A $60 million luxury hotel will soon rise on the north shoulder of Paris Mountain.
The Divine Group, a Greenville-based real estate investment and development company, has unveiled plans to build a 150,000-square-foot hotel called the Inn at Altamont. The new hotel, off Altamont Road, will offer high-end amenities for tourists and locals alike.
Approximately 150 guest rooms will be available at the hotel for an average cost of $275 per night. Guests will be able to enjoy the hotel’s resort-style pool, spa and room service, as well as a farm-to-table rooftop restaurant and bar. The hotel will also include a 750-person banquet hall and an expansive event lawn for weddings and other events.
Krut Patel, CEO of the Divine Group, said it is partnering with Marriott International to develop the new hotel. The boutique hotel will be part of the Marriott Tribute Portfolio, which allows the developer to add its own branding and architectural touch.
The proposed architecture for the Inn at Altamont features a mix of modern and rustic elements to create a warm, earthy environment on the mountainside. The four-story hotel will be strategically placed on Paris Mountain to offer guests scenic views of northern Greenville County.
Early ideas for Inn at Altamont
Patel said the Divine Group was excited about the opportunity but thought a residential project may not be the best use for the property. Instead, the company commissioned a market study for a potential hospitality project on the site. The study showed the Greenville market’s overall hotel-room demand was forecast to grow at an average annual rate of 2.1% per year.
“Not only was there a need for the type of (hospitality) product that we’re talking about, but there is also a huge influx of travelers who are coming in from these European nations that are used to this type of product, and Greenville doesn’t have anything to offer,” Patel said.
“It’s a legacy project for our family. Greenville has really been a huge part of how we’ve been able to establish ourselves and gain such amount of success and this is really our way of being able to give back and show our thanks to the community.” — Krut Patel, CEO of the Divine Group
The Divine Group ultimately decided to move forward with a resort-style hotel development and purchased the land on Paris Mountain in January 2024. Patel said it would be the company’s first hospitality project.
The property for the Inn at Altamont currently lies in Greenville County. The developer plans to request rezoning and annexation into the city of Travelers Rest.
He said the $60 million hotel would be the largest private investment within Travelers Rest. He also expects the hotel to have a positive economic impact on the local restaurants and businesses by attracting new clientele to the area.
Next steps
The Divine Group has been working on a development agreement and proposed zoning language for the city of Travelers Rest for several months. Patel expects to formally submit the annexation request, a development agreement and statement of intent in March.
The developer has proposed a planned-development zoning for the two properties on Altamont Road. The project’s architectural designs, building materials and other details would be reviewed along with the rezoning request. Patel said this helps streamline the review process.
According to Travelers Rest’s zoning ordinance, a public hearing is required to be held for any planned-development application. The city’s Planning Commission would then review the proposed zoning and make a recommendation to the Travelers Rest City Council, which would then vote on the application.
As part of the development agreement with the city, the Divine Group plans to donate a 20-acre parcel of land on Paris Mountain to the city. Patel said they plan to improve the property to accommodate park amenities. This land will be open to the public and include walking and biking trails, along with gathering areas.
“I’m cognizant of the fact that we are taking away some green space,” Patel said. “It’s a big mission in our family that, you know, as much development that we do, we also come back and preserve some of the land.”
In addition, the Divine Group has proposed a 2% voluntary fee be charged to all accommodations on the property. This fee would be added to anyone staying at the hotel, renting rooms or event space. Patel said this will create additional revenue for the city that will be specifically allocated for public park infrastructure and improvements.
A “local resident” discount will also be offered to Travelers Rest residents or Furman University students to use at the hotel’s food and beverage option and spa amenities.
Inn at Altamont timeline
The design phase for the Inn at Altamont is currently underway. The Divine Group is partnering with DLW Architects, a Florida-based firm, on the hotel’s architectural design. Greenville-based Arbor Land Design is also working with the developer on the project’s land planning and site design.
“We’ve been working through, for the past 18 months, working on utilities, traffic studies, making sure that everything is solid before we can bring this to the council,” Patel said.
Community members interested in learning more about the Inn at Altamont are invited to attend a public-information session Monday, Feb. 10. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in Shaw Hall at Furman University. Representatives from the Divine Group, Marriott International, DLW Architects and Arbor Land Design will be in attendance.
Patel hopes to get final approval of the annexation and rezoning requests by June 2025. Once the process is complete, the developer will work on the project’s interior designs and begin the permitting process.
“We’re anticipating about a 36-month construction timeline,” Patel said. “If all goes to plan, we would open doors in 2030.”
Design phase
Historic name
Local historians might recognize the name of the Divine Group’s new hotel development. A three-story resort named the Altamont Hotel once sat on the summit of Paris Mountain. Constructed around 1889, the building had 23 rooms but lacked amenities like running water. The hotel was sold in 1898 to be used as a Bible institute. The structure burned down in 1920.
Source: upstatebusinessjournal.com/events/altamont-hotel
Related Topics