SHENANDOAH COUNTY, Va. — In the wooded ridges of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, a long-anticipated vision is finally taking physical shape.
The Shenandoah Nature Resort recently moved from concept into construction with a ceremonial groundbreaking that was anything but conventional. Rather than hard hats and shovels, the owners hosted an immersive, daylong activation on the land itself — blending music, reflection, and storytelling into what founder Mike Marburg described as a commitment to “what we are building moving forward.”
From the earliest planning stages, the project has focused not only on extraordinary design and placemaking, but on an awareness of its long-term presence in the region.
Founding partners Mike and Jennifer Marburg are making decisions with future generations in mind, from environmental stewardship to relationships with local neighbors and stakeholders.
The Vision: Regenerative Hospitality at Scale
In a rural location not far from Shenandoah National Park, the 640-acre resort is designed as a place for transformational travel and wellness — where guests can reconnect with nature, navigate life transitions, and engage in programming that ranges from hydrotherapy to outdoor exploration.
Plans for the campus include restored meadows, a working food forest, and ecological initiatives such as the reintroduction of the American chestnut, once a dominant species in Appalachian forests. The goal is not just to preserve the land, but to actively improve it over time.
This regenerative mindset extends to the manner in which the resort will operate day-to-day. The campus is being designed as entirely fossil-fuel free, powered by a 100% geothermal system that will handle both air and water heating and cooling. Operational practices will reinforce that approach, with composting programs, a commitment to eliminating single-use plastics, and systems designed to reduce waste at every level.
A Different Kind of Resort
To bring this vision to life, the developers have assembled nationally acclaimed designers including Olson Kundig (Seattle), Marlon Blackwell Architects (Fayetteville), Clodagh Design (New York City), and Coen + Partners (Minneapolis). The contractor is Virginia-based Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc. (Winchester), recently named one of the nation’s Top 100 Green Building Contractors by ENR.
Together, this team will be creating a built environment that intentionally steps back to let the landscape lead.
Sitting lightly on the land and responding to the site’s terrain, the structures will be constructed of natural materials. A village-like master plan shows areas of development connected by trails rather than roads.
In fact, one of the most defining features of the plan is what’s not there: cars. The core campus north of the entry point will be entirely car-free, with vehicles limited to a discreet arrival and parking loop. From there, guests will move through the property on foot, reinforcing a slower, more immersive relationship with the land.
A Record-Setting PACE Financing Milestone
The project also made headlines with a major sustainability-focused financing announcement.
A $65 million investment through Virginia’s Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program — the largest in the state’s history — will help fund the resort’s ambitious environmental infrastructure. The financing supports systems like geothermal energy, high-efficiency building design, and water conservation measures, aligning the project’s capital strategy with its environmental goals.
Future Steps
Shenandoah Nature Retreat will likely open in phases, beginning with a limited preview experience in late 2027 before a full launch in 2028. At its core, the project is betting on a simple but powerful idea: that the future of travel lies not in escape, but in reconnection — to nature, to community, and to self. And through it all — community comes first.
Learn more about the project, and sign up for updates at The Shenandoah Nature Resort.
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