and snacks to passengers in the dining car or in first class. Across the street from the station in Strasburg, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania chronicles the history of the track via rotating exhibits and more than 100 locomotives and railcars.
Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.
