PIGEON FORGE, TN—Gemstone Hotels & Resorts will manage Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort here. The resort is projected to open in 2015.
The 300-room resort is part of a 10-year capital investment plan that includes more than $300 million in future development for Dolly Parton’s Dollywood properties.
“Ms. Parton has a very clear vision for her DreamMore Resort, and helping bring that dream to fruition is a once-in-a-career opportunity for us,” said Jeff McIntyre, principal of Gemstone. “We’ve been working on the programming for several months now and are confident that we’ve created something that will be unique to our industry. The property will have great appeal not only for families visiting The Dollywood Parks, The Great Smoky Mountain National Park or the unique environment of Pigeon Forge, but for couples, weddings and groups of 10 to 500, as well.”
The hotel will feature a flexible room inventory and design elements and overall layout of the resort will make generous use of porches, a nod to Parton’s family and friends gathering to tell stories, make music and create family memories on the front porches of their country homes.
According to McIntyre, the hotel’s ample grounds will allow for authentic Smoky Mountain-style family-friendly activities, including tire swings, fire pits, hammocks and a pool complex. The resort’s event lawn will be used for weddings and receptions, as well as family entertainment and arts & crafts festivals featuring Dollywood’s artists and craftspeople.
High-tech meeting space also will be offered.
“The resort will be an attraction unto itself,” noted McIntyre. “In fact, we have had nearly 10,000 people already sign up for the Founder’s Club, the resort’s pre-opening loyalty program, in the first 24 hours following Ms. Parton’s resort announcement on national television. Of course, that’s a testament to Dolly Parton’s tremendous appeal, but it also speaks to the demand for an experiential, one-of-a-kind, resort experience for the 11 million annual visitors who travel to this area. As far as vacation and meeting destinations go, you really can’t ask for much more than a thoughtfully designed, luxury resort inspired by Dolly Parton herself, which is directly attached to her award winning theme parks, Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country.”