Lake County commissioners have signed off on plans for a $66+ million boutique hotel inside the gated Bella Collina community in Montverde, a move county officials say could turbocharge South Lake’s draw for weddings, corporate retreats, and short-stay tourism. The project, tentatively called The Mansion at Bella Collina, is slated to include guest rooms, suites, a full-service restaurant, a spa, and a dedicated banquet space. Developers and county leaders say recently approved tax incentives were crucial to making the numbers work.
Project details at Bella Collina
According to South Lake Tablet, the hotel will rise on roughly four acres along County Road 455, overlooking Lake Siena. Plans call for about 100 guest rooms, with 70 standard rooms and 30 suites, plus a resort-style heated pool, a full-service spa, and on-site dining. Banquet facilities are expected to handle more than 150 guests, positioning the property to grab wedding and conference business that now often leaves the county. Designers are aiming for architecture that reflects Bella Collina’s Tuscan-inspired look instead of the condo-style residences nearby.
County incentive that pushed it over the line
County commissioners awarded the project a tax grant under Lake County’s new Hotel Incentive Program worth up to $824,269 per year over five years, the first award issued under the plan, Spectrum News reports. Lake County Economic Development Director Meg Brew told Spectrum the program is designed to keep visitor spending local, saying, “We know that when people stay locally, they tend to spend locally.” County staff have emphasized that incentives will only be paid after the developer hits program requirements and milestones.
Who’s behind the plan
The application was submitted by The Hotel Siena Holdings LLC and is led by Spencer Schar, president of The Club at Bella Collina, according to GrowthSpotter. Schar and the development team told county staff that the hotel’s amenity package and event capacity were crafted to qualify for the program’s maximum incentive level and to keep more overnight visitors in Lake County. With approvals in hand, the project now shifts into design, permitting, and the next round of county reviews.
Where it fits in the market
Bella Collina already offers extended-stay luxury through its Siena residences and the private Club at Bella Collina, but the new hotel is intended as a more public, short-stay option with a traditional front desk, on-site restaurants, and purpose-built event spaces, community materials, and local coverage. The Club’s current accommodations function more like condo-style suites, while The Mansion is being pitched as a conventional boutique hotel aimed at weddings, golf visitors and corporate retreats, per Bella Collina. Local planners say the lake views and Tuscan-style architecture are central to the push for higher-end travelers.
What’s next
County staff expect construction could begin later this year or in early 2027, with a hoped-for opening around 2028, although market conditions and permitting could shift those dates, Spectrum News notes. If the developer meets the program’s milestones, the tax incentives will be paid out over a five-year period tied to compliance and performance. Local business owners say a public, full-service hotel at Bella Collina could help keep more event and tourism dollars in Lake County while supporting nearby restaurants, rental operators and the area’s golf and spa businesses.
