Melissa Blettner on Ancient Lore Village: Building a Fantasy Themed Boutique Resort with Hospitality Purpose

Host Steve Turk interviews Melissa Blettner, CEO of Boyd Hollow Resorts and Ancient Lore Village in Knoxville, Tennessee. Melissa explains founder Tom Boyd’s book inspired mission to create a fantasy village where only good exists and guests leave happier, kinder, and friendlier. She shares her hospitality start from an XL Inn front desk job to studying hospitality management, advancing through roles in front office, sales, and leadership, and spending 20 years at Great Wolf Lodge building brand culture, openings, and a large call center with strong standards. After Great Wolf’s culture shifted following Blackstone’s acquisition and a corporate move to Chicago, she consulted before joining Boyd Hollow. Ancient Lore Village offers 14 themed dwellings on 67 acres, day passes, dining, axe throwing, archery, events, retreats, and weddings, and is expanding with Boki’s Trek Experience and an Ancient Lore Wellbeing Retreat. 00:00 Show Kickoff 00:31 Sponsor Lodgify 01:34 Meet Melissa 02:23 Ancient Lore Origin 04:03 First Hospitality Job 06:08 Breaking Into Hotels 07:51 Career Steps Forward 10:18 Great Wolf Breakthrough 12:44 Growing at Great Wolf 16:13 Call Center Culture 17:41 Brand Building Playbook 21:19 Leaving After 20 Years 22:12 From Mars To Buyout 22:49 Dream Big Consulting Reality 24:24 Finding Boyne Hollow 26:19 What Ancient Lore Offers 28:23 Managing Crowds And Groups 30:39 Small Resort Big Opening 32:20 Guests Define The Magic 34:41 Future Attractions And Wellness 36:02 Luxury Not Kitschy Design 40:13 Team Growth And Mentorship 42:10 Advice And Farewell