My husband and I stayed with Carolyn & Dina for our "mini-honeymoon" and I was very impressed with Carolyn and her outgoing personality as well as her genuine concern for us. We were later than expected arriving and she called us to make sure we were alright...a nice touch not often seen. I had planned this event for my new husband as his wedding gift since he loves to hike. I thought it was a little closer to things than it really was so that was a bit disappointing. We did a lot of driving during our time there and not as much hiking as we expected. Upon arrival, Carolyn had our ordered fruit & cheese tray in the room waiting for us as well as a bottle of nice Pinot Noir and a 12 pack of beer for my husband chilling in the fridge. I had requested that it be there when I made reservations and she did not disappoint! Carolyn made our dinner reservations for us for that night and had chocolate covered strawberries waiting in the room for us when we returned. She definitely pays attention to the little things and doesn't miss a beat! Dina is much quieter and rarely on site other than mornings so we really didn't have an opportunity to talk with her like we did Carolyn.
The home and grounds are immaculate! I loved that they were SUPER clean and I truly think they could pass ANY white glove test! The breakfasts were good although not so much our style. We were there for three nights and out of the three breakfasts, two were sweet breakfasts (two different kinds of french toast.) I have to "pace" my sugar intake so didn't get to eat my complete breakfasts as they just had too much sugar (the last morning was banana nut muffins *super good*, a frozen fruit dish that tasted like it had quite a bit of sugar in it, and then finished with caramel praeline french toast...way too much sugar at one time for me personally. The one day we had a savory breakfast we enjoyed much better. Dina's hashbrown casserole is amazing!
The rooms were very good sized and beautifully decorated...and again, SUPER CLEAN! To me, it was a bit expensive but because Carolyn went above and beyond in the service department, I was "okay" with the price. The one thing I think I would change is that it would have been nice to have had the opportunity to sit at the same table with the other guests. The inn wasn't full when we were there and two of our three days, it was just us and one other couple. We tend to want to get to know new people that we meet and not stay off to ourselves. It would have been nice to at least have had the option to sit together instead of not being able to look at people directly while we talk. Overall, it was a very good trip and I would definitely go back.
Room Tip: The Hickory Hills Room is away from the other rooms in the Inn. Since it's tucked away a bit mo...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
September 19, 2012
Thank you for taking the time to give us feedback on how we did during your recent stay with us. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your time and the "little extras" we helped you put together for your new husband. We wanted to congratulate you again on your recent marriage and hope that you have many years to enjoy each other and celebrate your love.
I wanted to let you know that there actually are many hiking trails closer to the Inn than the ones you opted for while you were here. One is just off of the Blue Ridge Parkway, not far from the Inn. Dina and I found it while driving around one day and keep it a bit of a secret for our guests that want a more private hiking experience. I wish we had had the opportunity to talk more about your hiking options while you were here. On your next visit, I will give you directions to some great hikes closer to our Inn.
Thank you for sharing with us your preference for savory breakfasts. Each of our guests have differing likes and dislikes so we alternate from sweet to savory every other day. If we know ahead of time, we can definitely accommodate providing you with savory breakfasts every morning. We will put this information into your profile so on your next visit we will be right on the mark for you. We want you to enjoy your breakfast as much as your room, since that is 50% of what we do.
Our dining room is set up with individual tables to allow guests the opportunity to spend some "alone time" during their breakfast experience. Some guests do start up conversations with other guests in the living room prior to breakfast and ask to sit together during breakfast in order to continue their conversation. No problem. We simply move the pace settings to the same table and away we go! At any time during your stay, we encourage our guests to request whatever would make them happy. We cannot always accommodate every request, but we sure like to try!
We believe that vacations are precious! Especially ones that involve important moments in our lives like birthdays and anniversary celebrations. We feel its our job to make sure that all your needs are met so you can thoroughly enjoy your Smoky Mountain escape!
We look forward to the next time we get the opportunity to spoil you at Brookside. You deserve it!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.