Dolly Parton is expanding her Dollywood properties. The country legend has announced that she’ll open the HeartSong Lodge and Resort, a five-story, 302-room resort in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains, in 2023. The 26,000-square-foot indoor and outdoor event space is located next to Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa.
The Dollywood Company also announced that it will invest over half a billion dollars in Dollywood properties over the next 10 years.
“I’m always dreaming and coming up with new ideas and things I want our guests to experience,” Parton said in an announcement. “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.”
The “rustic yet refined” resort features an outdoor cove, a communal firepit, a screened-in porch, a two-story HeartSong Event Center, a 7,500-square-foot main ballroom and outdoor event lawn.
“I’m so proud of this place that we’ve been able to build here in the Smokies,” Parton said. “I always dreamed of accomplishing two things with Dollywood. I wanted to give jobs to the folks who live here and I wanted to give visitors another reason to come and experience the beauty of the Smoky Mountains. We celebrated our 35th season last year, so I think it is fair to say we’ve been able to do that. I’m so happy with what we are doing to make sure our guests have a great season this year, and being able to announce the new HeartSong Lodge & Resort is just one more way we’re going to be able to help families reconnect, explore and discover together. I truly believe the natural beauty of the Smokies and the warmth of this special place will inspire every guest to nurture the ‘heartsong’ within them.”