It was our first time ever staying at a Bed & Breakfast and we started with one of the best. We…read morewere looking for a place to rest and relax on a trip to the area and this place fit the bill. We napped in the Garden Room one afternoon while listening to the sounds of the water garden through an open window, we enjoyed the cool breezes and the views off the back deck, we had a complimentary cup of herbal tea with honey each night before bed, and we slept like the dead on the comfortable, luxury sheets each night. The breakfasts were delicious, the views divine, the entire experience was top notch and I can't wait to go back! The hosts were helpful, friendly, and accessible. They know what they're doing and they make the place a nice little mountain oasis for their guests. Don't hesitate, just book it!

The Lazy Bear Lodge was everything we imagined a cozy bread and breakfast would be in the…read moremountains: spacious, clean, comfortable, great amenities and delicious breakfasts. The views from our room and the lodge were beautiful. The surrounding area is loaded with convenient stores and excellent restaurants. The hosts were attentive and friendly. We will definitely return. So happy we found this lodge for our stay.

Black Bear Rentals and Leanne Bannerman managed our three properties without issue for about a…read moreyear, but problems arose when a tenant broke her lease early. Ms. Bannerman gave conflicting advice and handled this lease termination differently than a prior one on another property of ours. When we asked for clarification, communication broke down and she told us we were welcome to move our properties to another company if we didn't want to follow her advice. When we agreed, she became aggressive and unwilling to work through a reasonable termination of our contracts. She then said she would discount the termination fee only if we signed an agreement promising not to share our experience publicly or file a claim with the North Carolina Real Estate Commission. When we refused, she ended our management agreements early, kept thousands in rent after breaking the contract, and left us to take over three properties with only a few hours' notice. Although the NCREC found no technical rule violations in our claim, Leanne's refusal to communicate clearly, her aggressive approach, and her failure to work through a difficult situation in a professional manner highlighted serious concerns about her reliability and accountability as a property manager. I do not recommend this company, as the professionalism and integrity we expected were not present when it mattered most.

When I moved in it was just after Covid 19 hit. I picked this home off zillow bc Gretchen, the…read morewoman showing the rentals, was so personable and friendly. I absolutely wanted to rent from someone who was considerate and authentic. Plus, I really like bears. However, the second I signed the lease, she disappeared and LeeAnn, the owner, was my primary point of communication. From the first convo she was so flippant and rude I eventually mentioned it and she said that my application- along with my soon-to-be-ex husband's- was "abnormal" and made her tense. This was likely bc I had lost my job from covid. Very unprofessional from the start. For the high rent, and the fact that I was her client, I expected much more and tried to always give her an opportunity to change her tone. The pros: It was in Montford, a great neighborhood. The home was cute with little details. The cons. The fridge was broke over a MONTH before it was replaced. Bills were always high. A large pipe in the basement BURST spewing water everywhere. The washing machine broke. The toilets constantly ran. Lots of bugs from all cracks. I had the feeling that the place had not been inspected prior to move in. One woman on the team said this is what happens when you rent an old home. As someone who has lived in 27 towns in 4 countries, I can assure you that is BS. There were lots of holes in the walls, dust and cobwebs in all the corners and all over the basement. I spent 2 hours cleaning upon moving in, just to try to make it feel fresher. Fast forward to not even a year later, I was emailed a notice: the landlords had decided to move back into their home this year and I would be on a mo to mo starting in May that would soon lead to a 30-day notice. This is perfectly legal so why is this an issue? Bc I was not given any warning prior to moving XC during a pandemic. When I mentioned all this Lee Ann snapped "I am not at liberty to discuss the owner's plan with prospective tenants unless directed to do so by the owner which in this case I was not.  Not a shred of empathy for the circumstances, and even supercilious about her deceit. When I moved out I cleaned it THEN paid $220 to have a thorough professional clean from MaidPro. They had a checklist, and I took pics of every room. LeeAnn said: "Our cleaners completed the following: Cleaned all cobwebs and pet hair  throughout upper level of the house .- there was still an abundance of both when we arrived Cleaned ceiling fans and globes on all lights that were accessible Steam cleaned all doors and trim removing grime, fingerprints, etc. Cleaned walls Steam Cleaned all window sills. Cleaned all inside windows. Steam Cleaned all baseboards Steam Cleaned bathroom and removed mold from jets in tub Cleaned refrigerator and stove Cleaned inside and outside of kitchen and bathroom cabinets Cleaned roll out vent walls removing leaves, mud, cobwebs and cleaned floor on sunporch Sweep and cleaned cobwebs and pet hair from basement" MaidPro said: "On May 26th our Pros did a top to bottom move out clean which included the inside of the fridge. You can go to this link to see our standard 49-Point cleaning checklist. Attached you will see images that were taken by you after the cleaning we provided on May 26th. Hopefully Black Bear Rentals will see that a standard move-out clean was fulfilled. It is not standard MaidPro or move-out cleaning practice to "steam clean" doors/trim/window sills/baseboards. We wiped down all baseboards, window sills, doors and spot checked the walls with non-harsh methods by using cleaning solution and micro fiber rags to get all dust and grime off those areas. Furthermore, from the pictures there is no evidence of "abundance" of cobwebs and pet hair..." Bottom line: I was a single mom mowing the massive lawn, weeding, sweeping daily, scrubbing, getting the place immaculate even though their were always broken appliances and issues and regardless of the fact that I LEFT IT IN BETTER SHAPE THAN I FOUND IT they screwed me. They're the scum of thee earth, or AVL at least. Super surprised by any good reviews here (family and rich home owners who live in Florida maybe?) I have met 2 other people in town RANDOMLY who rented from BB and they were not happy. One said, "Lee Ann is pathologically toxic, with no remorse, no awareness of others, obsessed with her and her company's image". Yikes. Hope she enjoys leaving a catty response to this review, because I'm out of that swamp, so could care less.

We discovered Leatherwood Mountain Resort over 10 years ago when we lived in Columbia SC…read moreWe would bring our horses and stay a weekend or a week and fell in love with the place. So, we bought a nice cabin here and no longer had to rent We are permanent residence here and live it Everyone is so nice It is peaceful and quiet here and safe!

Leatherwood resort is located in a beautiful setting surrounded by mountains and streams. Our…read morecabin was gorgeous, with great views. Great place for adults that want peace and quiet. The horseback riding was disappointing, only available Th-Sun, and only beginner trails. Not many other things to do except hiking on the horse trails. Blowing Rock and Boone are 45 - 60 mins away.

Chris and Antoinette were excellent hosts! Our family of five adults stayed in the Humpback Cabin…read moreand had a wonderful experience. The cabin was spotless, comfortable. Cleanliness and amenities were truly 10/10. We would absolutely stay here again and highly recommend it to others! Woodlands a delight to walk around. Enjoyed croquet. cornhole and basketball in the open grass play area.

Just back from our third stay and it was great as ever. Did not mind (too much) that a nearby…read moresection of the parkway is still closed following Hurricane Helene, but apparently it has greatly reduced guests at this wonderful facility. There are still many spectacular views and scenic drives in the area. Kenny and Marla are super hosts.

We arrived a little early for checkin so we ran and grabbed a bite. The cleaning lady contacted the…read morenice woman who worked the check in who called us and said we could come back anytime we were ready. So, great customer service wich was friendly as well. The property was quaint with plenty of parking. This was a fun little property close to everything! Inside we had a full kitchen, plenty of heat options because for this Florida girl it was cold as an icicle hanging off of Jack Frosts nose. Plenty of comfy fluffy pillows (I love a ton of pillows) and blankets. In winter bring slippers (floors stay cold...duh! Lol). It was too cold to sit outside on the cute porch. I would come back again. Are there fancier places close by, yes, but I would come back here again. If you are expecting one of those "fancy log cabins in the mountains that you see for $100's/night" this is not that. It was just as advertised and was on a main road leading to downtown.

This is a super lodging option. Easy to book online. Easy check in when you arrive. Super historic…read morecabins with different bed configurations. All but one of the cabins is pet friendly. A pet walk area on the grounds. Our cabin was so handy and had a queen bed, a small kitchen and a bathroom with a very nice shower. In front of the cabin were two chairs to enjoy the scenery. Right off of a small road. Dining options close by. The staff was friendly and helpful. Joann was a super employee that knew everything about the cabins and the local area. She took pride in this business. She explained that there were two large cabins for family accommodations. If you would like a rustic stay in a comfortable cabin this is wonderful. Again I want to thank Joann for the cleanliness standards. Our cabin was so clean and dust free. Cable tv and a flatscreen. We enjoyed our visit. Keep up the good work. Nice

We rented house in Mills River and everything was wonderful. Drive up to the property and greeted…read moreby deer. Such a peaceful spot. The house had everything needed for comfortable and relaxing stay.

We stayed at stone Circle cottage. Extremely disappointed. The house is dirty with cobwebs and…read morecrumbs everywhere. The bathroom floor looks like it has never been cleaned. The bed is old and worn out and needs replacing with nothing but two flat sheets thrown on the bed, the carpeting needs replacing it is beyond nasty. It is Graybeard responsibility To maintain a clean, comfortable living space. This has not been provided. Rachel offered to have the house keeper come back. It would take her hours to clean this house. She also offered us $60 to replace most of our clothes that were ruined with the washing machine. Her offer was as ridiculous as mine $1000 I will be posting more photographs. Please read response to my review. It says it all.

Our family of 16 stayed at the North View Lodge in Banner Elk, and we found there was plenty of…read morespace for everyone. We especially enjoyed the hot tub, playing pool, the big-screen TVs, the two living rooms, and the beautiful scenery. During our stay, we spent one day skiing at Sugar Mountain and another day snow tubing, which everyone loved. Hot Water: On a particularly cold day--when temperatures dropped to nine degrees, and there was snow on the ground--we returned from skiing and discovered there was no hot water when everyone was ready to shower. We called Carolina Cabin Rentals, and were so glad they sent someone the following morning to fix it. Snow and Driveway Conditions: That same day, a van carrying several family members took nearly two hours to make it up the snow-packed hill to the cabin, even with chains on the tires. We bought a shovel and rock salt in case it snowed again. We left the shovel there. Kitchen Supplies: Be sure to bring potholders, trash bags, paper towels, dishwasher detergent, dishwashing soap, a sponge, and kitchen towels. We also found there wasn't enough silverware for our group's size, and had to purchase plastic utensils. The coffee pot was too small for our large group - you might consider bringing a large coffee pot. Bathroom Door Locks: The family members staying near the pool table area noted that several bathroom doors did not lock. Front Motion Light: The motion-activated light at the front of the cabin was triggered frequently at night, likely due to wildlife. Unfortunately, the light shone through the blinds into the front bedroom, making it difficult to sleep. A blackout shade in that window could be a helpful improvement for future guests. These are all minor inconveniences, I know, but overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the rustic charm of the cabin and our time in the Banner Elk, NC area.

We were very happy with all of our interactions with Carolina Cabin Rentals. We had several issues…read morewith the house and they were extremely responsive, patient and kind. They sent a cleaning crew in the next day after we complained They offered to send maintenance in right away for a defective doorbell that kept ringing on it's own. I hope the owners did some maintenance and replaced some very scratched furniture but we couldn't ask for a more responsive rental company.

Our kids try skiing and tubing and Sugar Mountain Ski Resort delivered on the activities with a few…read morecaveats. If you're expecting a ski-town vibe like Breckenridge, Colorado, this isn't that. Sugar Mountain is a practical ski resort. The skiing terrain is best suited for beginners to intermediate skiers and is not ideal for Olympic-level skiing. Most people on the mountain appeared to be beginners, which actually made the environment feel low-pressure, relaxed, and family-friendly. We enrolled our kids in ski lessons through the ski/snowboard school and that was a highlight of the trip. The instructors were patient, knowledgeable, and very kid-friendly. The kids also went snow tubing, which they really enjoyed. Ski/ snowboard school spots and tubing sessions fill up quickly. Book in advance. It's also a good idea to pick up rental equipment the day before lessons to avoid long lines. Kids get a cubby at ski school, so sending them with a water bottle and an extra snack is helpful, especially for the 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM sessions. Parents can watch from the upper deck or the Last Run Lounge, which serves adult beverages and has excellent views of the ski school area. It's a great spot to watch the kids while enjoying a drink and a meal. The resort does get crowded for its size, and parking fills up quickly, so arriving early is important. You are allowed to bring your own food and drinks, though food options are available on site. Pro tips: wear sunscreen and UV-protective sunglasses or ski goggles (even if you're just watching), and bring small bills if you plan to tip the shuttle drivers. Overall, Sugar Mountain is a beginner-friendly, family-oriented resort that works well if you plan ahead and manage expectations.

Sugar Mountain Ski resort is a no-frills ski mountain, so if you're expecting a ski town vibe like…read moreBreckenridge, you'll be disappointed. Sugar is no pressure, most people out here look like they're beginners. We enrolled our kids in ski lessons through the ski/snowboard school. The instructors were patient, kid-friendly, and knowledgeable. Kids had a blast. Kids also went tubing, which they enjoyed. Both tubing and ski lessons must be booked in advance, and for ski school it's best to pick up rental equipment the day before to avoid long lines. Kids get a cubby at the ski school, so send them with a bottle of water and an extra snack if they're doing the ski school from 10 AM to 3 PM. Parents can watch their kids while in school from the upper deck or stay warm in the cafeteria. Upstairs is Last Run Lounge (adults only). The resort does get pretty crowded for its size, so plan accordingly. Parking fills up fast, leaving early helps. You're allowed to bring your own food and drinks, though there are food options available for purchase on site. Pro tips: wear sunblock and UV-protective sunglasses or ski goggles (even as a spectator). Bring cash (single dollar bills) tip the shuttle drivers. Overall, Sugar Mountain is a practical, beginner-friendly option that works well if you plan ahead and manage expectations.

Love the camp ground but seems like it's being let go a bit by upper management roads are in bad…read moreshape about half the golf carts need work/ new batteries the local office employees there are very accommodating it seems as if the corporate office of spacious skies don't care about this camp ground like they used too we love this place and hate to see it like this I'm giveing 3 stars not due to the employees there but to spacious skies them selfs for not investing in this place

I really enjoyed this campground. The staff were very nice and helpful! My spot was level and the…read moreutilities worked well. There was a beautiful waterfall and pond, lots of hiking trails, lots for the children to do and dog friendly. My only complaint was trying to unlock the bathroom door. The code wouldn't always work. I would definitely go back! Thank you to you all at the campground for working so hard to make it great!

Can you say hospitality?…read more The new owners are great. Attentive, kind, and just basically attentive. A great brunch and a phenomenal atmosphere. Come for the food and stay for the fun.

I want to support independent inns across the country. That's why I stay in them and avoid…read morecorporate hotels. This one was a terrible disappointment, unfortunately. Here are a few of my chief complaints: 1) There was no one to check me in when I arrived late after a long flight from California. After standing in the empty front room for a while, I saw a small sign saying to call a number to check in. I called twice before an insolent teen in sweatpants finally showed up to give me my key. 2) The inn adds a daily "tip" for room cleaning on top of an already high bill. (This is one of the more splurgey places to stay in the Black Mountain area.) If that wasn't rude enough, no one ever came by during my three-night stay to clean/tidy the room. The toilet bowl had dirt marks all over it when I showed up and there they stayed for the duration of my visit. No one made the bed. 3) Internet did not work. 4) Breakfast begins late -- at 8.30am -- because the chef has to take his five children to school. Seriously. So if you're staying there for work, as I was, you have to get breakfast elsewhere. That being said, after a lengthy argument with aforementioned insolent teen, the chef prepped me some breakfast items before he left for the night and left them in the fridge. That was very sweet of him.