25 Best Hotels in The North Carolina Mountains, North Carolina

On a warm afternoon you'll love to "sit a spell" in a rocking chair on the front porch of Hendersonville's oldest inn. The rooms in the 19th-century Victorian home, two blocks from downtown, are named after native flowers and shrubs and are outfitted with antique furnishings.

These six spacious lofts in downtown Bryson City are comfortable for an extended stay or a large family, with two bedrooms in each unit. Local art, architectural nods like exposed brick, and high ceilings complement oversized bathrooms, plush furniture, and big TVs. 

The interior of this 1902 Victorian showplace is spacious and filled with sunlight, but it's the big grassy lawn overlooking the mountains and river that let you know you've arrived somewhere special. The two suites and three large rooms in the main house, along with two carriage-house suites, are nicely decorated in a crafty early-American style. You can relax in the guest lounge, lined with windows and featuring a stone fireplace and bar.

Fontana Village bustles during summertime with vacationing families here for activities like hiking, mountain biking, mini golf, disc golf, a small water park, and, of course, Fontana Dam. The resort's lodge is comfortable but shows its age. Some rental cabins around the resort are a bit newer, and all are an excellent value as a base camp to explore the nearby access points into the national park. 

The 10 off-the-wall accommodations at this "glampground" range from a renovated double-decker English bus to a super hero–themed tiny house. Each space has a different theme, and several are large enough to accommodate families. The grounds are beautiful and include a small pond and creek. 

In 1915 Savannah resident Lucy Molz built a second home on Lake Toxaway, a Swiss-style mansion that is now a luxurious inn listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Rooms have antiques or period reproductions, while suites are more modern and border the lake. Guests here can enjoy the private lake, golf club, tennis, swimming pool, and small spa, and rates include breakfast and dinner, afternoon tea and cake, and cocktails.

The Harrah's complex now includes two hotels, doubling down on its status as North Carolina's largest lodging. The Cherokee opened in 2021, adding 725 more rooms to the 21-story towers of the existing resort. The comfortable rooms and suites on the higher floors overlook the mountains, and escalators get you to the casino and the extensive restaurant selection that includes a Wicked Weed Brewpub, a Ruth's Chris Steak House, BRIO Italian Grille, Guy Fieri's Cherokee Kitchen, and a food court by Gordon Ramsay that stays open late. The casino is larger than three football fields and has live blackjack, roulette, craps, and poker games along with some 5,000 electronic gaming machines. There's also a bowling alley and a 3,000-seat theater that presents big-name stars like Travis Tritt, Pat Benatar, and Three Dog Night. The lobby and other public areas incorporate traditional Cherokee art themes. Room prices surge beyond $500 on weekends, but are often under $100 on weekdays.

This folksy friendly mountain inn on 55 acres on a hilltop near Bryson City, operated by the same family since 1969, is the kind of place where you can relax in a rocking chair, catch up on reading, or play a game of Scrabble. The family-style meals are prepared with regional foods.

The mountain hollow that's home to these seven cabins perfectly captures both sunrise and sunset over the creek. Accommodations range from a luxurious treehouse to creekside lodges suitable for an extended family vacation. You may question whether you've taken a wrong turn as you wind up the dirt road to this bucolic enclave, before realizing you're in exactly the place you want to be. 

With a stone staircase in the entry hall, colorful gardens, Arts and Crafts furnishings, and chestnut paneling and bark siding, it's no wonder that this 1900 manor-style house in the heart of Blowing Rock gets many return guests. All rooms have fireplaces, and some have private balconies.

You can turn back the clock and still enjoy modern amenities at this charming and pastoral inn, with parts built in the 1790s and now on the National Register of Historic Places. Accommodations are in the farmhouse or in eight rustic cottages and log cabins, and rates include a gourmet breakfast.

Service at this posh inn is first-rate, starting with the complimentary champagne in the lobby and extending to elegantly furnished guest rooms in the main building, with period antiques and European linens, and more rustic but still luxurious accommodations in the lodge. You can also choose to stay in one of the inn's cottages or rental houses. Reservations should be made far, far ahead. The outstanding spa has won national awards, and golf is available at the nearby Old Edwards Club. The same company owns a chic motel, 200 Main, and a deluxe rural retreat, Half-Mile Farm.

Each suite at this tucked-away chalet has a steam shower and a soaking tub, making it a perfect place to recuperate after a long day of hiking or exploring. Some rooms have balconies and views across the mountains, and there's a hiking trail up to a viewpoint. 

Spacious decks and wall-to-wall windows maximize the view at these mountainside luxury cabins. Live-edge tables and nods to the local mountain biking culture add creative flair to the spacious digs. Access to Pisgah National Forest and the Hub, a bike shop and bar, are directly outside the entrance. 

The spectacular setting is the main draw at the rustic Pisgah Inn, perched on a mountaintop at 5,000 feet. Rooms have small porches or balconies with rocking chairs where you can take in the views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The restaurant has huge windows facing the tree-clad slopes and serves mountain trout, fried chicken, and other tasty fare.

These six treehouses, with the Cheoah River running below, are the best place to stay in Robbinsville proper. They're technically raised tiny homes, but they do put you closer to the treetops, and each includes everything needed for a cozy overnight. 

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Snowbird Mountain Lodge is everything you expect from a rustic inn, with two massive stone fireplaces, solid chestnut beams across the ceiling, and beautiful views across the valley. All 15 rooms in the main lodge are paneled in different woods cut on the property, and newer rooms in adjacent buildings have private hot tubs with horizon views. The restaurant, now open to the public, serves dishes like fresh mountain trout with couscous and sautéed summer squash, and the wine list is the size of a small telephone directory. The property changed hands in 2022 and expansion plans are in place. 

Like an oasis after miles of driving remote roads, Tapoco Lodge offers large stylish rooms in a lodge that's on the National Register of Historic Places. Exposed brick, hardwood floors, and king-size beds make for comfortable digs in the original lodge (built to house workers during the construction of the nearby Cheoah Dam in the 1930s) and cabins scattered throughout the property. 

The two-acre grounds at this B&B feel like a private estate within walking distance of downtown. Period furnishings, a crystal chandelier, and a grand piano add to the grandeur of the 1926 stone-built home. 

A handsome downtown bank building from 1905 is now a charming boutique hotel with rooms that have wide-plank paneling and soaring ceilings, creating a rustic atmosphere. You'll feel pampered with comfy beds, high-thread-count sheets, and organic toiletries.

Sitting high atop the Cataloochee Divide on 250 wooded acres bordering the national park, the Swag is a luxurious escape that's truly away-from-it-all. You can hike from the grounds to nearby Hemphill Bald, one of the most stunning vistas in the Smokies, or relax in the spa or at the pool, which has views across the mountains. The gourmet meals here are social events, with an option of family-style or individual seating. 

Just outside town, this lovely two-story Victorian, painted a cheerful sunflower yellow, sits on 5 acres with gorgeous gardens, a fish pond, and shady trees. Indulgent breakfasts range from sweet potato pancakes to savory cheese soufflé. Most of the rooms and suites have fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. Rooms in the adjoining Pond House allow children and have a touch more privacy. 

This welcoming B&B occupies an 1878 home whose age is an advantage rather than a deterrent. Rooms have comfortable modern amenities, and owners/hosts Gladys and Larry Pilarski are a joyful presence. Sitting on the porch in the afternoon feels like a slice of small-town life from a bygone era.