Left: A view from a ballroom at The Lake Estate on Winnisquam, right: Patti Rocco in the wine cellar (Photos by Scott Merrill)
Patti and Ed Rocco didn’t plan on running a luxury resort in their late 60s. After more than three decades in hotel management, with Ed rising through Marriott International to become general manager of the Boston Marriott Long Wharf and Patti building her early career in sales and events with Marriott International, as well as raising their children, the couple imagined slowing down. They talked about moving back to Patti’s native Lakes Region and perhaps opening a small inn. “Never in our wildest dreams did we think we’d be minority investors and managers of something like this,”
Patti says.
That “something” is The Lake Estate on Winnisquam in Tilton, a luxury resort on the site of the former Anchorage at the Lake, a 1950s-era cottage colony.
The $90 million property has 3,400 feet of waterfront, an infinity pool, 25 fireplaces, custom-built furniture, banquet halls, a wine cellar, a movie theater, an in-house floral shop, and striking craftsmanship throughout.
There are 30 miles of crown molding and baseboards, and $8,000 wooden doors, one on each guest room. Rooms start at about $400 a night and can run as high as $1,200, depending on season and room type. The Roccos were named the resort’s leadership team in 2025, with Ed serving as general manager and Patti as estate manager.
Their partnership with developers Dan and Elaine Dagesse—owners of Nucar auto group—began almost accidentally. The couple was exploring ideas for a small inn when a realtor working with both parties introduced them. “From that first phone call, it was a match made in heaven,” Patti says. “Dan said he would never do this without Ed and me, and we could never do it without him and Elaine.”
As the project expanded, so did Patti’s role. “Ed didn’t think I’d want to be a part of it,” she says. “But we had such a great team. If something needed to be done, I’d say: Show me, tell me, and I’ll get it done.” She sourced New England–made linens and worked closely with designers to bring the property’s brand vision to life.
Patti helped lead branding sessions, working with the team to define the hotel’s identity with three words. “Every decision had to meet those three words,” she says. “Unassuming, refined, luxury.”
Dining has become a central part of that identity. Menus for the resort’s restaurant are created by Chef Chris Viaud, a James Beard Award nominee and NH native whose approach to modern New England cuisine adds another layer of refinement to the estate’s offerings.
The resort has about 130 employees and has quickly become a sought-after destination for weddings, retreats, dinners, and winter holiday programming. Its soft opening in late August 2025 was followed by a nonstop stretch of events.
“It has been so much fun,” Patti says of the time she spends working with her team to create a luxury experience for guests. For more information, visit
thelakeestatenh.com.
