Charlestowne Hotels has been chosen by the University of the South in Sewanee to manage the new Sewanee Inn and Conference Center, which is currently under construction.
The upscale development will consist of a 43-room inn and conference facility set on the site of the former Sewanee Inn and overlooking the newly restored golf course. According to Jeremy Thompson of Earl Swensson Associates, Inc., the architectural style of the Inn will be a combination of Southern vernacular with collegiate Gothic elements inspired by various buildings around the university campus. The exterior will be clad in indigenous Crab Orchard fieldstone and most of the interior millwork will be from trees harvested on the Domain [as the 13,000-acre campus is known].
The Inn will be adjacent to a 9-hole golf course that has recently reopened after an extensive renovation by golf course designer Gil Hanse and features long vistas beyond the edge of the mountain -top plateau.
The temperate climate will be conducive to the enjoyment of generous amounts of exterior event space, with terraces located off many of the guestrooms and public areas, officials said.
The building structure will consist of two wings, one comprising the lodging accommodations and the other a conference center, which are connected by a grand lobby featuring a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace and large heavy timber trusses in the peaked ceiling. Two lounges will be accessible from the lobby, one downstairs with a cozier setting and fireplace, and one upstairs which will open to the lobby below. Also located off the lobby will be a bar area and restaurant with seating that can spill out onto a landscaped exterior terrace.
The conference center wing will contain a grand ballroom with wood flooring, wainscot and exposed beams as well as a gathering hall with direct access to an exterior terrace along the golf course with a large decorative fireplace. The lodging wing will consist of two floors of guest rooms with balconies on the north side overlooking the golf course and natural scenery. Double gabled bays will give the Inn façade a sense of rhythm and a visual identity, and decorative brickwork complemented by shakes and slate roofing add to the texture and detail, officials said. There will also be several parlors at the end of the wing that will feature wrap-around decks and additional gathering space for guests.