After having just finished a decade of investment and expansion, The Dollywood Company embarks on an investment strategy that will see the Smoky Mountain vacation destination invest more than half-a-billion dollars over the next 10 years across its properties. One of the first projects in the campaign is the 302-room Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort.
The new HeartSong Lodge, located adjacent to Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, serves as the next element in the company’s lodging business set to open in 2023.
“I’m always dreaming and coming up with new ideas and things I want our guests to experience,” Dollywood’s Dreamer-in-Chief Dolly Parton explained. “We wanted to talk about this last year, but with everything going on, we knew we needed to pause because it just wasn’t the right time to do it. Things are looking brighter and with the popularity of the Smokies soaring, there are more people than ever wanting to visit our area.
Welcoming the outdoors in with high ceilings, exposed beams and natural layered textures, Dollywood’s newest resort offers lodging options for multi-generational families and couples. Family suites and bunk rooms feature touches that are inspired by the beauty of the Smokies, inviting guests of all ages to gather for connections.
The five-story resort also features themed suites and loft rooms tucked into the dormers. Many of the resort’s rooms include balconies.
With 26,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space, the property can accommodate gatherings for several hundred guests. From the two-story HeartSong Event Center to outdoor meeting spaces and event lawn, the resort offers numerous options to provide a unique setting for groups.
“With the success we’ve experienced at DreamMore Resort, we feel this is the perfect time to expand our portfolio of resorts,” said Eugene Naughton, President of The Dollywood Company. “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we had a relatively strong 2020 and we currently are outpacing our original expectations for 2021, so we are confident in the potential we see in the continued growth of the Smokies.”
With more than three million visitors annually at Dollywood theme park and Dollywood’s Splash Country water park, the Pigeon Forge parks comprise Tennessee’s most-visited ticketed attraction.
Since 2010, The Dollywood Company has invested more than $220 million into its properties as part of its ongoing investment plan. Expansions undertaken since 2010 include Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, roller coasters Lightning Rod and FireChaser Express, as well as TailSpin Racer at Dollywood’s Splash Country. In 2019, the park opened the $37 million Wildwood Grove.
