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Mountain
Lake Lodge, Site of Original ‘Dirty Dancing’ Movie,
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Awarded Hotel and
Hotelier of the Year, Capping
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Extraordinary Turnaround
for Once Forgotten Treasure
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Pembroke,
VA – October 2018 / Newsmaker Alert / Mountain
Lake Lodge, located in Pembroke, Virginia, where the cult classic Dirty
Dancing was filmed more than 30 years ago, has been named Hotel of the
Year by the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association (VRLTA)
which annually recognizes the best among Virginia’s hospitality and tourism
industry. In addition, Mountain Lake’s General Manager, Heidi Stone, has
been named Hotelier of the Year.
Said
Betty Massey, Executive Director of the Mary
Moody Northen Endowment, the private foundation that owns the property,
“Mountain Lake Lodge began its amazing turnaround seven years ago. This
is a real comeback story where Heidi Stone and her hard working team, along
with our Board of Directors, have transformed Mountain Lake into Virginia’s
Hotel of the Year.”
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According
to Board Member Bob Donovan, who nominated Stone for Hotelier of the Year,
“Mountain Lake Lodge would not exist today if it weren’t for Heidi Stone.
When I first visited in 2011, it was rundown, empty, dying, stale and neglected.
The Endowment was seriously considering closing the property and not sure
we could save this worn out gem. So we hired a true visionary whose tenacity,
insight and passion not only saved Mountain Lake but made it a thriving
and successful resort.”
The
historic hotel, dubbed the “Miracle on the Mountain” after its extraordinary
rebirth and multimillion-dollar renovation, successfully mixes modern amenities
with nostalgia. Mountain Lake attracts guests worldwide who come to experience
special themed ‘Weekends at Kellermans”. Here, they are immersed in activities
inspired by the iconic movie, from guided tours of Dirty Dancing filming
locations, to dance lessons and grand dance parties, lawn games, scavenger
hunts and trivia, and a screening of the original film.
Under
Stone’s leadership, occupancy has soared. With more than 100 staff, Mountain
Lake hosts some 200 meetings, team-building events and weddings each year,
and guests and corporate groups enjoy numerous recreational activities
including the unique Treetops Adventures Aerial Ropes Course.
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Mountain
Lake Lodge – which also earned TripAdvisor’s Award of Excellence in 2016
and 2017 – is located in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the Appalachian
Mountain Range and center of a 2,600-acre nature preserve protected by
Mountain Lake Conservancy, a non-profit organization founded in 1989. It
features 96 accommodations including rooms, cottages and mountain homes.
For reservations, visit www.MtnLakeLodge.com.
Media
Contact:
Barbara
Fischhof
404-314-9410 |
