Ray Roberts Lake State Park’s Lantana Lodge Has New Concessionaire
Dec. 21, 2007
Media Contact: Rob McCorkle (830) 866-3533; State Park Contact: Randy Bell (254) 867-7961
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PILOT POINT, Texas — An international resort company that owns Dallas’ famed Southfork Ranch was the highest bidder last week at an auction to take over of Ray Roberts Lake State Park’s Lantana Lodge. The previous concessionaire at the park, Nature Leisure Times, LLC, had been in bankruptcy for more than a year.
Forever Resorts of Scottsdale, Ariz., submitted the winning bid to take over the six-year-old, hotel-style facility in Denton County. Bids were based on TPWD’s current contract for the facility that calls for several phases of construction that includes development of a marina and cabins, and a conference center expansion, according to Randy Bell, state parks regional director for North Texas.
Lantana Lodge, which includes 30 guest rooms, a conference center and a full-service restaurant, remains open and under terms of the sale must remain open and honor all future bookings taken by Nature Leisure Times. The bankruptcy trustee closed on the sale Dec. 19.
Walt Dabney, director of Texas state parks, hailed the news of Forever Resorts’ winning bid. He noted it would be the company’s first operation in a Texas state park
"This is a very exciting day for Lantana Lodge and Ray Roberts Lake State Park," Dabney said Thursday. "Forever Resorts is a nationally and internationally recognized provider of quality visitor services at parks all over the world."
Forever Resorts owns four other Texas resorts, including the Chisos Mountain Lodge at Big Bend National Park and Lake Amistad Resort & Marina. It also runs the Cottonwood Cove Resort and Marina on Lake Mohave, whose operations are similar in scope to those envisioned at Lantana Lodge.
Lantana Lodge first opened in 2000 under a unique private-public partnership initiated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to provide a full-service lodge to complement the Jordan Park unit’s more traditional campgrounds at Ray Roberts Lake State Park.