Front porch with a lake view at the Catawba Stone Inn near Port Clinton.

MARBLEHEAD, Ohio – Talk about a room with a view.

Two new overnight options west of Cleveland offer terrific views of Lake Erie, plus swimming pools, waterfront dining, kayak and paddleboard use and more.

“We fell in love with this view,” said Allyson Robinson, of Columbus, owner of the Wave at Marblehead, a 68-room boutique hotel on the Marblehead Peninsula, about 80 miles west of Cleveland.

A short drive from the Wave is the Catawba Stone Inn, on the lakefront just east of Port Clinton, owned by longtime Clevelanders Karen and Dave Perkowski.

“The sunset here is spectacular,” Karen Perkowski said.

Here’s a bit more information about these two new overnight options on the water, perfect for a summer getaway:

The Wave at Marblehead

Allyson Robinson and her husband, Matt, weren’t looking to become hotel owners when they drove by the former Lighthouse Resort, located a short walk from the historic Marblehead Lighthouse.

The hotel, built in the late 1990s, had been closed since the pandemic, and Robinson said they couldn’t pass up the opportunity. “We had to do it,” she said.

The property sits across Main Street (Ohio 163) from the lake, with views of Cedar Point. The lighthouse is a 5-minute walk north.

Rooms on the south side of the hotel have partial views of the water. Three upper-floor suites have gorgeous lakefront views, as well as full kitchens and large gathering spaces.

“We basically took it down to the studs,” said Robinson, who worked with Cleveland’s Global Custom Furniture on the design. “We wanted a California coastal feel.”

The Catawba Stone Inn looks west across Lake Erie.

The property also features a restaurant, outdoor pool, firepits, pickleball court and poolside bar.

A bar across the street right on the water is expected to open this summer.

The hotel is managed by Lark Hospitality, with headquarters in New Hampshire. The Wave restaurant, with waterfront views and a variety of sandwiches, salads and main dishes, is operated by Ethos Hospitality, the Cleveland company owned by Bobby George, who is also an investor in the project. George is under investigation in Cuyahoga County involving allegations of rape, kidnapping and attempted murder; the case is pending.

Firepit with a Lake Erie view at the Wave at Marblehead.

Catawba Stone Inn

The Catawba property is on the west side of Catawba Island, between Marblehead and Port Clinton.

The Perkowskis bought the former Five Bells Inn in early 2022 and after a substantial renovation opened Catawba Stone Inn late last year.

The property includes four rooms in the main house available to rent, plus four units in two cottages behind the house, which feature one or two bedrooms, a full kitchen and washer/dryer.

The Perkowskis added a pool and hot tub on the property, plus an outdoor kitchen for guests. Kayaks and paddleboards are available as well, and a short trail is being developed through the 2-acre property.

“My favorite thing of all is the front-porch swing,” said Karen Perkowski, on a recent tour of the property. “People sit here and have coffee in the morning.”

The couple also owns the Tower Press Building in downtown Cleveland’s Superior Arts District and have restored numerous other historic Cleveland buildings.