Nemacolin’s watch parties search for glimpses of the resort on ABC’s ‘The Bachelor’
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A red carpet lines the staircase.
As you make your way up the steps into the spacious resort lobby, you spot 400 vases filled with fresh roses.
You almost expect Matt James to walk by.
Nemacolin in Farmington, Fayette County, is where James is the leading man for the 25th anniversary of ABC’s “The Bachelor.” The 28-year-old real estate broker is originally from North Carolina, where he attended Wake Forest and was a wide receiver on the football team. James currently lives in New York City.
The first African American bachelor on the show, he will eventually choose his dream woman from the diverse cast.
The lavish resort has been hosting “watch parties” for the show — which was filmed on site — on Monday nights.
The chemistry and history with “The Bachelor” crew “were the perfect ingredients to make magic happen” at Nemacolin, said Maggie Hardy Knox, owner and president, in a statement.
“It’s like they were traveling the world, but they maintained a bubble here on our 2,000-acre playground,” she said. “While they were shooting, we used that time to train our associates in working with the crew to maintain our guest service standards.”
On Monday night, guests lounged on couches surrounded by decorative pillows and big-screen television — all socially distanced — to see if they could spot familiar locations.
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The thousands of roses you see throughout the resort are a nod to the familiar line:“Will you accept this rose?” Fresh flowers are brought in every Monday. The accompanying floral art throughout the grounds was created by Claire Hardy of Sewickley and are for sale.
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A large painting is displayed as you enter the Marquis Ballroom for the viewing parties. Each space is reserved for eight people. It costs $100, which includes drinks and hors d’oeuvres, or $500 to reserve the entire space for eight. There are free standing-room-only areas. The resort offers a discounted rate to extend a weekend stay to Monday.
Big-screen televisions broadcast the two-hour show, which was filmed from mid-September to November.
ABC created a bubble for the 300 people involved in the production like those made for some professional sports leagues. Everyone was tested regularly for covid-19. There were no outside guests during that time.
This was the first time the entire season of “The Bachelor” was filmed in one location.
“They reached out to us because they knew of us,” said Donna Herto, communications manager for Nemacolin. “They decided this was the place.”
The entire 2,200-acre resort was used for the show. Nemacolin built the steps to The Chateau and lined the stairs with the red carpet that contestants walked on after they exited the black limousine.
“I see the beauty of Nemacolin every day, but now the world is seeing it,” Herto said. “Our guests come from all over, often times flying into Pittsburgh and visiting before renting a car and driving out here. We expect a tourism bump because of ‘The Bachelor.’ ”
Herto said each day was different and there were times the Nemacolin team had to make quick adjustments to accommodate the show. William James, Nemacolin’s director of design, and Melody Bryant, design event coordinator, worked to enhance the décor of the set.
Uniontown native Mary Schurz, who lives in Williamsport, Md., and her son Nicholas Schurz, of Washington D.C., have traveled to three parties. She said when she tells her friends she has to go to “another viewing,” they offer their condolences because they think someone died.
“It is now just part of our week,” she said. “We love Nemacolin and have been coming here for 10 years. It’s like Disney World for adults.”
“We can’t stop coming back here,” her son said. “This is the best place to watch because you recognize so many locations throughout the show.”
Areas spotted include Falling Rock, The Lodge, The Chateau and The Spa, said Chris Sessions, director of sales for Nemacolin.
Steve Foreman of Zanesville, Ohio, and his girlfriend Tonya Taylor of New Albany, Ohio, were celebrating their shared birthday. His daughter Madeline, who attends the University of Cincinnati, is a huge fan. “She was so excited when I told her we were going to watch the show,” he said. “So we FaceTimed her.”
The watch party idea came from Nemacolin vice president of sales and marketing Chris Baran.
The evening was so exciting, said Roberta Fried of Teaneck, N.J. She and daughter Rachel Fried were one of 35 families who traveled to the resort. Rachel Fried attends the University of Maryland and was making a TikTok video recreating scenes from the show at the resort for her sorority, Tri Delta.
“I love the drama,” Rachel Fried said. “It’s really entertaining.”
The finale is set for March 15 with an even bigger watch party event planned.