Thank you Jenkins Rentals for another great weekend in the mountains! This was our second time…read morestaying at Andreas #1 and it was just as wonderful as 2 years ago. The service was wonderful (website, booking, and then check-in were all super easy), the accommodations perfect for our family, and the location is amazing. 10 minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway (right by Julian Price Park and Moses Cone and tons of options for all levels of hiking), 10 minutes from Blowing Rock, and about 15 from Boone (and a Harris Teeter!). This rental is down a gravel road off of Shulls Mill Road and right on a little creek. The kids spent hours playing in the creek, and we all loved going in the hot tub multiple times a day! NIce wooded lot in a little valley. Pretty but not the spectacular views you might find with some of Jenkins' ther properties. However, with young kids, I happily traded the views (which we got when we went hiking 3 days in a row!) for the creek to play in and not having to worry that my youngest would somehow fall off the porch!! Clean, comfortable, and has everything you need for a getaway.

Pros - great customer service, friendly staff, reliable…read more Cons - property I rented was very run down. House needed major cleaning. Difficult to drive up to the house because pathway was not well paved. Pots, pans, and other things in the house need updating. I'm sure that the company, Jenkins, probably has other great properties but Mountain Outlook was a huge disappointment.

Overall, a terrific getaway. We spent a week enjoying the charms of the cabin and the area. Here…read moreare a few things we learned from our visit. First, the pictures available online don't do justice to the beauty of the location. The cabin sits just above a burbling stream. It lies at the end of a mile-long gravel road with plenty of up-and-down, blind corners, and two gates. This feels like a truly secluded spot. It is visible from the road, which is just on the other side and above the stream. But, as we experienced in late July, the dense foliage obscures the cabin. The cabin itself is both well-equipped and rustic. The kitchen has most utensils and cooking equipment, including a rice cooker, electric skillet, toaster oven, microwave, etc. everything was older but clean and functional. There is a single full bathroom with shower and a half bath upstairs. A washer-dryer set is very helpful. Internet access is a plus because cell service is spotty or nonexistent. For fellow jigsaw puzzlers, the kitchen table is perfect for a 1000 or 1,500 piece challenge. The deck is absolutely lovely. Given the location, the sun didn't hit the cabin until mid-morning, and never fell under the roofed portion of the deck. We were able to sit outside from early morning to evening in relative comfort. We brought citronella candles, which kept the bugs away - but those weren't bad at all. The owners ask that you removed the trash and clean up upon leaving - a usual request. They also ask for guests to wash and dry the sheets and sweep/mop upon leaving - a less common ask. The bedding was adequate. Older pillows and a firm, creaky master bed could be updated. This is not a touristy area. Those lie north and east of here. We brought all of our own food. If you plan to eat out, or shop out regularly, you will need to drive some distance/time. Within an hour's drive - and you will need to travel to take in the area and get supplies - are several wonderful spots. Be sure to hike Stone Mountain State Park. What a beautiful, well-maintained park! Bring your bikes and complete the 20-mile round trip rail-trail between Todd and Freeport. Gorgeous, easy ride along the New Fork River. Get baked goods at the Todd Mercantile store. Boone has some shopping and organic groceries, but is a solid two-hour round trip. Looking for adventure. Drive north on the main road, take the gravel road (left) at the fork, and follow the mountain road about 5 miles to the Blue Ridge Parkway. One of us enjoyed that very much; the other less so given the hairpin turns and steep drops. We definitely recommend Blue River Cabin.

What a wonderful way to celebrate our 39th anniversary. Blue River Cabin was everything we hoped…read morefor and more. From the moment we opened the first entry gate, we felt like a wonderful adventure was about to begin. The cabin is spacious, spotlessly clean, and supplied with everything you could possibly need for a relaxing, totally peaceful getaway. Falling asleep to the sound of the rushing water and waterfalls ...well, it just doesn't get any better than that. We will definitely return, and several of our friends are already wanting to book a stay also!

Stressful and careless resort…read more We love visiting Appalachian Mnt all four seasons. We have used ABnB, private renting, and Marriott as well in the past. We really liked to rent from moms/pops and the cabin setting more so we decided to try Willow Valley when I saw the listing from Interval International. As much as I was expecting cozy and relaxing time with my family for 6 days, it turned out to be a very stressful and quite a shock how careless the management here. Checked in to a Cabin and thought it was cute and cozy but quite concerned the fact that we had informed the reservation we have disabled veteran but the entry to in-cabin stairs were very steep, especially in the cabin. Next thing my son is screaming "there's rat poop on the bed!!" and sure enough- mouse feces all over the bed and the floor. To ruin the evening we had positive attitude trying to understand and be optimistic. We started stripping the blanket, and pillow covers to wash it then ALL the pillows had brownish-yellow stains. We brought only one 3 oz of laundry detergent not expecting we would do blanket and linen laundry on our first day there. When we turn on the shower to wash off our travels- the water was brown- coming out of the shower head. We had to run it for a while to clear out. This is truly something we did not want to do driving 5 hours in the rain. The next day it was snowing. It was freezing in the cabin and the heater would not get high enough to keep us warm. We were directed to get log for the fire place so we accepted that was what needed to be done. Then the dish washer leaked and flooded the whole floor. We asked to be moved to another room but no room were available. Asked some assistance to the manager and we were told the GM is not there. When we asked what can be done, the front desk lady raised her voice and started yelling. I was very much dumbfounded by her behavior. Actually felt helpless with our family stuck in the cabin that is wet - cold - and rat infested. We cut the our trip in half and just left. We asked the front desk staff requesting a call regarding Thai incident. Never heard from him.

Old, dated, poorly maintained. Had to ask for kitchen, bathroom to be cleaned. Old dried grease in…read morekitchen. Management said, not grease, "just rust" like that was better. Flooring in bathroom detached from wall. Vines growing through wall in laundry room. Weeds/trash around.

Southern hospitality at its best and the views are breathtaking…read more Clear, cold stream. Ponds, waterfalls, hiking trails and while you're here you can treat yourself to fresh goods from the store. All year round there's something beautiful at BRR.

I had to calm down after my visit at blue ridge ranch before I wrote this review…read more The ranch itself and staff members were great. The owner himself ( Troy) was absolutely inappropriate with comments he made to our family especially considering he claims himself as a Christian and that God himself told him to make this property a ministry "hope for his children". My biggest concern is the integrity of the owner (Troy). There were several comments made during our Fathers Day trip that was completely out of line and absolutely not taken out of content as he indicated in a response to my sister Hope Londerees review. In fact we left early bc of it. Although it would take too long to write every detail of the conversation, Here's what was said: Upon the arrival of our dad and mom, there was a conversation that occurred at the welcoming and Troy told my dad he he heard it was his birthday (which it wasn't and no one even said it was) but that he (Troy) was having "strippers" come! (Totally left us uncomfortable and questioning- uh that was weird) The second uncomfortable encounter was when we were about to take the tour and he came over to our golf cart and in a conversation about my moms cancer, he said he knew a cure for cancer and went in and he gave my mom a big hug, hiding her tight, (it was totally awkwardly and unsolicited) and proceeded to tell my dad that "she's a keeper and he better watch out bc he's going to steal her from my dad". (This comment felt very awkward and especially made more sense with the comment later to come that night to my dad!) The third issue was said directly to my 13yo daughter when we were all having conversation in the outpost about life and success.. even when Troy's wife was present in the outpost (which tells me she's fully aware of his behavior and the controlling/demanding demeanor). He asked my daughter as he leaned into her "would you do anything I tell you to do", and as she looked at him awkwardly he proceeded to ask her, " do you trust me". - that comment immediately brought a RED FLAG to me as a mother that a grown man, that my daughter does not know asked such a question of her! If fact I called out the comment and praised her for saying no to him and later she let me know she was fully uncomfortable with him and didn't want to see him the remainder trip. Troy was challenging my daughter to read a book and get back with him about it for a free night stay. (does this not scream WATCH OUT FOR THIS GUY! What's the intentions?) The last draw- the power in the valley went out and Troy came up to our RV's (half drunk) and when we discussed if an "emergency" was needed they had a backup generator, I commented that it's just my folks have c-paps and with moms cancer we don't want her to get hot... Troy proceed to say, "You know what, it just occurred to me, (looked straight at my dad) She can just come sleep with me!" WHAT???? Are you kidding me? The audacity of this guy! I had enough! I called him out.. told him how since we had been there he's said nothing but disrespectful comments to our family and the fact that he's calling himself a Christian and saying that this place.. and the "Hope for his children" non- profit was Christ based, that he was not representing it at all. I told him how we would not be back again. I walked off and so did TROY. Our three family's there decided to pack up and leave the next day. We had enough of the disrespect from the owner. During our discussions we determined we were pretty sure that the wife and staff was fully aware of Troy's demeanor as a man and what is so sad is that families drop off your kids here for camp and trust this place to care for their children. All I can say is all of us felt in our Spirit something is not right! If Troy (the owner) wasn't present and the comments weren't said then otherwise we'd say that the place is beautiful and lots of great memories can be made. This trip was not so pleasant for us and left a bad taste in our mouth for a "ministry" that was run by a man with lack of integrity.

Stayed on this property for a family reunion. At the "big house" aka Mountain View Lodge:…read more Window units only in the upstairs bedrooms. One window unit contained dead animal, rendering it useless. No air conditioning in the common areas and even though it's in the mountains, it was humid and miserable. Multiple water leaks. Bushes outside totally overgrown and three people were stung by hornets at the front door (on different days). Laundry room in house is accessible by all cabins on the property, so people you don't know can be on the property washing clothes any time. At Blue Ridge Cabin, the two bedroom cabin with loft has one window air conditioner which is not sufficient to cool the cabin. The shower is about 30 inches wide and the shower head is basically fixed, so there is no escaping the water. This cabin is advertised as having closets in both bedrooms, but that is not true. There is no closet in the second bedroom, and no mirror, and no place to put a suitcase. Only a bed and a nightstand. We stayed here for three nights living out of a suitcase on the floor. Sheets were 180 count, 50% polyester, and vintage. They came off at night because the elastic on the fitted sheet was totally dry rotted. Futon would not fold out to a bed (broken) and as a couch it was not comfortable, since the mattress hung off the frame despite my attempts to straighten it up. Availability calendar showed no one in the units on the days before us, but they came to mow and weed eat before I was awake the second morning (why didn't they go ahead and mow before we came?). No broom in the cabin so could not sweep up all the grass clippings we tracked in. Floors turned our socks black. This property has great potential as an area for family reunions but desperately needs improvement. Overall, in its present condition, I would never recommend this property.

I would highly recommend these cabins to anyone who wants to experience the Blue Ridge Parkway but…read moredoesn't want to commit to renting a cabin for a week and spending an insane amount of money. I was surprised these cabins rent for $135 per night (with a $35 cleaning fee per stay, and $10 pet fee) year round. We stayed two nights and had a great time. The cabin was well stocked with just about everything we needed minus food. The Jacuzzi tub was a wonderful addition. Cabins are pet friendly and we were left a goodie bag for our "fur babies". The Mountains-to-Sea trail runs at the end of the driveway to these cabins, which was a nice bonus to be able to go on a nice hike that close to our cabin.

Older furnishings and over priced. It was a last minute booking and nothing else was available.read more

Unfortunately, I'm one of those people that usually only writes poor reviews, because something…read moreisn't up to the standards expected, but this place makes me excited to travel and a good review was a must. On a recent trip to North Carolina, I stayed here and wasn't sure what to expect because it was small and new. Many times, new businesses aren't up to the standards of well-established places, but not true with Banner Haven. It was 5-star service with beautiful grounds and a spectacular property. I had everything I needed and the innkeepers were very helpful with questions about the area. I highly recommend Banner Haven Bed and Breakfast, if you're in the Banner Elk area.

Excellent places to stay. We have now stayed at 3 different cabins in this rental program. Each…read moretime we received an extensive welcome package with directions and lists of restaurants and things to do in the area - all of this was very needed as we come from Florida and no nothing about the area. Very clean, nicely furnished and easy to get to. We are at one of their cabins to night, lots of snow outside but roads fairly clear. Housekeeping has called to check on us. These folks just go beyond what most companies provide. The view is gorgeous. White wonderland. Can't wait to go ski Beech Mtn in the morning and sugar Mtn the next. I would recommend this place to anyone who loves the mtns, lakes and Gorgeous country.

First I have to say that the owner seems like a nice fellow. Attentive. When we drove up my wife…read moreand I were pretty disappointed in the overall condition of the trailer. I actually apologized to her and offered to go somewhere else. The pictures in the ad are old and need to be updated.The notebook in the trailer is also out of date and needs to be updated. If you are simply renting the trailer for fishing and it's a guy thing, then this trailer will do. It is NOT a place where you want to bring a spouse or GF. Stains on the couch and dog hair on the bed cover. Somewhat limited on silverware. Bathroom did have an odor as a previous reviewer mentioned and a rock was on the bathroom floor. I guess to keep the door open. Best part was the grill. Old fishing boat in the front yard. Overall kinda dumpy for the price. Should be around $80 a night. Also we didn't mind cleaning the dishes but we were asked to start the washing machine for the maid. We paid a cleaning fee. That is her job. This is the second property that we rented over a 3 week period and the other property was also in poor shape. I firmly believe that reviewers need to be accurate in their comments and that owners need current pics and to highly maintain their properties. If the property is not in tip top shape...don't rent it! I am sure that the owner will offer some excuses for the condition but there really aren't any that justify the price and the inaccurate ads need to be corrected.