The Historic Hillcrest Lodge
Hillcrest Heights, Florida
Business Model Consultation, Identity, Historical Research, Branding, Site Planning, Architecture, landscape Design, Interior Design, Hospitality Partnerships
Business Model Consultation, Identity, Historical Research, Branding, Site Planning, Architecture, landscape Design, Interior Design, Hospitality Partnerships
Beneath the quiet rustling of palmetto fronds, punctuated by the call of the resident sandhill cranes, discover peaceful mornings at The Hillcrest Lodge. A place where the fragrance of orange blossom and sun-baked pine needles fill the warm air, inviting you to reconnect with nature in ways that are both relaxing and exciting.
The Caloosa Club is the continuation of lakeside resort life along the distinct shoreline of Crooked Lake, tracing its beginnings to 1917. This quaint lakeside town’s history parallels much of what was happening in central Florida in the early 1900s when the railroads began the transition from pioneer homesteading to agricultural products such as cattle, citrus, pineapples, sugar cane, tomatoes, and strawberries. The Lake Wales Ridge’s sandy, well-drained hills are particularly well suited for citrus. Similar to the Mediterranean, paired with abundant freshwater access, is what inspired a citrus boom. This agricultural industry invited new visitors lured by the romanticized lifestyle of the young sunshine state.
First built in 1917, the Lakeside Club sat on the south shore of Crooked Lake in the small town of Hillcrest Heights. On Nov. 11th, 1918, the original Lakeside Club burned to the ground. It was then rebuilt in 1919 and changed its name to Hillcrest
Lodge. Fire struck again in August of 1929, burning the three-story Lodge to the ground entirely for the second time, and once again, The Hillcrest Lodge was rebuilt on the same foundation. Well known as the “best-appointed hotel along the Ridge” where soirees graced by the likes of Babe Ruth, included formal evening wear and dancing. Dancing days are here again. And while guests need not pack their black ties for dinner service today, The Hillcrest Lodge inspires a new age of lakeside sophistication.
The Hillcrest Lodge is a brand connected to and inspired by rich history, sacred land, and timeless stories. The name pays tribute to the pristine body of water the property overlooks and the region’s earliest residents for whom it was once named. The crest, featuring a statuesque sabal palmetto, emphasizes this property’s reverence for its natural surroundings. This is a place inhabited thoughtfully, coexisting in harmony with a distinct array of flora and fauna – a privilege to be savored and a pleasure to share.
Team: Studio Shell, Edyt Agency, Nicolas Linares (NKONE)
The Caloosa Club is the continuation of lakeside resort life along the distinct shoreline of Crooked Lake, tracing its beginnings to 1917. This quaint lakeside town’s history parallels much of what was happening in central Florida in the early 1900s when the railroads began the transition from pioneer homesteading to agricultural products such as cattle, citrus, pineapples, sugar cane, tomatoes, and strawberries. The Lake Wales Ridge’s sandy, well-drained hills are particularly well suited for citrus. Similar to the Mediterranean, paired with abundant freshwater access, is what inspired a citrus boom. This agricultural industry invited new visitors lured by the romanticized lifestyle of the young sunshine state.
First built in 1917, the Lakeside Club sat on the south shore of Crooked Lake in the small town of Hillcrest Heights. On Nov. 11th, 1918, the original Lakeside Club burned to the ground. It was then rebuilt in 1919 and changed its name to Hillcrest
Lodge. Fire struck again in August of 1929, burning the three-story Lodge to the ground entirely for the second time, and once again, The Hillcrest Lodge was rebuilt on the same foundation. Well known as the “best-appointed hotel along the Ridge” where soirees graced by the likes of Babe Ruth, included formal evening wear and dancing. Dancing days are here again. And while guests need not pack their black ties for dinner service today, The Hillcrest Lodge inspires a new age of lakeside sophistication.
The Hillcrest Lodge is a brand connected to and inspired by rich history, sacred land, and timeless stories. The name pays tribute to the pristine body of water the property overlooks and the region’s earliest residents for whom it was once named. The crest, featuring a statuesque sabal palmetto, emphasizes this property’s reverence for its natural surroundings. This is a place inhabited thoughtfully, coexisting in harmony with a distinct array of flora and fauna – a privilege to be savored and a pleasure to share.
Team: Studio Shell, Edyt Agency, Nicolas Linares (NKONE)