New hotel at McLemore is rapidly taking shape
The first hotel to be built on Lookout Mountain since the Great Depression will begin taking guests at the end of February.
The Cloudland Lookout Mountain that is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton is at the McLemore development south of the Trenton-LaFayette Highway.
The 245-room hotel includes a 20,000 square foot conference center, and world-class spa and fitness center.
The Mentone Springs Hotel, the Lookout Inn, the Point Hotel and the Castle in the Clouds all ran into financial troubles. The first two hotels burned down and the third was torn down. The latter is now Covenant College.
However, Chattanooga developer Duane Horton is counting on two adjacent world-class 18-hole golf courses to fill up many of the rooms as well as conference groups to be drawn by the spectacular setting.
The golf courses include Highlands, with its celebrated cliff-edge 18th hole, and the new The Keep, that is said to be special enough to attract a major. The Keep is on a bluff-edge tract south of the new hotel. The wide-open course, that takes full advantage of the dramatic view across to Pigeon Mountain and beyond, will have a clubhouse designed to blend into the lush setting. But there won't be any homes built at this remote site.
At one point at The Keep, a golfer will be able to see all 18 holes spread before him.
The new course is drawing on three "gusher" wells for its extensive irrigation network.
Guests at the hotel will enjoy play on the golf courses along with members of the McLemore Club, but the courses are not open to walk-up golfers.
View of the new hotel from The Keep golf course