Check Out the Fabulous Vacation Rentals in Maury County

From lofts overlooking the town square to houses nestled in the countryside, these sites are drawing visitors and growing the economy.

By Joe Morris on May 19, 2023

Nathan Lambrecht

Looking for a relaxing weekend overlooking a charming city square chock full of restaurants and retail options? How about a place that’s close to historical sites and other unique attractions? Or maybe it’s a great space that’s near, but not right in the middle of, a festival or large event?

All the above can be found throughout Maury County, thanks to forward-looking entrepreneurs who have taken the area’s many positives and set up vacation rental properties in the midst of it all.

From city lofts overlooking Columbia’s town square to houses set into the picturesque countryside, vacation rentals in Maury County are bringing in visitors, building tourism and growing the local economy.

Striking the Right Chord

If it’s a bird’s-eye view of the Columbia square you’re after, look no further than All I Have to Do is Dream, the loft owned by Del and Carolyn Smith Bryant, son and daughter-in-law of legendary songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant (whose hit song of the same name, one of 800 they penned, graces the property).

“We bought the place about four years ago and knew that with the rooftop deck it would be the perfect Airbnb,” Carolyn Bryant says. “It was exciting project to be dreaming about, hence the name. Our Realtor, John Ross Hill, had helped make the move to our farm in Franklin from New York City, and he recommended the building. We hadn’t been thinking of something like this, but the moment we saw the building, we said yes.”

And then there’s the Cottage at the Ridge, which sits atop a hill on an 80-acre farm overlooking Spring Hill. The property offers fishing and other outdoor activities, along with all the peace and quiet visitors could want as well as the ability to get to dozens of restaurant, retail and entertainment venues within minutes, say owners Brad and Rebekah Rempel.

The High Valley singer-songwriter and his wife saw the property more than a decade ago, and when the chance to buy it came around, they did so. Building the vacation rental followed, and now it’s booked for weeks and even months in advance.

Nicole Perry

Vacation Rentals in Maury County Fuel Economy

The Bryants and other vacation rental owners do more than bring in tourism dollars. They’ve also boosted local businesses by shopping local to decorate and otherwise outfit their properties. Carolyn Bryant recalls meeting all her “retail neighbors,” for instance, during that process and then again at a kickoff party when they officially opened.

That’s par for the course, says Sarah McConnell, who manages the Bryants’ property along with almost 30 others in the area.

“This area is blessed with wonderful properties and clients, and they all have worked very hard to be part of the community,” says McConnell, who relocated to the area from California a decade ago. “And their properties book so quickly. When I began, I owned one of only eight vacation rentals in the area, and then over time built House + Sanctuary, my business by working with other people who wanted to own vacation rentals in the area.”

Casey Wallace

Community Within a Community

That “community within a community” also appealed to Casey Wallace, a Realtor who’s been in the area for eight years and has added vacation-rental ownership to a longtime passion for renovating properties.

“You really can’t have enough of these here; it’s a phenomenal market,” says Wallace, who owned the Birch Perch in Spring Hill. “There is so much growth and revitalization around Columbia now, and guests just love being here. The square is adorable, and you’re so close to everything that’s here, and just up the road in Nashville. And the properties out in the countryside are just as popular for people who want to unplug and do so in a beautiful environment.”

As one of the Bryants’ recent guests put it, “Very rarely does a place match the pictures and descriptions so well … We found (merchants), shops, museums, architecture and everything else you could spend a weekend on, so now we know we have to come back to take it all in.”