Imagery courtesy of Dollywood Parks & Resorts.
Dolly Parton marked the beginning of construction to her second hotel in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee with a visit to the hotel site.
The 302-room property is expected to open in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in late 2023.
An inspiring setting
The forthcoming Dollywood Heartsong Lodge & Resort will place guests in a cove within the mountains’ foothills with interiors distinguished by their high ceilings, exposed beams and natural layered textures. Accommodation including bunk rooms and family suites will cater for multi-generational families and couples.
Commenting on the plans, Parton said: “In its simplest form, HeartSong is about the Smoky Mountains and why I continue to come back home year after year. It is the place I recharge and stay grounded. The beauty of the mountains – at every hour and in every season – is simply an inspiration.”
This new lodge is being built adjacent to Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, which opened in 2015 as the official resort of Dollywood theme park and Dollywood’s Splash Country water park.
Hospitality with a story
On opening, the five-storey property will encompass a collection of themed suites and loft rooms, many with balconies and resort views, along with an atrium featuring four-storey lantern-inspired windows and indoor and outdoor pools.
Events will be hosted in 26,000 sq ft of indoor and outdoor event space, including the two-storey HeartSong Event Center and an event lawn, accommodating several hundred guests.
An event marking the beginning of this lodge’s construction saw Parton’s acceptance of the Chestnut Conservation Champion Award on behalf of her late uncle Bill Owens who helped the American Chestnut Foundation create a blight-resistant chestnut tree.
A special hybrid chestnut tree is being planted at the lodge in honour of this achievement and chestnut trees will feature in the artwork throughout the property.
Attendees at this event were also introduced to Dollywood’s new Suite 1986 Tour Bus Experience, which guests can now book stays on following the bus’s transformation into a suite.
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