Review only relates to activities and meal because we did not stay overnight. We were surprised to learn that you don't need to spent the night to reserve activities, archery and ax throwing, along with dinning. The property is gorgeous, flowers everywhere and various water features. Definitely felt like we'd stepped right into The Shire. The staff was super friendly and helped us through the property and explained what access we had as non-guests. Ax throwing and archery were really fun and not crowded, each group had dedicated lanes. After our hour was up we migrated to the dinning area and all sat at our separate tables. Meals are seated together with a pre planned menu. Food tasted great. Since you prepay for the meal and activity there is no waiting for the check. But remember to tip the staff because that's not included in the prepayment. They have a jar on the entry table to the dinning room. Would love to return to as a guest and get the full experience. read more

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We recently visited Ancient Lore for the dinner and movie experience. We were excited for the evening and, given the premium price, expected a comfortable and enjoyable experience. The highlight of our visit was definitely the food--it was absolutely fabulous and exceeded our expectations. Unfortunately, the movie experience was disappointing. The seating was uncomfortable, and from our original seats it was difficult to see the screen. We eventually moved to the chairs at the front for a better view, but they were even less comfortable. The biggest issue was the noise. Several overnight guests remained in the viewing area talking throughout the beginning of the movie instead of watching it. Their conversations were loud enough that we could barely hear the film. While a staff member did ask them to be quieter, the talking continued until well over halfway through the movie, making it difficult to enjoy the experience we had paid for. I was also disappointed with the drinks. The photos made them appear to be around 8-10 ounces, but they seemed to be only about 5-6 ounces. At $12 each, they did not feel like a good value and were not what I expected based on the advertising. After our visit, I reached out to management privately to share these concerns because I wanted to give them the opportunity to address the issues before posting a public review. Unfortunately, I never received a response. The lack of communication was disappointing and is the primary reason I decided to leave a two-star review. Overall, the food was grewt, but the uncomfortable seating, lack of a quiet viewing environment, the disappointing value of the drinks, and the absence of any response from management left us feeling that the overall experience did not justify the cost. I hope these concerns are taken seriously and addressed so future guests can fully enjoy what has the potential to be a wonderful evening. read more

So from the pics it looks massive and I'll tell you it's not. The price for what I paid, it was t worth it. The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars is the axe throwing and archery thing was fun and the beds were comfortable and tight! The rest was a waste. The decor is cute to look at but you can visit and do the same. You don't have to stay to see it. The food they served was so bland and full of starch I would've been better off eating a bag of chips. read more

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Awesome outing! Going back for a stay. The whole family enjoyed the Dinner & a movie. read more

My sister and I are relatively new to Tennessee...and being retired always looking for new adventures. We had the most delightful experience at the Ancient lore Village!! We chose the Lunch Package. From the moment we walked into the gift shoppe we were met with Friendly Warm greetings and assistance. The grounds are impeccable! Its a Magical adventure and hope to return with more of my Family as the come to visit us in Tennessee. Thank Kyla for her wonderful treatment as our service today. She was delightful! A Great Experience!! read more

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Stayed in the fairy cottage for a night and would definitely come back! The axe throwing and archery course was fantastic. An hour gives you ample time to get the hang of each. Dinner was amazing and they were very courteous of allergies. There are plenty of games spread out around the area and even a scavenger hunt! The views are gorgeous and it really makes you feel like you are in an enchanted forest. Loved every minute! read more

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Awful. Saw advertisements, and drove 30 minutes to Lore in the hopes of seeing whether it was as cute in real life as it was in the repeated advertisements streaming across my social media page since arriving in Knoxville. Explained to the "receptionist" (a.k.a. "The Guest Repellant"...read on, it will make senee) that we are a family who just dropped off our oldest for her first year to UT Knoxville, and that we're looking for a place to stay each month when fly down to visit her. Was told by The Guest Repellant that I was not allowed to walk past the Registration Office in any way. I clrified that I was asking to walk, and not to go in any rooms. Was told that I "was welcome" (ha! no part of this convo was welcoming in any way) to come back tomorrow to *purchase a DAY PASS* if I wanted to see any part of the property before reserving a stay. And that he would be happy to give me a paper brochure in the meantime. I am truly appalled. Can't see any part of the property before booking? Management: your policy is a fast pass to a going out of business sale. Even a low end estimate of 300/night, times 2 nights per month, 12 months per year, for 4 years- your genuinely short-sighted and anti-guest policy and *horrid* customer service just costed you over $28,000 in lost business (not including inflation) from our family which I will now *gladly* continue to send to JW Mariott instead of your privately-owned excuse for hospitality. Horrible, horrible customer service before even booking! Go elsewhere. read more

It was great, so cute and CLEAN. The staff was very attentive and kind as well. The only thing was that another guest was flying a drone around incessantly and near the windows of the treehouse rooms which is where we were staying. Not only did it feel like a privacy issue but it was very noisy as well. We alerted the staff but not sure if any action was taken. read more

It pains me to write this because the location itself is so cute, but this is by far one of the worst hotel experiences I've ever had. I had the unfortunate of finding this place and booking through a 3rd party (not directly from their website), and that made the whole experience a disaster. I was arriving in Knoxville close to midnight by plane, so the morning of my check-in, I called the hotel to let them know (out of respect for the staff). I had to call the hotel over 10 times, never receiving a call back to get access to the room I had booked and paid in full. This establishment has 2 major problems: first, their onboarding process is awful and could be fixed with a simple "pre-check-in portal," as many places do, where you provide your information and can choose to book meals, etc. The second problem is that the hotel culture does not understand that they are in the HOSPITALITY business. Everything is inconvenient to them and work for the client, who is purchasing a VACATION. For example, their front desk is open from 8 am to 6 pm, which is fine for a dentist's office, but a hotel should have staff available at reasonable times for overnight guests. Second, the hotel's price is incompatible with a location in the middle of the woods that does not offer breakfast (even a paid option), room service (and by that i mean, daily refresh ot towels, removing trash, refilling the in-room coffee pods, etc) or other basic amenities. I try to support local businesses whenever I travel, but some places are just way too much work to patronize. Skip read more

Ac was out completely. They refunded it (said would be 3 days). Romance package was a small bag of popcorn, 3 chocolate strawberries, and some mini Hershey. Room was under the restaurant and there was a massive amount of noise from private event above, which was odd because they said out dinner was being served in room because it was too hot to eat outside... guess it's not too hot for a private event. Obviously lied. Literally the whole property is across from primary deliver power lines. Lovely view. Staff was rude about ac and initially refused a refund. Scam. read more

Ancient Lore Village - Room - Axe Throwing Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Do NOT buy just a general day pass. If you're gonna go here, at least get the pass that includes lunch or dinner. The regular pass just blows you to walk around the village, which is about 6 cottages people can rent to stay, you also get access to the gremlin games, which is cornhole, and audio tours, which are on the app you can download. We parked on the bottom and nominees checked us in there so not sure how they stop people from just walking around freely and looking at the village. We got the food and fun pass, which at $43, was expensive when you really just get the food and get to see the cute little cottages. You get a small salad, a pasta with mixed veggies and a cheesecake. Don't get me wrong, the food was great and the village itself was adorable but the fact they charge admission just to walk around the tiny strip is shocking to me. It could be like $5 for just admission and then if you wanted to do food or the "activities" aka corn hole and ax throwing, pay a different price. Food and admission could be $30 max. The staff were super friendly and it's such a cute spot, I just expected it to be different with the price it is. read more

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This place is truly magical! It does not feel as though you are in East TN, but off in Ireland or on the set of a Lord of the Rings film. The staff are so welcoming, warm, and accommodating, which definitely adds to the experience at this unique spot. I have been here both during the day and at night and both experiences were wonderful. The property is gated and expansive, with countless areas and activities. A wine bar overlooking the waterfall, pond, and walking trails is gorgeous during sunset. The fire pit, gaming area, and archery/axe throwing lanes provide something for everyone to enjoy. They have food, a bar, are building a larger bar and more entertaining areas. The signature events are unique and I, personally, feel are underrated. Make sure to check out their website to see what's coming up. I can't wait to do a staycation in one of their super cool rooms that are all themed and so thoughtfully furnished. This will definitely be a spot I come back to again and find myself frequently recommending to others for a date, overnight, or special event. read more

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I almost don't want to do this review as we had such a great time that I would like it to stay somewhat of a secret.... Amazing hotel with so many fun things to do including SCE throwing, archery, golf ball hitting to a target, corn hole, fire pit... etc The staff were wonderful and the rooms with amenities were so awesome! If you get a chance to stay here, do it! read more

Did the date night package! It was so fun. We did archery, axe throwing, and had pasta with dessert. Only thing that would make it better is maybe an included drink! read more

I wish that I came here before buying tickets. I wasted, yes wasted $109 for 4 tickets for the basic entrance. You can download the app and go through a "audio tour" But you have to download each part of it and the first part alone is 30 minutes. There literally isn't anything to do for 30 minutes. If you are in a wheelchair they can take you to certain areas in their golfcart. The walk to the area you look at is a lil steep and wouldnt recommend for wheelchairs. The lady in the office was super sweet. We literally can only go in the bottom area of one building. All of the others are for people to stay in. We were the only people there. So I dont understand why we HAD TO have reservations done online. I think it's to loop people in because once they see how tiny the place is or that you literally have nothing to do then they wouldn't make any money. At additional fees and hours later you can pay for do archery and axe throwing. The whole place is pretty small. They have a very pretty waterfall by the main building. But everything else was closed. The top of the treehouse part was closed, it looked like a bar/restaurant. I was super pissed we had to pay $109 for literally nothing. In Solvang CA, they have tons.. a whole town of cute buildings and shops you can see and go in with no charge. Please don't waste your money on "visiting" here because you will be sadly disappointed driving all the way out and pay to find that there is nothing but looking at some buildings you cant even check out. read more

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Absolutely stunning execution, reminded us of a fantasy film or a fairy tale. The attention to detail! This location has to be seen to be believed and it's not just a facade. The interiors are as amazing as the exteriors. Was there for business but our group had such a good time it felt like a vacation. The staff was extremely helpful. We will definitely return! read more

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While it's a bit confusing on where to go (you kinda get lost in Hobbiton on your way to wherever they tell you to meet your guide), the service here was amazing. First, we scheduled for their full-course meal epic Date Night event. Then, hubs got called in for an emergency work meeting that lasted 12. Hours. Needless to say, we missed the event and I felt horrible for getting caught up in his meeting stuff so much that I completely forgot we even had something to attend until 9pm! I hate standing people up for meetings... especially if they're preparing food - whether I paid for it or not. I wrote them the next morning and told them I'm happy to reschedule for a different event they had planned the next week... if they still had space... and that I felt horrible for any lost food, so I didn't expect a refund if we couldn't make it at all. We rescheduled for their Archery/Axe Throwing and Apps event. When we showed up, we were told we were the only ones so we ended up getting more time at each range and it was SO fun! Note: The pictures document my actual axe throw hitting the bullseye. I only did that once, and it was totally worth it to have the best-aimed hit between myself and hubs for the evening! read more

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I can't speak to the accommodations because we only stopped by for a few hours, but: Of course we booked the discovery pass and archery activity for the only day it ended up raining the entire five days we're in Knoxville. But we went anyway and had fun! It's a super cute space - because of the conditions, we didn't end up hiking, but we walked the main area and played games for a while before our archery time slot. The place was entirely dead (again, I think because of the weather) and we only saw two non-staff walking out and about. The staff were so kind and friendly and accommodating. They even let us try axe throwing for a bit, even though we hadn't booked it. We had a great time despite the cold and rain and would recommend it, though probably on a much livelier day! read more

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Went for Sunday brunch. Food and service was amazing. The grounds are gorgeous and the weather on October 1st was perfect. read more

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We ate at the restaurant for dinner and were quite disappointed especially for the price! We found the food portions to be very small. We got a tiny salad, a small portion of the the main dish and a sliver of cheesecake for dessert. They didn't serve any bread or appetizers before the meal. The website makes it look like there is a lot to do on the property. There really isn't. They have ax throwing and archery which looked pretty beat up and cheesy. The hobbit like hotel rooms were cute to look at- but that doesn't take up much time. For the price of the meal and what it was- we definitely would not come back. I would rather go Downtown to a good restaurant for the price we paid for that meal. read more

super super cute, nothing negative about our stay at all!!! i just think the ambience could go up a bit more! we stayed in the treehouses and it was really cute, and i liked the trail of lightposts, but if the trees had lights wrapped around them or dangling lights from the branches i think it could be even sicker. also suggestion for the gift shop to sell keychains! missed opportunity lol. otherwise great stay, we loved it. would come back :) read more

Ancient Lore Village is something out of a storybook. Although located in South Knoxville, it feels as if it is worlds away, which is what was intended by the creator of this place. Tom Boyd started building this village in 2019 but because of the pandemic, had slowed construction but has finally got it finished earlier this year. This mythical village is based off the book he wrote, Bokee's Trek in which it is about a Bobbin (honestly the story reminds me of Lord of the Rings) named Bokee who travels to other villages outside of his ancient lore (which is forbidden) in the third dimension. During his travels he meets Dwarves, Elves, Leprechauns, Fairies, Orcs, Gremlins and Yetis. He discovers that although he may look different from each of these beings, they all seem to want the same thing, to honor their creator, OOoomah through having round houses and keeping a stone tablet in the center of their community. At the end of the book the message is clear one should get to know one another before judging them and a focus on unity is desired. Tom Boyd wrote this book while his son ran for governor of Tennessee. During his campaigning, he was told to avoid certain areas in the state because the people there are not educated or are not nice or have bad manners, etc. But they went to those various areas anyway and found that the people there had the same values as them and wanted the same things for their state. Anyways, so now that you know the brief backstory of the book, the village itself has 6 uniquely themed rooms for overnight stays. The largest is Bokee's Bungalow (cost about $1200 per night), which can sleep at least 8 people. High ceilings and beautiful wood and stone throughout the rooms. This is definitely a grand place to stay. In the Orc home, it has oversize furniture. I don't know any Orcs to be depicted as small and weak, thus the décor and furniture is chosen for this room specifically. The Gremlin den is bright with yellow walls. Love that the headboard of the bed is a vintage door turned to the side. The Leprechaun lair is a fun room with a bit of gold flaking throughout the walls, since leprechauns just love gold. There is even a hidden leprechaun found in a cabinet. The Fairy cottage is my favorite of the rooms, as it is very feminine and colors of pink and purple. It is decorated in what you would expect a fairy would be, including butterflies. The owner's wife picked the colors and decorations to go in this room. Lastly are the Waterfall villas, in which this rental includes 2 rooms. There is birch wood inside the room to give you a sense of being outside. The walls are painted to mimic the coloring of the birch wood. My husband and I came for a story tour ($15 per person, prior to tax) this past Wednesday, in which I made a reservation online about 1.5 weeks before coming (it was nice to find out that we were the only 2 who made a reservation for the tour). We arrived a little before 4 pm and had to call to see if someone could let us in since the gate was closed. We were greeted by Martin, who is the sales + event coordinator. He gave us each a copy of Bokee's Trek and started us off in the bar, in which my husband ordered a cocktail ($12 prior to tax) and then we started our tour. To be honest, I was a little disappointed that this tour seemed to have been more of a sales pitch instead of focusing more on the story itself, which is what I was expecting. But it was nice to learn the background information about the grounds themselves and about the different companies that were hired to bring this village to life (almost all the vendors used are local) and the idea behind choosing each piece of furniture. The grounds itself is truly beautiful. The man-made waterfall is impressive. This village would make for an amazing photo shoot, especially for those that may be interested in cosplay with these cute dwellings in the background. There are movie nights currently available to attend for those that wish to check out this place. They also have archery, axe throwing, smore making and brunch every Sunday. It's too bad that we don't live here but would love to come back if we did. I truly love all the attention to detail that the village has, not just in the rooms but just throughout. I thought it was very cute that outlets are concealed behind little, tiny size doors (made me smile when I opened one out of curiosity to see what was inside). Coming to this village made me feel like I was on a quest (as cheesy as that sounds, it's true) and exploring a new world for the first time. You may find yourself in a sense of wonder and amazement when you come for a visit. read more

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My husband and I stayed for our honeymoon! It was magical to wake up with the tall ceilings and light peaking through the cute windows. The room was spacious , clean and we even enjoyed the fireplace . It was easy to check in after hours and the staff was super friendly and helpful. Would recommend anyone who is looking for a unique stay to stay here. read more

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not impressed. food was adequate at best. for the breakfast, they measure out the eggs to put on your plate and count the bacon you get - 2 slices. my husband asked for extra eggs and was told no. our room was extremely noisy. loud banging noise over our room all night long. we communicated with the staff during the night. my husband finally went above us and found the issue. it was a loose large post falling down in the wind that was on a plastic cover. ever time the wind blew, the large post would get lifted up and slammed down. staff was not accommodating to handicap people and I had to push to get rides in a golf cart around the property. the staff is very rigid and not helpful. I would not recommend read more

What a neat place!! We went to Tennessee for a family vacation and made sure to stop by this quaint little spot before leaving town. We did the fun evening out package which included dinner and time to walk the grounds and explore. It gives off the perfect lord of the rings/hobbit vibe and just incredibly picturesque. Staff is super friendly, the food was amazing, and they already have expansion plans in the works. Can't wait to come back and check it all out! read more

TRIViA NIGHT!!! This was a blast! The food was lip smacking good lol! Some of the best coleslaw I have ever had, best believe I know my slaw being a southern gal! The trivia was so much fun. Met some great people. Saillens the Event Manager and his team were so friendly and very entertaining. The questions were challenging and we did pretty well. I would recommend for anyone wanting a easy going break midweek! read more

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It's not a very big place. If you don't do any of the games they have set up for you can walk the Village in a good hour or two hours if you take a lot of pictures. I will definitely advise to get the lunch pass because that includes walking around the Village if you're not interested in doing the archery or ax, throwing . It is definitely a very enchanting place for people who like fantasy. Lord of the rings, Narnia, Harry Potter great place for photo shoots. read more

Ancient Lore Village - The different passes offered by the Village - Axe Throwing Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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This is a very attractive place indeed. It is like a resort destination. Not sure they know what they are yet, baby steps. I chose to buy their Sunday brunch for 16 of my friends. I paid $35.00 per person and felt cheated on the food and lack of service. Our arrival was rough, gate was locked and no one would puck up the phone. Guests had to stand in long lines to get food from a small buffet line. Hot teas and coffee were to be supplied but no one ever came to us to refill our drinks. I would not recommend this venue for the food or service. The area guests had to go were wet ( inclement weather) then a plastic door was rolled up to expose 3 dangerous steps going down. Lucky no one broke a leg or hip using them. ( No rails) They really need to improve before I would recommend them read more

We went for a few hours. The whole atmosphere is really cool, like an ancient fairy world! We had a delicious lunch and sat on an open air patio. The service was good, and the experience was unique! They have ax throwing and Archery options as well that would be fun. I would like to come and stay in one of their rooms sometime. read more

Beautiful little village with a storybook theme. This is a small hotel complex with activities for day visitors and you can choose a day or evening package with a meal or activities only. We did the Fairy tour an our guide Haden was lots of fun. Bring your daughters to the princess breakfast on Saturdays. Great fun. read more

Ancient Lore Village - Ancient Lore Village - Axe Throwing Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

My partner and I LOVED it here!! We came for our anniversary and stayed Wednesday-Saturday. The staff was so friendly at every turn. We stayed in the Orc House and although it wasn't my first choice, every staff member I talked to told me how it was their favorite cottage. The fire pit was directly outside of our building and was lit at all times (very helpful in the 20 degree, snowy weather). We probably spent 80% of our time out there. The environment was breathtaking and it was the perfect escape into a new world. The axe and archery was so fun and very informative, the staff was helpful in getting everyone to hit a target. The dinner that was served (chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and green beans) was 10/10. The breakfast was delicious, but a little underwhelming as it was just scrambled eggs and bacon. Outside of the lipstick on the used glass in our room when we first checked in (they accommodated an early check in for us, so it could've been an easy miss), I wouldn't change a single thing about our stay. read more

Ancient Lore Village - Axe Throwing Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

We booked Sunday brunch $35pp. Description sounded really good but I was frankly very dissapointed. Just regular buffet assortment, nothing stood out. Plus you have to pay extra for alcohol drinks. Wouldn't go there again even though the venue is absolutely georgious. read more

Ancient Lore Village - Very sad $35 plate. I haven't even touched my food yet. - Axe Throwing Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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I've lived in Knoxville for over thirty years and have never been down these winding streets of South Knoxville that lead to Ancient Lore Village. This development is definitely in the making, as you'll notice by the construction that you'll pass when entering the property. I do hope that they continue to successfully build it out, because their current buildings are quite cute and clever. I was on property for a special event, so I didn't get the chance to stay in one of the hobbit homes; however, the staff did open several of them up for us to tour. They are nicely themed and appropriately decorated - and also quite cozy. The staff was very friendly and helpful, driving us around the property in golf carts and instructing us at the axe throwing an archery ranges. We had some nasty weather, and there were huge tents with heaters set up so we could still enjoy ourselves. I would definitely recommend this place for a group event! read more

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Had a 30th Birthday party for my daughter at Ancient Lore. They exceeded my expectations! They were so organized, helpful and accommodating. Every employee I encountered from the planning to the end of the party were so wonderful! We had bbq meatballs, deviled eggs, chicken salad and cheese and crackers. Everything was delicious! The drinks at the bar were also great! I would highly recommend! read more

Ancient Lore Village - Bbq meatballs, crackers and chicken salad, deviled eggs (probably all gone), cheese and crackers. Cake from Art of Cakes Maryville. - Axe Throwing Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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We came for the Sunday brunch package and lucked out with perfect weather. The staff was so courteous and attentive during our visit. The food was delicious! Definitely, enjoyed the deviled eggs. After brunch we decided to do the archery and axe tossing. Marie was so enjoyable as our host for the games and we all had a blast throwing and shooting. We would love to come back and stay in one of the suites available. We got a look through the waterfall suite and it was so cute inside. read more

I wanted to do something special to celebrate my daughter's 10th birthday and by some weird quirk of Google, I found the Ancient Lore Village. What a WINNER! The owner wrote a book about Middle Earth and then built this place around the book. It is spectacular. It is like walking into a fantasy. I like to plan things and worked with Beth for months to get the weekend just right. She was fantastic. I decided to take my daughter out of school early on Friday so that we would get there in time for archery and axe throwing. While they definitely need to invest in a bow to fit children her age (they had a tiny one or an adult one but nothing in between), she loved the axe throwing. It took her a bit to get warmed up but then she started to hit bulls-eyes while being cheered on by staff and other guests. We stayed in the Fairy Cottage, which had so many special touches. There were touches of butterflies around the room. The tiles in the shower evoked flowers in a waterfall. Even the outlet covers has tiny wooden doors. Total fantasy. We had activities in Knoxville but spent as much time as possible at ALV. I liked that there wasn't a TV and we were able to connect with a couple there celebrating his birthday. I think her favorite part was the firepit just outside our cottage. We made s'mores and chatted away for hours with this couple. We definitely want to return and take in some of the hiking they offer. This is a wonderful place to disconnect and relax. I wish more people would come out to the firepit because that was a lot of fun. read more

My wife surprised me with a nights stay at the ALV. It was super cool! I loved the room, very nice and very comfortable. The axe throwing was my favorite. The staff made us feel extremely welcome and loved. Highly recommended! read more

5 stars simply does not do it justice. I expected the traditional simple resort food and everything was so tasty, let alone everything feels like you're immersed in a magical kingdom, but minus the dumb stuff you may see at a Disney or dinner show - this is like the authentic version of that. Anyways I keep raving to everyone about this place and it's most definitely worth a one night stay. read more

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My family and I had such an amazing time here all the staff was very helpful and energetic and Ashlyn and Alexis helped us out so much on our tour around the village. If I could give them more stars I would!!! read more

We made reservations for brunch and stayed for hours. The staff Marie, Charlotte, Kaden and Alexis all went above and beyond for all of us. The axe throwing and archery was a blast! Can't wait to go back! read more