It’s weird driving down I-95 or hitting the backroads of Geauga and Lake County lately because the landscape feels different. If you grew up around here, Quail Hollow Resort Concord wasn’t just a hotel; it was the place where your cousin had her wedding, where the local Rotary club met every Tuesday, and where golfers from across the Midwest flocked to test their mettle against two of the most frustratingly beautiful courses in Ohio. But if you try to book a room there today, you’re going to run into a wall of "permanently closed" notices and outdated TripAdvisor pages that haven't been touched in years.
The story of Quail Hollow is basically a case study in how the hospitality industry shifted over the last decade. It didn’t just vanish overnight. It was a slow burn.
Honestly, people still get confused about the location. Technically, it sits in Painesville, but everyone calls it Concord. It’s nestled right on the edge of the Quail Hollow Country Club, which—to be clear—is still very much alive and kicking. This is where the confusion starts for most travelers. You see the lush greens of the Devlin and Von Hagge courses and assume you can still check into the resort for a weekend getaway. You can't. The resort and the country club, while sharing a name and a driveway, took very different paths during the late 2010s.
The Rise and High Times of the Resort
Back in the day, this was the crown jewel of Lake County. We’re talking about a 176-room facility that felt like a lodge but operated with the scale of a major convention center. It had that specific 1980s and 90s grandeur—lots of dark wood, expansive ballrooms, and an indoor-outdoor pool situation that was the height of luxury for a kid growing up in Northeast Ohio.
Business was booming because of the golf.
The Weiskopf and Morrish-designed courses were legitimate. We aren't talking about a "putt-putt and a beer" kind of place. These were championship-level fairways. Because of that, the resort became a hub for corporate retreats. Companies from Cleveland would bus their executives out to Concord just to get them away from the city noise. You’d have a morning meeting in a carpeted ballroom, a heavy lunch, and then 18 holes before a steak dinner at the on-site restaurant, CK's Steakhouse.
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It worked. For a long time, it worked incredibly well.
Where Things Started to Slide
The decline of the Quail Hollow Resort Concord wasn't because people stopped liking golf. It was more about the "Experience Economy." As travelers started looking for either ultra-modern boutique hotels or highly specific Airbnb stays, the massive, aging "all-in-one" resort model began to feel a bit dusty.
Maintaining 170+ rooms is expensive.
Management changed hands. That’s usually the first sign of trouble. At one point, it was a flagship for the DoubleTree by Hilton brand. That gave it a certain level of protection and a steady stream of Hilton Honors members. But when the branding dropped and it became an independent resort, the safety net vanished. It's tough to fill a massive hotel in Concord, Ohio, in the middle of February without a major brand's marketing engine behind you.
Then came the structural issues. Anyone who stayed there toward the end knows what I'm talking about. There were whispers about the HVAC systems, the aging decor, and the sheer cost of bringing the facility up to 21st-century standards. It would have required tens of millions of dollars in capital improvements. Instead of a massive renovation, the property became caught in a cycle of short-term fixes.
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The Country Club Split
Here is the part most people get wrong. The Quail Hollow Country Club is a separate entity owned by ClubCorp (now known as Invited). While the hotel was struggling, the country club remained a premier destination.
- They kept the golf courses pristine.
- The membership stayed active.
- The pool and social calendar for members remained full.
This created a bizarre "Tale of Two Cities" on a single property. You had a world-class golfing experience maintained by a national club operator, while the adjacent hotel—the place where golfers used to sleep—was slowly leaning toward obsolescence. It’s a strange feeling to stand on a perfectly manicured green and look over at a building that is effectively a ghost of its former self.
The Final Chapter and Current Status
The doors officially closed to the public a few years back. For a while, there was talk of redevelopment. Developers looked at the footprint and saw potential for luxury apartments or a senior living community. It makes sense. The location is prime real estate. You’re minutes from I-90, you have the scenery of the golf course, and you're in a high-value school district.
But as of 2026, the building remains a focal point of "what if."
Local residents in Concord and Painesville have watched as the parking lots stayed empty. There’s something melancholy about a place that held so many weddings and prom nights just sitting silent. It’s not just a business closing; it’s a landmark fading out of the collective memory. If you go there today, you'll see the signs for the Country Club are bright and welcoming, but the resort entrance is blocked off or simply ignored.
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Why It Still Matters to Travelers
Even though you can't stay at the Quail Hollow Resort Concord anymore, the area hasn't lost its draw. If you’re planning a trip to this part of Ohio, you have to pivot.
People usually head toward the Finger Lakes-style vibe of the Grand River Valley. You’ve got wineries like Ferrante and Laurentia just a short drive away. For lodging, the move has shifted toward places like The Steele Mansion in Painesville or the various branded hotels closer to the Mentor shopping corridors.
The "Resort Lifestyle" in Lake County has moved from the large-scale hotel model to a more fragmented, localized experience. You stay at a B&B, you golf at Quail Hollow (if you have a connection or a reciprocal membership), and you eat at the local bistros in Chardon or Willoughby.
Actionable Insights for Visiting the Area
If you were looking for the resort because you wanted that classic Northeast Ohio golf weekend, don't scrap the trip. You just have to plan it differently.
- Golfing the Courses: Since the resort is closed, access to the Devlin and Von Hagge courses is primarily through the Country Club. Check if your local club has a reciprocal agreement with Invited (ClubCorp) clubs. This is the easiest "back door" onto those fairways.
- Where to Stay Instead: If you want luxury, look at the Steele Mansion in Painesville. It’s historic, meticulously restored, and about as far from a "cookie-cutter" hotel as you can get. If you want convenience, the hotels in Mentor near the Great Lakes Mall put you right in the center of the action.
- The Nature Factor: You’re right next to the Quail Hollow Park (part of the Portage Park District, not to be confused with the Concord resort). It offers 700 acres of trails and a 40-room manor house that is actually open for tours. It's a better way to get that "historic estate" fix.
- Dining Alternatives: CK's Steakhouse is gone, but the dining scene in nearby Willoughby is legendary. Try the local spots in the historic downtown area for a vibe that feels more "modern Ohio" and less "1992 corporate retreat."
The era of the massive Quail Hollow Resort Concord as a one-stop-shop for lodging and leisure has ended. It’s a bummer, sure. But the land is still there, the golf is still top-tier, and the region has evolved into something much more interesting than a single hotel could ever provide.
Moving forward, keep an eye on local zoning board meetings in Concord Township. That’s where the real news about the property’s future will break first. Whether it becomes a residential hub or a revamped boutique space, the footprint of the resort is too valuable to stay quiet forever. For now, it’s a reminder that even the biggest local icons aren't immune to the changing tastes of the traveling public.