“Glamping” is an activity that features the amenities of a hotel with the natural immersion of camping.
“Glamping” is an activity that features the amenities of a hotel with the natural immersion of camping.
That’s how Airon Whitt, owner and operator of The Lodge at Sweetwater Studios in Moselle, describes what people are doing when they visit her nature retreat near Laurel. The Lodge is a member of Dixie Electric.
The Lodge features safari-style tent glamping and a retreat center for visitors 16 and older.
Although yoga classes and retreats are one of the more popular activities at The Lodge, it’s not the only pastime available to visitors.
“Our guests range widely from those seeking some quiet time in nature to those wanting to work on their personal art or creative projects, or the yogi seeking to deepen their personal practice,” Whitt, 36, told Today in Mississippi.
Whitt’s nature retreat provides a full hotel-like set up in each room — beds with lavender infused memory foam mattresses, airconditioning and heat, fans, coffee pots and coffee, private fire pits, and electricity. But, she said, a visit is still camping.
“Guests will hear the sounds of nature at night and interact with the wildlife we have on site. Additionally, walking is required. We have a hilly 26-acre property that does require some walking to get from place to place. Each hilltop tent has a parking spot directly behind it for guests to park, but our deluxe island tents and lakeside cottage require a golf cart escort when you check in and walking to get to and from your car,” Whitt said.
Retreats at The Lodge include mushroom and forest foraging, women’s focused retreats, adult summer camps, art retreats featuring painting and ceramics, and yoga retreats. While on property guests have access to various walking trails through pine forests, kayaks and a paddle boats to explore the 3-acre pond, a nightly fish feeding, optional yoga classes in the lakeside yoga dome, tours of the onsite stained glass and weaving studios, and a tropical greenhouse spa, which houses a saltwater pool, hot tub, and sauna.
The idea for The Lodge goes back to Whitt’s time in high school.
“I dreamed of opening my own ecolodge since I was in high school. Almost every life decision I made since that time was to get closer to this dream. What university I attended, what jobs I took, joining the Peace Corps, all of those decisions were made with the end goal of owning a small hotel that was environmentally responsible and focused on nature and yoga,” Whitt said.
Whitt worked in hotels and restaurants for more than 15 years in Hawaii, Costa Rica, Columbia, and Malaysia.
Whitt looked at properties in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Guatemala. In April 2020 Whitt planned to visit Guatemala with a friend to put an offer on a jungle lodge there. Because of Covid, the trip never happened.
“As I sat on the back porch of my parent’s home in Mississippi, we all started dreaming about what this business could look like a little closer to home. Once I got my parents on board, the rest is history. We started building the first cottage in October 2020 and opened to the public in October 2021,” Whitt said.
Whitt’s artist parents, John and Kim Whitt, were instrumental in the building of The Lodge.
“My father especially. He built our family home with some of his closest friends on this property in the late 70s and has been creating and building here ever since. Both of my parents have their respective studios, my father’s being focused mainly on stained glass, but also woodworking and welding, and my mother’s studio is home to her weaving and painting career. I was very lucky to have the childhood that I did, growing up on this land. I have many memories of wanting to start little projects and would go to my parents with very specific needs at a young age,” Whitt said.
Whitt calls The Lodge a “beautiful family project” that brought the trio even closer than she could have imagined.
Whitt said many guests visit the Lodge to escape the noise and hustle and bustle of their lives.
“Most people say, ‘Wow, you’ve really thought of everything,’ and while I know there’s always room for improvement, it’s nice to know that guests can feel the effort we have put in here. I have had a notebook for over 20 years that I take notes in when I travel or have ideas for this business, always trying to incorporate things I’ve experienced from my own travels or places I have worked. The tiny details are important to me,” Whitt said.
For more information on The Lodge at Sweetwater Studios, visit lodgeatsweetwater.com, email info@lodgeatsweetwater.com, or call 601-300-2150.
