Cloudland at McLemore
Rising Fawn, GA
Tinker Ma is proud to have designed Cloudland at McLemore Resort, a full-service, five-star resort hotel named the 2024 Hilton Curio Collection New Build of the Year and recently featured on Season 4 of Hotels ByDesign.
Located on the edge of the McLemore Community on Lookout Mountain, it combines extraordinary service and luxury with rustic, mountaintop comfort. It features 245 rooms, two restaurants, an outdoor infinity pool and bar, a spa and wellness center in a beautiful natural setting with breathtaking views of the mountains and McLemore Cove. High-end quality materials provide guests with an unrivaled experience.
Inspired by the drama of its setting, 20,000 acres of protected wilderness, defined by massive rock formations, plunging cliff edges, and a panoramic wooded landscape, Cloudland’s architecture is rooted in the idea that people are naturally drawn to the edge, seeking to connect with awe-inspiring beauty. The hotel is sited on a dramatic, rock-dominated platform 1,300 vertical feet above the adjacent valley floor. The concept of physical integration of the building and site is a fundamental aspect of Cloudland’s architectural expression. The hotel building is not only designed as a horizontal expression but purposely turns at various points to allow the architecture to appear to meander along the bluff edge while disguising the size of the building. The building's elevations reflect a regional rugged mountain craftsman architectural character, utilizing large pitched-roof building forms punctuated by shed dormers, oversized timber struts, natural stone cladding, and wood, all tied to interior and exterior site detailing. Transitions between interior and exterior spaces are intentionally fluid, creating immersive and seamless guest experiences. Through significant use of natural stone and wood, as well as sophisticated building coloration, the building visually integrates with the native landscape color palette. The project was delivered using the CM/GC construction method, incorporating multiple early-release packages, and was completed on time and on budget.
Entry Sequence + Lobby Areas
Guests enter through a striking porte-cochère composed of tapered steel and Douglas fir glulam beams and locally quarried stone grounding the entry and the landscape. Views are subtly withheld and gradually revealed as guests move inward, building anticipation until they arrive in the Great Room, where a two-story wall of glass unveils the awe-inspiring expanse of McLemore Cove and the distant ranges beyond.
Inside, natural materials dominate: hickory plank ceilings, slate floors, cold-rolled steel columns, and a massive timber hearth anchored by a year-round wood-burning fireplace. The space feels monumental yet warm, an alpine sanctuary that connects visitors to the edge of the world.
In the great room, a grand staircase, framed in cold-rolled steel and wrapped with leather straps, descends into a two-story space filled with custom wool and leather furniture, warm autumnal tones, and tailored zones for reading, conversation, and games. Custom floor coverings and artisanal woodwork create an atmosphere that’s at once cozy, elegant, and richly layered.
To the left of the great room, an ebony stone-inlaid reception desk sits under pendant lights lined with nature photography commissioned exclusively for the site. To the right of the great room, a 142-foot-long library houses over 700 curated titles, including regional history and rare editions, alongside a working fireplace and panoramic views framed by spyglasses.
Dining + Pool
Cloudland offers multiple dining options including a cozy café, fine dining, a family-oriented restaurant, and a cliffside option serving those enjoying the pool. The fine dining option, Auld Alliance is inspired by the 13th-century Franco-Scottish alliance. It features hatchet-marked white oak, rich tile floors, strapped leather seating, and glass orbs suspended by leather straps. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the valley, while design elements subtly merge rustic charm with European sophistication. Aged meats, seasonal ingredients, and a wine collection presented behind semi-transparent shelving reflect a culinary philosophy as refined and regionally inspired as the architecture that surrounds it. Auld Alliance was awarded 2nd place in the category “New F&B Facility: Public/Resort in the 2024 Golf Inc.’s Golden Fork Awards.
The Conference Center + Spa
The Conference Center at McLemore serves large corporate and government organizations, social events, and weddings. It can host major conferences or be divided into smaller sub-conference spaces for breakout sessions. The Conference Center opens to a large event lawn which provides organizers and participants an outdoor option during the temperate months of the year. The Center includes a full kitchen and banquet staff, as well as two grand ballrooms, Skyline and Cumberland, featuring innovative lighting panels and coffered hickory ceilings. Flexible layouts, soundproofing, and balconies with rocking chairs support events of all sizes, while pre-function spaces rival the property’s best scenic overlooks. The naming of each space pays homage to regional elements, grounding every event in place and story.
Named for the biblical term meaning “pause,” Selah is a sanctuary of quiet and renewal. Anchored by an ancient, backlit cypress slab, the spa invites reflection through hydrotherapy lounges, salt saunas, and serene treatment rooms crafted with stone, wood, and matte black accents. The design balances intimacy and spaciousness, offering both private treatments and social lounges. Soft light, abstract nature photography, and locally inspired materials tie the experience back to Cloudland’s core ethos: a reverence for time, nature, and wellbeing.
Sustainability
Cloudland’s design reflects a commitment to environmental stewardship. Development preserved the natural woodland ecosystem and emphasized native plantings to promote biodiversity and manage stormwater. Local and reclaimed materials, including stone and timber, reduce embodied carbon and reinforce a sense of place. Passive design strategies such as deep roof overhangs, strategic building orientation, and high-performance glazing optimize daylighting, ventilation, and energy performance.
Cloudland at McLemore Resort stands as a testament to the power of thoughtful design rooted in place, experience, and stewardship. Every material choice, spatial sequence, and architectural gesture was shaped by a desire to elevate the guest’s connection to the mountain, its history, and its dramatic natural beauty. From its immersive interiors to its sustainable strategies and seamless integration with the bluff’s edge, the resort embodies Tinker Ma’s commitment to creating environments that are both inspiring and enduring.
Project Team: Craig Peavy + Thomas Palmer + Jason Hughes + Zachary Standley + Desaree Frost
Photography : 161 Photography
