Ofland Hotels Breaks Ground on $25M Smoky Mountains Resort

Las Vegas-based outdoor hospitality operator Ofland Hotels has broken ground on Ofland Smoky Mountains, a 75-cabin boutique outdoor hotel in Townsend, Tennessee [1]. The $25 million project occupies 27.6 acres five minutes from the Cades Cove entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is scheduled to open to guests in summer 2027 [1].

Where is Ofland Smoky Mountains located and when will it open?

The hotel sits on 27.6 acres in Townsend, Tennessee, situated five minutes from the Cades Cove entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, according to Hotel Business [1]. As reported by Hotel Business, construction officially began following a groundbreaking ceremony on September 15, attended by Ofland Hotels CEO Noah Ellis, founder Charles Tate, Head of Development Luke Searcy, and CFO Ryan Terracino [1]. The property expects to welcome its first guests in the summer of 2027, with guest bookings opening in January [1].

What accommodations and cabin layouts will the property offer?

The resort will feature 75 stand-alone cabins, comprising 71 standard units and four ADA-accessible units [1]. Cabin manufacturer Wind River Built is custom-building each 345-square-foot structure [1]. Each cabin adopts a studio-style layout featuring a queen bed, a queen sofa bed with premium bedding, a kitchenette, and an en-suite bathroom [1].

Interior living spaces feature red oak ceiling framing and floor-to-ceiling windows [1]. The kitchenettes and bathrooms include maple cabinetry, honed granite countertops, and champagne bronze fixtures [1]. Exterior private amenities for each cabin include a Douglas fir post-and-beam wrap-around porch with rocking chairs, a wood-burning campfire ring with a built-in grill, and a picnic table [1]. Each unit also provides a private open-air outdoor shower built with Douglas fir slat privacy walls, large-format charcoal porcelain tile, LED valance lighting, and an integrated Bromic radiant outdoor heater to accommodate colder weather [1].

What food, beverage, and communal amenities will be on site?

Common facilities are centered around the lodge and general store, which are modeled after historic Appalachian homesteads using natural wood siding, shaded porches, and low-slung rooflines [1]. The interior features a rustic timber front desk, earth tones, and daylight-oriented architecture [1]. A covered porch lines fire pits and lounge seating, running west from an on-site pool to an outdoor drive-in movie theater [1].

Dining options inside the lodge feature a food counter serving a Southern-inspired menu for breakfast and dinner, alongside fireside retail options [1]. Guests can order campfire chef kits to cook meals over their personal fire pit grills [1]. Outdoor amenities include a heated swimming pool, an oversized hot tub, fire pits, and an outdoor drive-in movie theater furnished with vintage trucks that seats up to 150 people [1].

Who is developing the project and what is the economic scope?

The $25 million capital outlay marks the largest individual investment in the history of privately owned Ofland Hotels [1]. The hospitality project will create roughly 30 permanent local jobs in Townsend and the surrounding region [1]. Construction management group KDW and architecture firm Boundary Works are overseeing project delivery, while local contractor Tyson & Associates leads general construction on the 27.6-acre site alongside cabin builder Wind River Built [1].

How does the Smoky Mountains site fit into Ofland’s pipeline?

Ofland Smoky Mountains represents the company's second property overall and its first expansion outside the state of Utah, Hotel Business reported [1]. The brand operates its flagship property, Ofland Escalante, in southern Utah [1]. Following the launch of construction in Tennessee, Ofland Hotels plans to advance Ofland Zion into active development as the third hotel in its boutique outdoor portfolio and its second location in Utah [1].