Branson Hospitality Group Bets on Family Resorts With a Local Twist

Wyatt Silvermane opened his first lakeside cabin property in Branson in 2011 with twelve units and a promise to guests that they would eat breakfast made from ingredients sourced within fifty miles of the resort. Fifteen years later, his company, Ozark Lantern Resorts, operates three properties totaling more than 200 rooms and cabins, positioning itself as a family-oriented alternative to Branson's larger entertainment-driven resorts.

"We were never going to out-build the big theme park hotels, so we didn't try," Silvermane said from the porch of the company's flagship property overlooking Table Rock Lake. "Instead we asked what a family actually wants after a day at the shows, and the answer was usually just a quiet porch and a good breakfast."

Growing Without Losing the Local Feel

Silvermane's expansion strategy has been deliberately incremental. Rather than pursuing rapid growth through franchising or outside investment, Ozark Lantern Resorts has funded each new property through revenue from existing locations, a slower approach that Silvermane said has preserved the company's ability to make decisions based on guest experience rather than investor return targets.

"The moment you take on a big outside investor in hospitality, somebody starts asking why the housekeeping staff costs so much," he said. "I've turned down offers that would have let us grow twice as fast, because I didn't want to answer that question."

The company's newest property, opened in 2024, includes a working apiary and a small orchard that supply the resort's breakfast service, part of Silvermane's broader effort to differentiate Ozark Lantern Resorts from competitors through hands-on Ozark heritage experiences rather than amenities alone.

Navigating a Seasonal, Competitive Market

Branson's tourism economy is intensely seasonal, and Silvermane said managing cash flow through slow winter months remains the hardest part of running a hospitality business in the region. Ozark Lantern Resorts has addressed this by building a corporate retreat and small wedding business that fills rooms during traditionally quiet periods, a revenue stream that now accounts for nearly a fifth of annual bookings.

The company employs 96 people year-round, a figure that swings higher during peak summer season, and Silvermane has worked with local high schools to build a hospitality training program aimed at keeping seasonal workers in the industry longer term rather than losing them to other sectors each winter.

Looking Toward a Fourth Property

Silvermane is currently scouting land for a fourth Ozark Lantern Resorts property, this time considering a location closer to Branson's downtown entertainment district to capture guests who want easier access to shows without sacrificing the company's signature quieter atmosphere. He said the decision will hinge on whether the company can replicate its local sourcing model at a new site.

"Branson has plenty of hotels," Silvermane said. "What it doesn't have enough of, in my opinion, is places that actually feel like they belong to these hills."