Resort lessees confirmed, remodels well underway
Fontana Dam – Perhaps the most-significant overhaul since one local resort opened 50 years ago has Fontana Village Resort & Marina looking as stable as it has in years.
The changes align with the newest lessees purchasing the expansive property last year. For many months, there was speculation about Robin and DeAnn Turner stepping in as the managing partners – something the resort did not comment on until an extensive press release recently confirmed the sale.
“We are delighted to embark on a multi-year campaign of improvement at Fontana Village, with the ultimate goal of exceeding guest expectations and anticipating the needs of today’s adventure traveler,” Robin said in the release. “With our team’s determination to enhance the resort coupled with the abundance of history found in this area, we truly believe there is endless opportunity to expand the widely-cherished Fontana Village experience.”
Anyone who has visited the resort in recent years has been greeted by an aging facade, but that has quickly disappeared in the wake of the overhaul. The main lodge no longer houses the check-in for guests, but is well on its way to a modernized look. The famed “Great Fireplace” still greets those who enter the facility and a nod to the resort’s debut in 1974 will still be visible, as extensive work has peeled back the layers to enhance massive, wooden ceiling beams; plus stone flooring and walls. In the place of the former registration desk is an executive conference room.
The resort has filled in the pool that was once sandwiched between guest rooms and villas, with plans to turn the area into a wedding venue. All of the rooms and cabins at the facility have been transformed to a modern-day layout and appearance, with another nod to days gone by in place: archive photos from the past have been placed throughout each of the guest space.
The former Wildwood Grill has been reimagined and recently opened for the season as “Quill’s Canteen,” which overlooks the resort’s mini-golf course, recreation area and two other pools on the grounds. Adjacent to the canteen is a game room that includes a dozen arcade games.
Inside the lodge itself, the Mountview Bistro will be transformed into “Hazel’s.” As the new host of guest check-in, the General Store is now open round-the-clock, and Hellbender Pitstop on N.C. Highway 28 has received upgrades and extended operating hours as well.
Additionally, the resort has enhanced its digital infrastructure by activating BalsamWest’s fiber-optic internet during the winter; and brought back “Breezy Bear,” the animated mascot that adorned billboards and advertising campaigns when the resort first opened.
MMI Hospitality Group will be in charge of day-to-day operations, with Jason Caughron brought in as general manager last summer.
Caughron has already been a visible presence at the resort, including attending Town of Fontana Dam council meetings and helping broker the first sustainable user agreement between the two entities in years.
“The entire Fontana Village team shares a strong sense of enthusiasm as we look forward to unveiling a revamped space that pays homage to the town’s storied past while modernizing and elevating the experience for future guests,” Caughron said in the release. “It’s been a wonderful experience working alongside new management partners, like Robin and DeAnn Turner, to bring this property back to life.”
The Turners are well-known in Graham County and the surrounding area, including the renovation of Tapoco Lodge and launching the famed “WonderWorks,” a chain of interactive museums across the Southeast – including one in nearby Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Over $10 million has been dedicated to the resort’s upgrades, with the entire project scheduled to wrap up by 2028.