PILOT POINT, Texas — An international resort company that owns Dallas’
famed Southfork Ranch was the highest bidder last week at an auction to
take over of Ray Roberts Lake State Park’s Lantana Lodge. The previous
concessionaire at the park, Nature Leisure Times, LLC, had been in
bankruptcy for more than a year.
Forever Resorts of Scottsdale, Ariz., submitted the winning bid to
take over the six-year-old, hotel-style facility in Denton County. Bids
were based on TPWD’s current contract for the facility that calls for
several phases of construction that includes development of a marina
and cabins, and a conference center expansion, according to Randy Bell,
state parks regional director for North Texas.
Lantana Lodge, which includes 30 guest rooms, a conference center
and a full-service restaurant, remains open and under terms of the sale
must remain open and honor all future bookings taken by Nature Leisure
Times. The bankruptcy trustee closed on the sale Dec. 19.
Walt Dabney, director of Texas state parks, hailed the news of
Forever Resorts’ winning bid. He noted it would be the company’s first
operation in a Texas state park
"This is a very exciting day for Lantana Lodge and Ray Roberts Lake
State Park," Dabney said Thursday. "Forever Resorts is a nationally and
internationally recognized provider of quality visitor services at
parks all over the world."
Forever Resorts owns four other Texas resorts, including the Chisos
Mountain Lodge at Big Bend National Park and Lake Amistad Resort &
Marina. It also runs the Cottonwood Cove Resort and Marina on Lake
Mohave, whose operations are similar in scope to those envisioned at
Lantana Lodge.
Lantana Lodge first opened in 2000 under a unique private-public
partnership initiated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to
provide a full-service lodge to complement the Jordan Park unit’s more
traditional campgrounds at Ray Roberts Lake State Park.
