OZ Architecture To Revitalize Boyne Highlands Main Lodge After Fire

OZ was selected to design the renovation of the famed Boyne Highlands Main Lodge, which was significantly damaged in a fire in December of 2016. The refurbished lodge will have a new rooms, a spa & wellness facility, expanded game room for kids of all ages, updated restaurant, bar and lobby area, well as a fully revitalized interior design that reflects the personality and hospitality of Boyne itself.

Families, golfers, skiers and travelers throughout the country visit Boyne Highlands year-round for skiing, hiking, golfing, biking and other energetic outdoor adventures. The destination is known for its welcoming atmosphere, its accessible adventures and its uncomplicated environment in which families relish in traditions and enjoy the simple pleasures of nature and community. Recognizing how beloved Boyne Highlands is to generations of families, OZ is designing the revitalized lodge to deliver both a warm, recognizable, friendly atmosphere coupled with a fresh interior aesthetic that today’s visitors will appreciate.

“The fire was a devastating event yet Boyne Highlands is determined to find a silver lining to this tragedy by delivering a revitalized lodging experience that reflects the welcoming, honest and optimistic personality of the area itself,” said Rebecca Stone, Principal and Hospitality Practice Leader at OZ Architecture.

The Main Lodge at Boyne Highlands was built in 1947 by Everett Kircher and is distinctly crafted in the style of an English country estate. The building is very quaint in scale as its three-story height encircles a pond and stretches across the base of the ski slope. The fire was located in the center of the building and destroyed a series of rooms totaling approximately 40,000 square feet and smoke damage affected most of the public spaces. Luckily the fire spared the north wing and the lobby, restaurant and bar.

OZ has worked with Boyne Resorts on two options, one being to renovate the famed lodge and the other to re-build the portion of the lodge damaged by smoke and fire completely. In both of these options, the lobby, restaurant, bar, amenities and all of the guest rooms will be renovated or re-built. Currently the vision is to add a spa, fitness, yoga room, teen amenity area, grab-and-go and a high-service concierge to the main and lower levels, enhancing the guest experience.

The outdoor pool and the north wing, containing 89 hotel rooms and suites, remain open today and are expected to remain open for guests as the construction commences. This wing is will be the first phase of construction and will be refreshed so that as the main lodge begins construction, these rooms will be available to guests. It is important to the resort that an elevated guest experience is always available, so the construction will be phased around high-volume reservation times so that families can continue to enjoy Boyne Highlands as the communities beloved Lodge is updated.

Construction on the north wing of the lodge is expected to begin in late 2019 or spring of 2020 with the goal of being completed in time for high season.