A partnership between Skyline Lodge and Highlands Cable Group will bring the first 10-gigabit internet connection to the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau.
“When the new owners took over the Skyline Lodge property one of their priorities was having the connectivity needed to not only run the business, but also accommodate all of their guests,” Highlands Cable Group managing member Nin Bond said. “We looked at ways we could get them the speeds they needed and it came together fairly quickly.”
Skyline Lodge, designed by Arthur Kelsey, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, and built in the 1920’s by local builder Jack Wilcox, was acquired by the Indigo Road Hospitality Group in 2020. Robert Nass, previously owned and operated the historic property for nearly three decades.
“I could not be more excited than to be involved in the world class destination that Highlands and Cashiers area has become,” said Steve Palmer, IRHG’s founder and managing partner.
IRHG is renovating the entire Skyline property, which will include the addition of Oak Steakhouse, a modern take on the classic American steakhouse. Currently IRHG owns and operates 24 restaurants and three hotels located throughout the Southeast from Naples, Florida, to Washington, DC.
After doing his research on broadband providers in this area, Jason Dauble, general manager of the Highlands property, selected Highlands Cable Group to build and maintain the fiber optic network to the renovated Skyline facility.
Dauble noted that he “was very pleased that the fiber project was completed on budget and ahead of schedule.” Skyline Lodge is scheduled to begin welcoming guests June 30.
“A state of the art and reliable fiber optic connection is a must for the multi-faceted technology that Skyline Lodge will be deploying,” Bond said. “They will have enough speed and capacity to more than meet their needs, and the reliability of a loop connection, which can only go down if the line is physically cut.”
Upon opening, residents and visitors alike will be able to enjoy the new life and exceptional amenities that IRHG is bringing to Skyline Lodge. Bond noted that because the fiber connection to the lodge is now in place, it creates opportunities to connect additional property owners in the lodge’s vicinity on Flat Mountain Road.
“We ran a line from our hub at the intersection of US 64 and Buck Creek to Skyline Lodge, and that line can be accessed from points along the way,” Bond said. “The hope is by bringing this connection to the lodge it will also lead to future opportunities to bring high-speed internet to additional customers.”