Exploring Life & Business with Matt Ferguson of Route 19 Inn, Storyland Studios

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Ferguson. 

Hi Matt, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I grew up in Central Florida, in the shadows of Walt Disney World. I guess Disney got in my blood at an early age. Even as a kid, I could recognize the excellence, the storytelling, and the pure magic-making. Eventually, I became a creative executive at the Walt Disney Company and had the opportunity to be on the opening team of incredible places, including Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park and Lodge, the ESPN Wide World of Sports, and the BoardWalk Resort. Today, I’m Chief Operating Officer at Storyland Studios, and have the opportunity to help design some of the biggest new resort and entertainment properties in the world. 

One of my favorite projects I’ve had the opportunity to work on is right here close to home. I’m a partner in Route 19 Inn, a classic 1948 motor lodge that we had the privilege of redesigning and meticulously restoring. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
When you work on the wide range of properties we do, there are always challenges. In some ways, that’s the fun part of my job — creatively solving problems. 

For example, with Route 19 Inn, the concrete building is built like a tank. We never had to worry about anything structurally. But we ran into all kinds of interesting issues with dated infrastructure and had to replace and update more than we originally thought, making it more expensive than we originally planned. But the rave reviews we get now make up for it all. 

For our new developments, we’re working on, as you can imagine, we deal with some of the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) crowd sometimes. Most of the time, it’s just a fear of the unknown. At Storyland, it’s our vision to create stories that lift the spirit. So, you can bet we won’t be working on something if it’s not going to be positive for the community and do good in the world. Sometimes, it takes a little time to communicate what we’re doing to help people understand it’s going to be positive; it’s going to be a good thing. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Route 19 Inn, Storyland Studios?
https://www.route19inn.com/ 

We like to say this place is more than a trip to the mountains. It’s a trip back in time. Originally built in 1948, in the glory days of post-war road trips, this was a popular spot to stay when folks were visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway. We wanted to bring it back to those glory days with a modern twist. And we’ve done that. 

Our storyline or theme for the hotel is “retro road trip,” and we coined a design aesthetic we like to call “mid-century mountain.” We thought, what would’ve been the ideal mountain motor lodge at the height of the middle 20th century? And we created that. Except we created it with a crisp, updated design twist and modern amenities like flat-screen TVs, bedside USB chargers, and the same kind of mattresses used at Disney’s Deluxe Resorts. And we peppered the property with Instagrammable vignettes, including environmental art from local artists. That, combined with its incredible property at the confluence of two trout streams and perfect location between Asheville and the National Park, has led to a successful revitalization of this vintage property. 

As a result, Route 19 Inn has been a hit with the press and guests alike, even being named one of the Best New Boutique Hotels by one publication. 

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love travel and spending time with family. 

I don’t like the way people seem to be getting more divided and self-absorbed. Let’s love each other through our differences, folks! 

Pricing:

• $100-150/night

Contact Info:

• Website: www.route19inn.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/route19inn/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/route19inn
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattfergusonmarketing/
• Twitter: @marketingmatt
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@route19inn86
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/route-19-inn-maggie-valley-2
• Other: https://www.storylandstudios.com/ 

Image Credits
Jakub Blank
Kaley Blank
Kody Zenger