The Embers in Blowing Rock, NC – Picture Credit score The Embers
Previously 12 months, a surge of resort consulting work within the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern North Carolina and northwestern Georgia has known as consideration to this market’s progress. The focus of funding and growth on this area signifies a chance hotspot, because the resort provide is tailored to the growing demand from vacationers searching for high-quality properties.
Demand Shifts
Markets within the Blue Ridge Mountains, corresponding to Boone, Banner Elk, Highlands, Clayton, and their neighbors, are inside a two-hour drive of Asheville and a straight shot from Charlotte or Atlanta. Plentiful outside recreation attracts vacationers and seasonal residents to the world, with notable points of interest together with golf golf equipment, mountaineering trails alongside the Appalachian Path, and the Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain Ski Resorts (the latter of which provides mountain-biking terrain within the hotter months). Hurricane Helene affected the world in September 2024, with harm that’s estimated by NOAA to take months or years to restore; nevertheless, most mountaineering trails and leisure points of interest have reopened, with demand likewise returning.
Whereas the world’s resort demand is seasonal, the energy of the highs and lows has unfold out to shoulder months. In a composite evaluation of 4 submarkets within the Blue Ridge space, RevPAR progress from 2016 to 2024 was stronger (on a compounded-annual-growth-rate foundation) throughout the low and shoulder months than within the peak months, indicating a smoothing out of historic seasonality. This pattern was barely skewed by longer lengths of keep throughout the pandemic years. Nonetheless, efforts are being made by native municipalities to create lasting year-round attraction each for guests and residents, together with a number of rezoning initiatives and proposed grasp plans for cities corresponding to Sky Valley, Georgia.
New Provide to Meet Market Wants
Lodge occupancy ranges are influenced by the aforementioned seasonality of the market, short-term leases, and new or repositioned resort provide. Whereas short-term leases and timeshares abound, the lodging wants of wedding ceremony teams and social occasions, together with predominantly leisure transient guests, haven’t been met by the restricted variety of conventional lodges traditionally accessible.
Aptly figuring out this problem, builders inside the market have been energetic lately. New lodges that opened in 2024 and 2025 embrace The Embers (Blowing Rock, NC), a Home2 Suites by Hilton (Boone, NC), and The Horton Lodge (Boone, NC, expanded in 2025). Different properties are nonetheless below development, such because the SpringHill Suites by Marriott (Boone, NC), Courtyard by Marriott (Banner Elk, NC), and Homewood Suites by Hilton (Banner Elk, NC).
Much more fascinating, maybe, is that buyers are betting on vacationers’ willingness to pay larger nightly charges for upgraded properties with extra upscale services and facilities. Lots of the market’s impartial lodges or motels have been renovated and repositioned to the next chain scale lately, together with the properties listed under.
Skyline Lodge (Highlands, NC), accomplished 2021/22
Bridge Creek Inn (Clayton, GA), accomplished 2023
Lodge Sylva (Sylva, NC), accomplished 2024
Trailborn Highlands (Highlands, NC), accomplished 2024/25
The Lodge at Banner Elk (Banner Elk, NC), accomplished 2025
As well as, the Dillard Home in Dillard, Georgia, is presently being renovated, expanded, and repositioned as a full-service resort, with completion scheduled for early 2027.
Whether or not newly constructed or repositioned, the brand new merchandise goal alternative available in the market’s upscale/luxurious section.
Market Outlook
Simply because the vistas from atop the Blue Ridge Mountains reveal beautiful contrasts, the outlook for resort efficiency varies throughout submarkets. Funding has been flowing in direction of this larger market, which is probably going favorable for individuals who have already entered or are in early growth. The newly curious investor, nevertheless, ought to concentrate on the brand new provide and take into account conducting a submarket-specific research to make clear the outlook. Whereas every submarket is totally different, the larger market must show its capability to soak up the brand new provide, which must be supported by the diversification of demand and longer peak and shoulder seasons.
Do you hear the decision of the mountains? Study extra concerning the market dynamics on this rising space by contacting Courtney Vris, primarily based within the HVS Atlanta workplace.
At HVS, we flip information into highly effective insights that drive your success. Our distinctive methodology, which includes conducting main interviews inside native markets, permits us to collect real-time insights and present information. This method ensures an in-depth understanding of every market we function in, supplying you with a definite aggressive edge.
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About Courtney Vris
Courtney Vris is the Director and Chief of the HVS Atlanta workplace. She holds her MSc in Worldwide Hospitality Administration from L’Institut Paul Bocuse and EMLYON Enterprise College in France, from which she graduated as valedictorian. Furthering her worldwide expertise, Courtney performed market analysis in France and China to help the repositioning of two world hospitality manufacturers. She was skilled in Visitor Relations on the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris, and in 2017, she established a Visitor Relations program on the Lodge Hugo in New York Metropolis. Previous to becoming a member of HVS, Courtney held operations administration roles in entrance workplace, spa & wellness, and common administration within the luxurious section. Contact Courtney at +1 (203) 243-0545 or [email protected].
