Overview

Step into the legacy and opportunity of Heritage House, a 1913 neoclassical mansion that blends timeless Southern charm with a thriving business model in the heart of Opelika, Alabama. Perfectly positioned at the confluence of a historic commercial downtown and the desirable Northside Historic District residential neighborhood, this 5,460-square-foot stately home has been beautifully restored and operates today as a highly rated bed & breakfast and event venue. 

With five elegant guest rooms, spacious common areas, modernized amenities, and a wraparound veranda that sets the tone for warm hospitality, Heritage House already enjoys strong repeat business from Auburn University visitors, national and international travelers, and event clients. The separate ~2,500-square-foot Carriage House, complete with a three-car garage, workspace, and innkeeper’s apartment, adds flexibility for operations and future growth.

More than just a property, Heritage House is a turn-key business with multiple income streams and untapped potential. Already producing steady revenue from lodging (~80%) and events (~20%), the business is poised for significant expansion in weddings, private parties, alcohol sales, and outdoor event hosting. Its prime location near transportation corridors, Auburn University, major employers, golf, sports, and cultural venues ensures year-round demand from both leisure and business travelers. 

Included in the sale are all furnishings, art & decor, supplies, established systems, digital assets, branding, and a loyal customer base with over 500 glowing online reviews. Whether you’re an experienced hospitality professional or an entrepreneur looking to expand into events and lodging, Heritage House offers not just real estate, but a rare chance to own a piece of history—and turn it into your future.

Offered at $1,250,000. Owner financing available to well qualified buyers with substantial down payment.

The Property

Originally built in 1913, Heritage House is a 5,460 square foot neoclassical mansion situated on a 0.92 acre corner lot at the junction of Opelika, Alabama’s historic downtown and Northside residential neighborhood.

The main house boasts 12 foot ceilings on both levels and features 5 guest bedrooms, each with a private bathroom, a large front parlor, a banquet size dining room with operational pocket doors, multiple other common areas for guests, and a recently renovated kitchen with attached butlers pantry featuring a commercial ice maker and scullery sink. There are two second floor balconies plus a wraparound veranda on the first floor.

This building is in excellent condition and features irreplaceable craftsmanship, a grand central stairway, intricate millwork, original chandeliers, and wood floors throughout.

In addition to the mansion, there is a Carriage House on the property that is approximately 2,500 square feet. The first floor of that building features a three car garage, laundry room, storage, 1/2 bath, work, and storage space. The second floor is an approximately 1,000 square foot 1 bedroom apartment with a full kitchen and bathroom, currently used as Innkeepers quarters. This building also features a large screened-in porch on the back of the first floor and a small rooftop deck off the second story apartment..

The property is zoned C2, which means it offers flexibility for both commercial and residential use. Located on a corner lot in a high traffic area with existing approved and lighted signage.

Fiber to the building provides fast, reliable internet access. (Opelika was Alabama’s first “gig” city).

Recent Updates

• 3 of the properties 4 HVAC systems have been replaced in the past 5 years.
• Main building exterior woodwork professionally repainted in 2024
• Kitchen updated in 2020
• Exterior lighting and electrical updates including sidewalk lamps, lighting on signage, and electrical outlets for holiday decor and events.
• Concrete paved around the perimeter of the main building.
• 5 year bonded termite treatment performed December 2025
• Structural inspection completed in 2025 certifying that “this building’s foundation and framing are stable and are generally in good structural condition.”

The Business

This property was first remodeled and converted into a bed & breakfast in 1993. It has been in operation in its current iteration since June 2020. The primary business is still as a bed & breakfast, but the current owners also host and produce events such as weddings, receptions, showers, parties, retreats, and networking events. Revenue is approximately 80% lodging, 20% events, including alcohol sales (current owners hold a liquor license).

Lodging stats (2025):

• Occupancy: 45%
  • Highest occupancy months: August, November
  • Lowest occupancy months: January, December
• ADR: $168.53
• RevPAR: $75.63
• Approximately 90% of reservations are direct (online or phone) while 10% come through OTA’s (Expedia, Booking.com, Airbnb, TripAdvisor, and Stash Rewards)

The vast majority of lodging guests are travelers from outside the area, traveling from all over the US (and even international) to visit Opelika, while the vast majority of event customers are local.

Lodging guests come to the area for work, to visit family and friends, and for pleasure, but our location near the convergence of two highways (I-85 and US 280) also positions Heritage House as a frequent stopover location for travelers passing through.

The Area

The Auburn-Opelika area is fast growing and has a diverse economy. The population of Auburn is ~84,000 (up from 76,143 at the 2020 census) while Opelika’s is ~35,000 (up from 30,995 in 2020). 

Opelika sits at the crossroads of US Interstate 85 and US Route 280 with easy access to Atlanta, GA (100 miles), Birmingham, AL (112 miles), and Montgomery, AL (62 miles)

Nearby attractions include:

• Auburn University – A major SEC school with a huge sports program. Heritage House hosts many parents for move-in, move-out, graduation (commencement held three times annually: spring, summer, and fall), and parents weekends. Reservations for home football game weekends and spring commencement  sell out at premium pricing, typically well in advancne.
• RTJ Golf Trail at Grand National – The crown jewel of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail featuring 54 holes across three courses.
• Opelika SportsPlex & Aquatics Center – While primarily a resource for residents, it includes the Opelika Pickleball Facility, featuring 24 covered courts. This facility is used for local, regional, and national pickleball tournaments. We have seen an increase in reservations surrounding pickleball tournaments as we are the closest and nicest official lodging to the facility.
• Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center – A multi-thereater performing arts venue featuring a year round lineup of diverse programming including touring Broadway productions, operas, dance, concerts, comedy shows, and more.
• Chewacala State Park – Public recreation area occupying almost 700 acres including a 26 acre lake. Featuring multi-use trails, fishing, swimming, cabins, and RV camping.
• Tuskegee University – One of the most famous historically black land-grand universities, the campus and surrounding area features museums dedicated to its first president Booker T. Washington, scientist George Washington Carver, and the Tuskegee Airmen. There are no desirable lodging options near Tuskegee so Heritage House captures some guests coming to the area for university and cultural travel.

Area events:

• On the Tracks wine trail and Opelika On Tap craft beer festival. Two signature fundraising events hosted downtown by Opelika Main Street.
• Opelika Songwriters Festival – An annual weekend music festival across multiple locations in and around Downtown Opelika. Heritage House has hosted a stage for the past 4 years and is the most sought after lodging location for this event.
• Brewzle Whiskey Festival – Brewzle, a whiskey influencer, has a large national following and this event brings people from all over the country to Opelika to taste spirits from dozens of distilleries. In 2025 all five of the rooms were occupied by out-of-state guests for this event, coming from Oregon, Washington, New York, Pennsylvania, and Arkansas.
• The Old 280 Boogie – A twice yearly music festival hosted in nearby Waverly, Alabama (a tiny town with very limited lodging options).
• The Auburn Rodeo – An annual spring rodeo and country music festival dubbed The Rowdiest Party in the SEC.
• Auburn Tigers Sports – While home football games at the 87,451 seat Jordan-Hare Stadium are the biggest draw, Heritage House guests also come for basketball, baseball, swimming, gymnastics, equestrian events, and golf.
• Opelika is a big Christmas town with three major events happening near downtown: Snopelika, Christmas in a Railroad Town, and the Opelika Victorian Front Porch Tour, which kicks off every year at Heritage House.

This is just a sampling of some of the largest area events. Check out the Auburn-Opelika Tourism event calendar to see more.

Major employers:

• Auburn University – A major public land-grant university, steeped in history, with enrollment over 34,000, a $1.85 billion annual budget, and offering over 150 undergraduate majors across 12 colleges.
• Pharmavite – Makers of Nature Made Vitamins. All their gummy vitamins are manufactured at this facility
• Mando – Large South Korean auto parts manufacturer.
  • There are dozens of other auto parts manufacturers in the Auburn-Opelika area that service both the two Korean brands (Kia and Hyundai) as well as European and domestic brands. 
• Miele – High end German appliance manufacturer. This is their first US operation.
• East Alabama Medical Center – Located just 1.8 miles away, this is the regional medical center that services the area.

This is just a sampling of some of the largest area employers. See Opelika Economic Development and City of Auburn for more. Opelika has a very active and award-winning Chamber of Commerce and Auburn-Opelika Tourism works hard to actively recruit events and conferences to the area.

Opportunities

While the current innkeepers have built the business substantially since re-opening in June 2020, there are a lot of opportunities to grow and expand.

• There is year-round business with the highest occupancy in spring and fall, but lower occupancy in summer and winter. Promotions, marketing, and dynamic pricing could be better implemented to capture more occupancy, especially in the slower times.
• The event business is an important part of the existing revenue stream, but the current innkeepers reluctance to be more engaged in event planning and production limits bookings. A person with a strong interest in helping host (or even plan) weddings, showers, parties, retreats, etc. could significantly increase event revenue and related services.
• Alcohol sales are a small portion of the current business, mostly in conjunction with private events with some guest room and public event sales. There is significant opportunity to grow guest sales as well as open up to the public more frequently.*
• The large lawn is great for hosting outdoor events, but indoor space limits event capacity. Constructing a permanent event pavilion would enable larger, year-round events
• The Carriage House first floor has space that could be converted into additional guest rooms. Alabama regulation allows up to 10 guest rooms for a bed and breakfast.
• There is room on the property to build additional guest rooms as individual cottages or even an annex building, both are very common expansion paths for properties like this.
• Some photo and video productions have been shot at Heritage House, but there is a lot of opportunity to increase this low-impact, high-value revenue stream, especially given the relative proximity to the major film & television production hub of Atlanta, GA.

What’s Included

The substantial value and the draw for our guests is obviously in the real estate, but with this sale we are offering a complete turn-key bed & breakfast and event venue business. Included in the sale are all current appliances, furnishings, art, decor, supplies, and inventory**. You’ll receive all digital assets including website, branding, marketing materials, established property management system/channel manager, business phone & messaging system, workspace (email, docs, storage), customer database, social profiles, and over 500 nearly perfect reviews across TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook, Yelp, Airbnb, Expedia, and Booking.com. 

Current innkeepers will provide up to two weeks of on-site training and transition assistance, if desired, post closing.

Deposits for future room reservations and events will be transferred at closing.

Next Steps

Send inquiries to: leif@heritagehouse1913.com. Serious inquiries only, please.

_{* Alabama liquor licenses are non-transferable. Existing owners will advise in the process of obtaining a new license if buyers want to continue licensed alcohol sales.}

_{** There are a very small number of the current innkeepers personally owned items within the main building that are not included in the sale. The separate Carriage House is used as innkeepers quarters and most property in that building is private. Some business property is stored in that building. A complete inventory of what comes with the purchase is available.}