We drove down from Riga to stay at Esperanza Lake Resort, a Marriott Design Hotel on the shores of Ungurys Lake in the Lithuanian countryside, about 45 minutes from Vilnius and a short drive from Trakai. The verdict up front, as the video puts it: “Luxurious spa hotel in gorgeous Lithuanian countryside” — and “Loved it.. excellent for Marriott Platinums.”

Getting There: Riga to the Lake District

The drive from Riga takes you south past the Latvian–Lithuanian border. We stopped for lunch in Pasvalys near the border — a small town with a pretty church and, as the video notes, “multiple pizza places in the town center.”

The final stretch gets off the highway and into the lake district, and the resort feels tucked away in the forest — a hidden lakeside compound.

Arrival & Check-In

Parking is a walk from the main building, but a golf cart ferries you from parking to reception. The reception has an elegant boutique look — all wood, glass walls, and views straight out to the lawns.

Booking on Points

We’d booked 2× Signature Lakefront Rooms and used 85K Amex certificates even though the rooms were pricing at 56K points. As the video says: “But as you’ll see, it is worth 85K elsewhere in Europe” — the cash rates at comparable luxury resorts in Western Europe would be far higher.

Platinum perks we actually received: complimentary breakfast (more on that below) and a late checkout.

Room Tour: Signature Lakefront Room

The rooms follow a luxury lodge aesthetic — “wood everywhere” — and feel more like a high-end cabin than a standard hotel room.

• Plush, luxurious robes and slippers waiting in the room
• Water, Nespresso machine with pods, and a paid minibar
• Safe and plenty of storage

Lakefront rooms have a nice patio facing the water, and you can walk straight out to the lawns, the restaurant, and the lake paths.

• King-sized beds with bedside charging — outlets and USB right where you need them
• The bathroom is well-equipped but all combined: toilet with bidet, shower, but no tub

Dinner: Japanese Restaurant on the Lake

We had dinner at the Japanese restaurant on the lake (Mizu). The spread included:

• Popcorn shrimp and edamame
• Cheese ball bites and a green bowl
• Chicken tsukune and tebasaki
• Mizu mochi and strawberry sorbet for dessert

“All the food was delicious and well presented.”

Breakfast at Olea — Free for Platinums

This was the standout elite perk: “Pleasantly surprised with complimentary breakfast for Platinums — not usually the case at Design Hotels.” Design Hotels properties frequently exclude elite breakfast, so this was a genuine win.

Breakfast at Olea is both buffet and à la carte — tamago sando, eggs benedict with guanciale, smoked salmon, and more. “Terrific included breakfast” and “lovely to start the day.”

The Spa: The Main Attraction

“One of the main attractions is the wonderful spa building.” You head down to the changing area — they provide their own robes and slippers — then up to the pool and facilities:

• Large lakeside heated pool with whirlpool
• A path of alternating hot and cold showers
• A steam hamam
• Bucket showers (“weren’t freezing though”)
• A Finnish sauna with a lake view
• An infrared sauna too
• Salt room

Activities: Tennis, Play Area & Alpacas

There’s plenty to do beyond the spa — “we spent a lot of time playing too”:

• Tennis courts — you can borrow rackets and balls at reception (we even played some cricket on them)
• Kids had a blast in the play area
• Kids had a fun time feeding the alpacas — yes, the resort has alpacas

One note: it was too cold for the lake at the end of August, so the heated spa pool was the way to go.

Evening: Fireworks & Weddings

There happened to be fireworks that night — must’ve been celebrations for a wedding earlier in the day. As the video observes: “This resort must be an ideal fancy wedding spot for Vilnius’ elite.”

Checkout & Trakai

After a late checkout we headed to Trakai for a late lunch — the island castle is only about 15 minutes away and worth the stop on your way out.

Verdict

Esperanza Lake Resort is a genuinely luxurious countryside escape: stunning spa, excellent food at both Mizu and Olea, thoughtful platinum recognition, and plenty for kids. Well worth the points — and the drive from Riga.