Savoring the Summer at 5 Waterside Hotels

Nothing says summer more than a waterfront getaway. And at these five properties you can make the most of the season, whether you want to splash in the ocean off the Maine coast, paddle board across a reservoir in upstate New York, kayak in a Rhode Island bay, or laze by a river on a South Carolina island. You can even skirt the crowds in Europe’s capitals by escaping to the mountains of Austria where a castle on a lake awaits.

The Catskills, N.Y.

At this luxury escape in White Lake, N.Y., about a two-hour drive from Manhattan, immerse yourself in more than 100 acres along the Toronto Reservoir. Or better yet, get into the reservoir and go paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking and swimming. And because the Chatwal Lodge is set within the approximately 2,500-acre Chapin Estate, you can also fly-fish on private trout streams there.

On dry land, pretend you’re back in summer camp and try archery, birdhouse decorating, baking classes and yoga. Or visit the recreation center where you can play shuffleboard, duckpin bowling, ping pong, billiards and board games. At night, gather for stargazing and s’mores around a fire pit.

This year, the property added what it calls Treehouses, three accommodations perched about 15 feet above the ground amid oaks and maples, to its 11 existing suites and stand-alone stone cottage. Each treehouse, which can accommodate up to four guests, has a king-size bed on the first level, a loft with a Murphy bed, a living room with a wet bar, a covered balcony, and a deck with a fire pit.

Wandering the Chatwal Lodge, part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand, calls to mind the 19th-century Great Camps of the Adirondacks, and a number of rooms there have water views. All of the accommodations have private outdoor space. Seasonal farm-to-table meals can be enjoyed from your private terrace or patio, inside your room, or in the Lodge’s Rustic Grill. Prices for the Lodge, which include all meals (not alcohol) and certain activities, start at $900 a night; prices for the Treehouses start at $2,300 a night during the summer.

Johns Island, S.C.

Beginning Aug. 1, check into this new 72 room-and-suite luxury property along the Kiawah River and you’ll have 20 miles of waterfront and nature trails to hike and bike. Water activities abound, including kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing classes, clam-harvesting workshops and a “water safari” that takes you on the river’s estuary where you might spot roseate spoonbills, great blue herons…