say aloha to unparalleled luxury ALOHA LODGE, THE LAKE GENEVA ESTATE BUILT FOR THE FOUNDER OF CHICAGO'S DRAKE AND BLACKSTONE HOTELS, ON THE MARKET FOR $30 MILLION
Lake Geneva has been a sought-after destination for Chicago’s high society since the late 1800s. Seeking a summer getaway – and a place to reside after the Great Chicago Fire – the city’s wealthiest families discovered the clear, spring-fed lake and rolling, forested terrain and they built estates fit for titans of industry. This migration earned Lake Geneva its nickname, “Newport of the West.” In 1900, Chicago hotelier Tracy C. Drake put down roots in Lake Geneva alongside fellow prominent Chicagoans including the Wrigley and Schwinn families. He commissioned noted Chicago architect Howard Van Doren Shaw to build what was Shaw’s first of several lakeside mansions. Drake, the founder of Chicago’s historic Drake and Blackstone hotels, named the estate Aloha Lodge, and the home served as the family’s summer and weekend retreat for more than 35 years. Standing as grand as it did more than a century ago, the majestic 20,000-square-foot Aloha Lodge is now ready for a new owner. The 10-bedroom, 16-bath estate is being offered for $30 million, represented exclusively by Brandie Malay Siavelis of @properties Christie’s International Real Estate. Aloha Lodge sits on more than 360 feet of shoreline, with genteel colonnades, curved façade and ornamental railings that are a beautiful throwback to the days when guests arrived via steamboat or paddlewheel. A full interior and exterior renovation in 2011 tripled the home’s original size, extending its footprint to add two wings off the original structure, built with period details to look as if they were always part of the home. Impeccable craftsmanship can be found throughout, from the home’s coffered ceilings and arched doorways to its beadboard details, dentil moldings, built-in bookshelves, and multiple reading nooks. Several intricate stained-glass windows, original to the house, are found throughout, including the window in the original front door, with the words “Aloha Lodge” designed in glass. The home takes full advantage of its lakeside location, offering stunning views of the lake from nearly every room. Running the length of the home on the main level is a salon, family room with a built-in bar, an office, a large living room, two separate dining areas and a library. A large, oval-shaped kitchen lies beyond the dining areas, featuring a generously sized central island and cobalt blue La Cornue range with “Aloha Lodge” engraved on its custom brand plate. The second level features eight bedrooms, while the lower level includes a media room and large recreation room with pool table and darts. Above the second level, a loft area is currently a playroom, complete with a manmade tree for children to climb on. The space could be repurposed for many other uses.
Heading outside, front porches on both levels are ideal for relaxing and watching boats go by, while a swimming pool and hot tub, surrounded by a pool house and two guest bedrooms, are tailor-made for Wisconsin’s warm summer days. A large pier with five boat slips beckon owners to explore the 26-mile shoreline while a nearby gazebo provides a shady spot to enjoy a lake breeze. A short distance from the main estate is the 2,000-square-foot Captain’s House, which is perfect for guests, with three bedrooms and 2.5 baths, as well as a “train house,” an 1,800-square-foot building built in 2001 to accommodate the owner’s large train set. The building includes a large main room with a lofted ceiling and oak beams, two offices, a kitchenette, bathroom, and potbelly stove, and a small set of train tracks in the front.
Throughout the 12-acre property, a lush landscape with more than 20 varieties of flowers is complemented by stone paths, retaining walls and planters, and a quaint stone bridge, along with an elegant greenhouse. Accounts of the property’s history note that Drake so coveted a grove of sugar maples in the town across the lake that he had about 100 of them dug up and transported by bobsled across the ice in the winter to be planted around the estate. “The Aloha Lodge offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of history only an hour and a half from Chicago, on one of the country’s most beautiful lakes,” said Siavelis. “The attention to detail, the period millwork, and the scenic grounds are unmatched, as is the home itself.”
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