A groundbreaking ceremony for the Len Resort & Residences on the Putnam County side of Lake Oconee last Thursday afternoon attracted a sizable crowd, largely made up of Putnam and Greene counties’ movers and shakers, including politicians, business owners, real estate executives, and county officials.
Though land clearing was well underway, marked by over a half-dozen pieces of large construction equipment parked across a temporarily denuded landscape reaching a quarter mile or more to the lake, the event officially marked five years’ worth of prep work. It all led to building an extensive, 50-acre lakefront development anchored by a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel, plus 49 condominium and townhome-style residences.
Lauren Sprayberry, the project's franchisee, was the first to speak before nearly 200 observers gathered beneath and around a large tent. She described the Len Resort development as having “been in the works since 2019” and intended “to blend historic traditions with modern amenities.”
Len Resort event will eventually have four food and beverage outlets, a 3,000-square-foot rooftop bar, a 46,000-square-foot resort-style pool near the lake, a 6,000-square-foot spa, a golf simulator, a lake view room, an event terrace and lawn, and a 300-slip marina. The development is expected to be completed by May 2026, with the first phase of residences now available for reservation and purchase.
“This will be Anchor Marina’s second location on Lake Oconee,” added Lauren Sprayberry, who co-owns with her husband, Josh, the original Anchor location alongside Highway 44, also on the Putnam County side of the lake.
“This Marina will provide the rental boats for the hotel,” she said. “So, when you book a place to stay, you can reserve a boat to rent as well to enjoy the lake and the natural beauty of the shores of Lake Oconee.”
Owners of the Marriott-branded residences, now available for pre-sale, “will enjoy exclusive access to all of these amenities, along with premium services such as concierge golf cart pickup to the marina, boat refueling, and full-service property management with a projected completion date of May 2026,” Lauren Sprayberry said.
Additionally, residence owners will enjoy “elite status” with Marriott Bonvoy, with the option to include their unit(s) within the property's rental inventory and earn additional Marriott Bonvoy points.
Up next at the podium was Marriott Senior Director of Brand Development and Operations Tony Nacci, who explained that Marriott’s Autograph Collection tagline is “Exactly like nothing else.” He also said he has “the easy job” when working with visionaries like the Sprayberrys and Kyle Kanye, Marriott’s vice president of development for its Eastern region.
“I get the fun job of just working with the creatives and bringing this project to life. I’ve said before that whenever you can build a hotel on the water, you say yes, how, and when. So, our goal is to get this open,” Nacci said. “And I’m sure that this property is going to have huge success, very similar to the Ritz Carlton that we already have here on the lake.”
Nacci then passed the microphone to Georgia native Sloan Dean, president and CEO Of Remington Hospitality, which is part of 140 hotels nationwide, including three prior Marriott Autograph locations.
“We have several lake resorts, but this is unique in that it not only brings a kind of Southern charm and hospitality, but it also brings a sense of boating and water activity that I think many families are looking for,” Dean said. “And the residential component just adds to the entire experience.”
Georgia Department of Economic Development Mark Jaronski spoke next. He said agriculture currently remains the state’s most significant industry. Still, tourism is not far behind, making projects like the Len Resort & Residences that much more important to Georgia.
Jaronski said Governor Brian Kemp had announced just two days earlier that Georgia hosted approximately 171 million visitors statewide last year, who spent about $44 billion on hotels, restaurants, and other recreation — or vacation-based activities.
“On everything that Josh and Lauren and the team that just spoke to you are going to put into action here in just a few months or maybe years,” Jaronski said.
He also mentioned that the latest tourism figures represented “a double-digit increase” for the fourth year in a row, “the second consecutive year of record-breaking tourism in the state,” and that for the fourth-straight year, Georgia recorded “the number-five market share in the country for domestic overnight stays.”
Jaronski also said he’s been aware of the Len Resort project almost from its beginning, recalling a visit years ago to the same site as the groundbreaking.
“I’m a Lake Oconee resident, and Josh and Lauren had me out here three or four years ago, and you can imagine at the state we see and hear about a lot of projects when they are conceived,” Jaronski told the assembled crowd. “And I’ve been with the state now for a little over four years, and I’ve not seen one move from concept to reality this quickly. So, the vision that was mentioned is absolutely there.”
Finally, Josh Sprayberry of King Sprayberry, LLC, spoke. He spent about 10 minutes listing his appreciation for supporters, backers, contributors, and believers in his Len Resorts & Residences dream. He ended with a heartfelt thank you to his wife and the rest of his family for their continuing help and support.