Ok so I sorta panicked after reading some bad reviews on yelp after I had already booked this place because of good reviews on trip advisor. Those concerns were completely unwarranted because we ended up having an absolutely lovely time. I wanted to pick a place that was somewhere between Weston and Fayetteville and Sutton was a very good happy medium. I didn't know how small the town would be and that was a little bit of a surprise but I like that kind of shit, that is why I travel to different places, after all, even if they are different from what I am used to (I roll my eyes at myself). The town, like I said, is very small. There is a big foot museum there that we intended to visit but then forgot. There was a restaurant within walking distance THANK GOODNESS that was very good (Braxton Bistro). There is a convenience store within a few minute's drive. We arrived at around 6pm and there was a man there to greet us, contrary to some of the other reviews I read. He provided the key and escorted us to our accommodations. I chose the "glamping" because I don't love staying in a house and because I figured "when in West Virginia.." And wanted to get a taste of nature...on my own terms. Despite it being "glamping" it was very comfortable. 1/3 of the "tent" was transparent so you could look out on the back yard, trees, and a river running through. It was very cool. The bed was comfortable. The AC worked GREAT. Almost too well. The shower was actually very solid as well, no issues there. There was even a TV in the room which was very much appreciated given it was the first night of the NFL draft during our stay. No issues with noise, other than birds chirping and other "camping" sounds. Everything was clean. Our room even included a mini fridge, I think a microwave if memory serves, and a coffee machine. Our stay in the glamping tent definitely exceeded expectations and was a great experience. read more

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When traveling, I like to either car camp or find interesting places to stay other then chain hotels. When I left TN yesterday morning I was going to overnight in West Virginia and the original place I had picked out wasn't going to work for a few reasons so I looked for a plan B. I found something that looked promising... The Elk River Hotel and Cafe in Sutton, WV was along my route and looked like a charming Victorian property with vintage decor on a beautiful river setting. It had great reviews and the cafe was supposed to be very good. The hotel is a few miles off of I-79 in West Virginia and I drove through a very depressed looking Main Street and was a bit concerned when my GPS announced, "you have arrived" in front of the hotel, a few blocks down on this same Main Street. Ok... I park, walk up the steps to the wrap around porch and enter the building. There is a big sign on the door saying, "Cafe Closed" due to "unforeseen circumstances" , that's too bad cause I was hoping to catch dinner there. To the right is a lovely (unused) dining area, to the left is an antique filled sitting area and a beautiful wood carved staircase. There is a small reception desk but no one is there, so I walk around saying, "helllooo! Helllllooo! But there is literally no one here....then I see that there is a note of one of the glass front doors advising that the desk is not manned and check-in is self service. I call a phone number on this note and am told that my room is upstairs, the door is open and the key to the room is on the fireplace mantel in the room. I questioned the person on the phone about whether the front door is locked at night since there are no employees there, actually there is not another soul in the building at that point, and as I found out the door is not locked so that guests can come and go ...basically anyone can come in or out. Hmmmm, should I stay or should I go was running through my head. Well I stayed and got a good nights sleep despite my initial concerns that it was a very different experience than I am used to . Going out of your comfort zone can be "uncomfortable" but if you confront and reframe negative self-talk you can embrace new possibilities....and enjoy new experiences, like staying is an old Victorian hotel by yourself in a run down town. When I thought about - or reframed my thinking - it was not that much different from an Air BnB where you self check in. A few other guest did arrive so I was not the only one there ...and once I stopped worrying about "what-ifs" I was able to enjoy my stay. You may want to visit Sutton one day because it is home to The Flatwood Monster Museum and The Bigfoot Museum. If you go, I can recommend staying at the Elk River Hotel... don't be scared. read more

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My sister and I had a very disappointing stay on Tuesday, October 7, 2025 for many reasons. I specifically chose Elk River Hotel & Cafe because of all the good reviews I saw on TripAdvisor. However, our experience was less than stellar. 1. I received an email stating I can check in via the link for contactless check in. The link allowed me to check in early just after 3pm but there was zero information on where to go upon my arrival so we went to the hotel main entrance. There was no one to be found so we waited for over 10 minutes. I tried calling the hotel phone number and it went straight to voicemail. After another wait a woman finally appeared from somewhere in the back (kitchen??), seemed surprised to see anyone and asked if she could help us. I explained our situation and she simply asked what room. I told her Rain Song and she said "Oh, that's out back. It's one of our suites, the door is unlocked and the key is on the table." I had to ask her what "out back" meant and how do we get there. Nowhere in your descriptions state suites are in a different building, unless I missed that. 2. Another reason we booked at Elk River is because of the cafe and all the information out there states it is open on Tuesday. The printed information on your menus and even in the room state it's open on Tuesday. However, we found that information to be untrue leaving us having to make alternative plans in an area that is lacking food options close to the hotel. 3. Rain Song was very unclean! I will attach pictures for proof. I was shocked when I pulled back the bedspread to go to bed. There were obvious signs of old, dead bugs on the sheet. I slept on top of the bed with no blanket. Not the best night of sleep for me, obviously. The vents were filled with dust and the lamp had cob webs. Also, in the front room cob webs lined the ceiling. 4. Even with the liner, water from the shower covered the floor in front of the shower. We had to put towels down after a shower. The toilet ran constantly. I understand it may be off season but it was obvious Rain Song had not been cleaned in quite a while. If you know you have a reservation then someone should have cleaned that room, including chaning sheets prior to our arrival. Also, more information needs related to your guests about where to proceed if you want to offer contactless check in, as well as, having an employee in your lobby when guests arrive. At the very least have someone answer the phone! We were so uncomfortable with our stay we canceled our breakfast for the next morning because we were not confident we would receive good service. I am expecting a refund for that at least since I was charged for it prior to my arrival. I expected the same level of stay as described by many reviews and was sadly extremely disappointed. read more

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