Margaritaville Lake Resort

Margaritaville Lake Resort is a lakeside hospitality destination on the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri, located in Osage Township near Osage Beach. The property began in 1960 as Tan-Tar-A Resort, developed by St. Louis homebuilder Burton Duenke as the first major resort on the lake. It expanded over subsequent decades into a large, multi-building complex serving vacationers with accommodations, dining, recreation, water-based activities, golf, and marina access. Duenke sold the resort to Marriott in 1977 while retaining an interest in the adjoining Tan-Tar-A Estates residential development. Marriott undertook extensive refurbishment, and by 1985 the resort had grown to more than 800 rooms and offered a broad range of amenities and activities. The property became one of the better-known full-service destinations in the Lake of the Ozarks region, combining hotel facilities with a resort campus and nearby residential units. In July 2017, the resort was sold to Driftwood Acquisitions and Development, a Miami-based management company. The new ownership began another substantial remodeling program and announced plans to convert the property into a Margaritaville resort. The rebranding connected the established lake destination with the broader Margaritaville lifestyle concept associated with Jimmy Buffett, emphasizing casual leisure, music-oriented hospitality, food and beverage experiences, and recreational travel. The property subsequently operated under the Margaritaville Lake Resort name. The resort complex consists of five interconnected buildings and several additional structures. Its facilities include The Oaks, an 18-hole golf course; Jolly Mon Indoor Water Park; Port of Indecision Marina; LandShark Bar & Grill; and a lakeside pool with the Tiki Hut Bar. The resort is open to the public, allowing some non-overnight visitors to use selected amenities. A privately owned, public-use seaplane base associated with the property also serves the resort area. Adjacent Tan-Tar-A Estates contains private residential units that remain distinct from the hotel resort operation. Margaritaville Lake Resort is positioned as a destination resort rather than a conventional limited-service hotel. Its offer combines overnight lodging with a broad range of activities intended to keep families, leisure travelers, groups, and lake visitors on the property for extended stays. The brand's principal geographic market is domestic travel within the United States, particularly visitors to Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks region.

Margaritaville Lake Resort traces its history to Tan-Tar-A Resort, a destination developed by St. Louis homebuilder Burton Duenke on the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. The resort opened in 1960 and is described as the first major resort established on the lake. Its initial development reflected the growth of the Lake of the Ozarks as a regional leisure and vacation market, with the property designed to provide lodging and a wide selection of activities in a lake setting. The resort expanded over time, adding accommodation capacity and recreational infrastructure. In 1977, Duenke sold the resort to Marriott, although he retained an interest in the neighboring Tan-Tar-A Estates residential development. Marriott invested significantly in refurbishing the property. By 1985, the resort reportedly had more than 800 rooms and a substantial collection of amenities, making it a large full-service resort rather than a small seasonal hotel. The property developed as a broad resort complex rather than a single hotel building. Five interconnected buildings formed the main Resort Complex, while additional structures and the Estates Complex supported lodging and related uses. The Estates buildings were designed externally to resemble houses but contained individual units. This combination of hotel facilities and nearby residential accommodation helped the property serve both vacation guests and longer-term or ownership-oriented users. Recreational facilities became central to the resort's identity. They included The Oaks golf course, an 18-hole course; the Jolly Mon Indoor Water Park; the Port of Indecision Marina; and lakeside food and beverage venues. The property also offered a lakeside pool and the Tiki Hut Bar, with certain amenities accessible to members of the public who were not staying overnight. A privately owned, public-use seaplane base associated with the property provided an additional form of access and aviation infrastructure. In July 2017, Tan-Tar-A Resort was sold to Driftwood Acquisitions and Development, a Miami-based management company. Driftwood began another extensive remodeling effort and announced that the property would be rebranded in 2019 as part of the Margaritaville resort chain. The change shifted the property's public identity from its historic Tan-Tar-A name to Margaritaville Lake Resort while preserving its basic role as a large lake destination. The Margaritaville affiliation linked the resort to the casual, tropical, music-influenced lifestyle concept associated with Jimmy Buffett. Under the Margaritaville name, the property continued to operate as a Missouri destination resort offering lodging, dining, recreation, entertainment, golf, water activities, and marina access. Its historical importance lies in the way it combines a long-established regional resort campus with a nationally recognizable lifestyle brand. The adjacent Tan-Tar-A Estates development remains a separate residential component next to the resort property.

• 2019

  Margaritaville rebranding

  [1]Margaritaville Lake Resorten.wikipedia.org

  The resort is announced for rebranding as part of the Margaritaville resort chain, replacing the long-standing Tan-Tar-A public identity.

• 2017

  Sale to Driftwood Acquisitions and Development

  [1]Margaritaville Lake Resorten.wikipedia.org

  The property is sold to Driftwood Acquisitions and Development, which begins a major remodeling project and announces a Margaritaville rebrand.

• 1985

  Resort exceeds 800 rooms

  [1]Margaritaville Lake Resorten.wikipedia.org

  After Marriott-led refurbishment, the resort has more than 800 rooms and a wide range of activities and amenities.

• 1977

  Marriott acquires the resort

  [1]Margaritaville Lake Resorten.wikipedia.org

  Duenke sells the resort to Marriott while retaining an interest in the adjoining Tan-Tar-A Estates residential development.

• 1960

  Tan-Tar-A Resort opens

  [1]Margaritaville Lake Resorten.wikipedia.org

  Burton Duenke opens Tan-Tar-A Resort on the Lake of the Ozarks. It is identified as the first major resort on the lake.

A casual, family-oriented destination resort combining lake recreation, lodging, dining, entertainment, golf, and Margaritaville-themed hospitality.

• Hospitality · 1960

  Resort accommodations

  The resort's core offering is overnight accommodation within a large campus composed of interconnected main buildings and additional structures. The property historically grew to more than 800 rooms, supporting individual leisure stays, family vacations, and group travel. Its setting on the Lake of the Ozarks gives lodging a destination-resort character, with guests able to combine rooms with dining, recreation, water activities, golf, and marina access.

• Recreation

  Jolly Mon Indoor Water Park

  Jolly Mon Indoor Water Park is a major recreational attraction within the resort complex. Its indoor format supports water-based family entertainment independently of outdoor weather, complementing the property's lakeside location. The water park forms part of the resort's strategy of providing on-site activities for vacation guests and helping position the property as a family destination rather than simply a place to sleep near the lake.

• Golf and leisure

  The Oaks golf course

  The Oaks is the resort's 18-hole golf course. It broadens the property's appeal beyond boating and water recreation, offering a land-based leisure activity for resort guests and visitors. As part of the wider resort campus, the course contributes to the destination's full-service positioning and provides an amenity for golf-oriented travelers, groups, and vacationers seeking multiple activities in one location.

• Marina and lake recreation

  Port of Indecision Marina

  Port of Indecision Marina is the resort's marina facility on the Lake of the Ozarks. It supports the property's lake-focused identity by connecting the accommodation and entertainment complex with boating and waterfront recreation. The marina is part of the destination's broader amenity mix, which is designed to let visitors experience the lake directly while also using the resort's restaurants, pools, water park, golf course, and lodging.

• Food and beverage

  LandShark Bar & Grill

  LandShark Bar & Grill is a lakeside dining venue at the resort. It provides a branded food-and-beverage experience within the Margaritaville-oriented campus and reinforces the property's casual, waterfront positioning. The restaurant serves as both a guest amenity and a destination for outside visitors, helping extend the resort's activity beyond room stays into dining, socializing, and lakeside entertainment.

• Pool and entertainment

  Lakeside Pool and Tiki Hut Bar

  The lakeside pool and Tiki Hut Bar provide an outdoor leisure and social space overlooking the resort's waterfront setting. The pool is open to the public as well as resort guests, according to the reference material, giving the property a community-facing amenity. Together, the pool and bar express the relaxed, tropical-inflected atmosphere associated with the Margaritaville brand.

• 2017

  Sale and redevelopment under DriftwoodM&A

  Background

  The historic Tan-Tar-A Resort required a new ownership and brand direction after decades of operation, including its period under Marriott.

  Action taken

  Driftwood Acquisitions and Development purchased the resort, started a major remodeling project, and announced plans to convert it into a Margaritaville resort.

  Aftermath

  The property moved from the Tan-Tar-A identity to Margaritaville Lake Resort, linking the established Lake of the Ozarks destination with the Margaritaville lifestyle brand.

  Source

1. 1Margaritaville Lake Resorten.wikipedia.org