This story first published by the Sun Herald. Read more here.
Jimmy Buffett’s last words to his sister Lucy Buffett were “have fun,” and the empire he built continues to expand on that message and brand a year after his passing, with the announcement of a Margaritaville resort coming to The Wharf at Orange Beach, Alabama.
Buffett, who was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, died in September 2023. In addition to his legacy as a singer, songwriter and best-selling author, he owned casinos, resorts, restaurants, entertainment venues, a campground, retirement community and cruise line.
Groundbreaking for this new Margaritaville Orange Beach will be in the fall.
The first phase is expected to open in spring 2027 and the entire resort is projected to be complete by 2029. The Orange Beach resort will “mix Margaritaville’s laid-back island lifestyle with the vibrant entertainment, shopping and dining offered at The Wharf,” the company website says.
This new resort, along the shores of the Intracoastal Waterway, will have signature Margaritaville bars, eateries and entertainment, some of which are also located at Margaritaville Resort Biloxi.
In addition to hotel rooms, the Orange Beach resort will have single-family resort cottages and luxury waterfront condos.
“Guests will be able to board the ferry to head to The Wharf to enjoy a concert at the amphitheater, shop, eat, ride the Ferris Wheel or take in the nightly laser light show along Main Street,” according to a press release from The Wharf.
Like Margaritaville Resort Biloxi, the Orange Beach resort will have a lazy river, swimming pool and other water features.
Margaritaville opening in Tennessee
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is a popular place for Mississippi Coast and New Orleans families to vacation near Dollywood and the Smoky Mountains, and a new Margaritaville resort opening there will be both family-friendly and luxurious.
It promises custom bedding, modern coastal décor, multiple pools with slides and splash pads, a lazy river and a complimentary breakfast buffet.
The company has 40 lodging properties and 20 more in the pipeline to carry Buffett’s laid-back lifestyle.
Margaritaville also is expanding the tropical vacation vibe by opening the first ski resort at Lake Tahoe in California and building Margaritaville Hotel Pocono Mountains, with a wilderness garden, luxury camping RV sites and cabins, pickleball courts, a kids’ club, dog park and snow tubing hill.