- Each Destination by Hyatt property is purposefully crafted as a place of immersive discoveries, authentic design, and unflappable hospitality.
Last month, Destination by Hyatt announced it would build an impressive, high-end 200-room lodge and a 1,000-person conference center on Okhissa Lake in rural southwest Mississippi, slated to open in 2027.
Destination by Hyatt, a brand of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and the Scenic Rivers Development Alliance (SRDA) partnered on the 150-acre site to develop it into a fantastical retreat, with a lavish swimming pool and hot tub, tranquil spa, exceptional restaurants, and an impressive boardwalk overlooking an upscale marina. Each Destination by Hyatt property is purposefully crafted as a place of immersive discoveries, authentic design, and unflappable hospitality.
But a lifelong Mississippian wonders where exactly is Okhissa Lake and why was it picked?
Okhissa Lake is located a stone’s throw from Bude, on the banks of the Homochitto River, in Franklin County. Population: 1,000.
John Grisham mentioned Bude in The Chamber (Random House, 1994) through a character named Lester Crosby, who was inquiring about the execution of Sam Cayhall. In 2017, the rural area was highlighted in a 60 Minutes report featuring chess coach Jeff Bulington.
The 1,075-acre clear spring-fed lake is Mississippi’s deepest lake, reaching depths of 75 feet, with 39 miles of shoreline in the 190,000-acre Homochitto National Forest. It’s home to black bass, crappie, bream, and catfish, as noted by renowned bass fisherman Bill Dance. Clear Springs Recreation Area is located there, with 22 developed campsites, 22 primitive campsites, and 25 miles of trails.
The lake, named after the Choctaw word for “porter” (Porter Creek feeds into Okhissa Lake), allows no jet skis and limits motorboats to idle speed. The Okhissa Lake boat ramp has been closed since last March because of low water levels while the water control structure was under repair.
Why Okhissa Lake?
Since joining Congress in 2018, U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a native of Brookhaven who grew up in Monticello, has made the development of Okhissa Lake a top priority. The lake is located 38 miles from Brookhaven, and 31 miles from McComb.
In an announcement released Dec. 11, 2018, developing Okhissa Lake was one of four Hyde-Smith amendments in the federal farm bill, when she was a new member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. In 2019, she announced the award of a $100,000 grant to complete a feasibility study and business plan for a proposed lodge and conference center at Okhissa Lake.
Over the next year or two, she pressed the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to complete a needed environmental assessment “in a timely manner” to transfer the land to SRDA. In 2021, the 150-acre parcel was transferred from the USFS to the SRDA. To fund the purchase of the land, state lawmakers sponsored bond bills, supported by Gov. Tate Reeves, Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann, and House Speaker Phillip Gunn.
“The U.S. Forest Service land transfer is absolutely wonderful news and a crucial step for this plan to bring jobs and economic development to southwest Mississippi,” Hyde-Smith said. “I’m eager to see the economic benefits it’ll bring to this rural region. I’m also very grateful to the Forest Service and Secretary Vilsack for following through on this.”
Hyde-Smith helped secure $1 million in funding for the USFS to update the Homochitto National Forest master plan and make recreational improvements around Okhissa Lake.
“Early on, I talked with community leaders and saw the great potential of making Okhissa Lake a greater attraction,” said Hyde-Smith, who pointed out the lake was built with taxpayer dollars to spur economic activity in the southwest part of the state. “I’m pleased with the progress on Okhissa Lake and look forward to continuing my collaboration with state and local leaders as a committed partner in this initiative.”
The development of Okhissa Lake had been in the works for more than a dozen years before she joined Congress.
Anticipated Offerings
In addition to the lodge and conference center, the development will also feature a variety of workforce training platforms, though details are scarce. Repeated phone calls and emails to Hyatt were not returned by press time with answers to questions such as: how and when did the Destination by Hyatt development at Okhissa Lake originate? Were other Mississippi locations considered? Estimated room rates? Details concerning recreational offerings and meeting space? Amenities? Culinary specialties? However, Hyatt provided images for the article.
Hyatt has 23 Destinations worldwide, usually nestled in the mountains, at the beach, or in the city, including a dozen in the continental U.S., and one in Hawaii. Two Destinations are in the south: in Charlotte, NC and Columbia, SC. Featured transportation amenities typically include limo/town car service and airport shuttles 24/7 for a surcharge. Okhissa Lake is approximately 150 miles from New Orleans, following the I-55 and US Hwy 51 route, and 81 miles from Jackson, following the same route north.
At The Vista in Columbia, SC, room rates for a stay from March 26 to 29 average $200 nightly. At The Lodge at Spruce Peak in Stowe, Vermont, located at the base of Mansfield Mountain and featuring more than 250 refurbished lodge rooms and suites and luxury penthouses, average room rates for the same period are $345 nightly. To stay in the Residences at Spruce Peak, it’s $1,157 nightly. A very impressive room with a king-size bed and a fireplace at Bluebird Cady Hill Lodge runs $220 nightly. Daily resort fees start at $45. Parking: $35 per night.
To learn more information about the Destination by Hyatt brand, visit here.
Lynne Jeter
