With tourism numbers now stronger than ever in the Sebring/Highlands County area, visitors to the destination will have several new offerings to discover in 2022, including three unique types of accommodations: 

·      Inn the Woods is a 15-acre resort dedicated to offering comfortable, upscale ‘tree canopy cottages’ for short-term vacation rentals. The resort will open with six cabins, with a goal of adding another 24 cabins over the next five years. Visitors will be fully immersed in nature while still enjoying creature comforts including air-conditioned cottages, organic mosquito control, a swimming pond, indoor and outdoor showers, and more. (Opening fall, 2022)

o   The resort will also be home to a new farm-to-table restaurant, Par Paul-Hus, with most ingredients coming from Inn the Woods farm. (Opening spring, 2022)

·      A seven-room boutique hotel and an Irish pub will take over an historic building in Sebring’s downtown circle. With Gavaghan’s on the ground floor, the Roanoke Hotel will occupy the second floor. This is the same name of a hotel that was originally in the space when the building was constructed in 1917.  This project comes from the team behind the popular Sebring restaurant, Faded Bistro & Beer Garden. (Opening fall, 2022)

·      Stay and Play Cabins at the Sebring International Golf Resort. Approximately 25 solar powered, premium cabins will be constructed in two different areas on the resort. Cabins overlooking the gorgeous 12-hole par-three course, known as the Resort Cabins, will be popular with golfers and include a personal golf cart for the duration of your stay. The second set of cabins, the Race Cabins, are located adjacent to the Sebring International Raceway. There is also a 6,000 ft² clubhouse that can be used as an event venue in the Race Cabin compound. (Opening fall, 2022)

o   The resort operates 27 holes of championship golf and a 12-hole par 3 course. The 27 holes are now closed for complete renovations. They will reopen at the same time as the cabins 

Other new tourism-related business openings include:

·      The 301. A new nano craft brewery, micro-distillery, and Italian eatery from the owners of Sugar Sand Distillery. The distillery will be a true Florida craft distillery, distilling on site from produce grown locally by the owners. The brewery will produce one barrel at a time, featuring four-to-six different types of beer. (Opening spring, 2022)

·      The Sebring Institute Located on the Inn the Woods resort property, the Institute will offer classes on the ‘lost arts’ including homesteading, living off the land, blacksmithing, woodworking, Earthen building, preserving food, farming, nature survival, permaculture, medicinal plants, apothecary practices and more. (Opening January, 2022)

Some of these new openings, including the 301, Gavaghan’s and the Roanoke Hotel, have been supported by Downtown Sebring’s Community Redeveloping Agency (CRA).  The CRA has been acquiring prime properties in the downtown district that are poised for redevelopment and created a program to attract successful businesses to occupy these properties. Businesses apply to use the buildings and successful applicants are offered a five-year, lease-to-own scenario. Businesses make improvements to the property to suit their business needs and there are no lease/rent payments made to the CRA during that time. If the business is successful and delivers the concept that was proposed to the CRA, the CRA will transfer the ownership of the property at the end of the (5) year timeframe for free. Through this program Sebring is attracting quality businesses that are set up for success as the downtown grows.

For more information on what’s new in 2022 for visitors to the area, please contact Tanya Churchmuch at tanya@muchpr.com or Casey Hartt at Casey@visitsebring.com

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Visit Sebring is the destination marketing organization managed by the Highlands County Tourist Development Council (TDC).  The mission of the TDC is to contribute to a positive quality of life for the residents of Highlands County through destination promotion, tourism development, advocacy, and resource management – which are foundation pieces for future economic growth.  For more information, visit http://www.VisitSebring.com or find us on social media @VisitSebring.