Balsam Mountain Inn

One of my favorite places in the Southeast. Don’t expect a TV, phones or fast internet. The inn is quite. The floors creak. The common areas, inviting. You can sit on the first or second floor porch, in a rocking chair, while enjoying a glass of wine or a craft beer. Our most recent visit was our first in the winter. I was worried the inn might be cold, but was pleasantly surprised that all areas were warm and comfy.
The rooms come with a nice breakfast included. What is served can vary depending on how full the inn is. We’ve had a buffet on a busy visit, but always better than your typical included breakfast at hotels. The onsite restaurant is amazingly good and somehow, even when we were the only patrons, serve a great meal.
Generally this is a great place to get away, go back in time a bit and relax. Several Falls, hiking trails and the Blue Ridge Parkway are nearby if you want to get out. The surrounding small towns are also great for visits.
Things to do…
— Grab a cup of coffee from the library and rock on the porch as the sun rises.
— Go outside at night and be amazed at how dark it is and how many stars you can see.
— Smell the air outside, you can smell the Balsam trees.

If you want to get away from it all while feeling like you are stepping back in time, then this is the place for you. Don’t be dissuaded by its tucked away location. This is part of its charm. It is on a rail line that used to bring people from the city to the bottom of the hill and then they would walk up to the inn. The inn was built in the early 1900s and has been preserved as a historic building. When you first walk in you feel like you are in a truly historic building that is so welcoming. The staff are always friendly and almost make you feel like family. The walls, doors, windows, and fixtures are all of the early 1900s period. There are no phones or TVs in the rooms which really forces you to either experience the surrounding outdoors or just relax playing games or sitting on one of the two porches that cover the whole front of the inn. They have a nice restaurant on premises. Plus Sylva and Waynesville are close by with more good restaurant choices. The blue ridge parkway is less than a mile up the road affording you access to many great trails that reach some high elevations. This truly is a place to step back in time and unwind.

We found this place by the Grace of God and it was wonderful. Old time hotel with great history. Very relaxing. The food was very good and the staff is great!

We were not guests at the Inn. We came for dinner. Don’t go for the food. Historic building. Pleasant waitstaff. Nice sounding menu choices. Disappointment on our plates: excellent trout dip served w stale crackers, apple wedges and carrot chips; portobello entrée w two portobello tops each the size of a silver dollar; crab cake entrée w two crab cakes that were just OK, veggie sides were over cooked, starch was cut up purple potatoes that were boiled not roasted as described on the menu. All this for only $ 63!

The inn is a very charming place to go, unplug and relax. While Balsam itself is not much of a tourist stop (as it once was) the Inn is very close to the Blue Ridge Parkway which opens a whole world of day-​tripping opportunities. We enjoyed a two night stay on an Amazon deal making it very affordable. The breakfast was fine and the dinner was very good. We both had local trout and enjoyed it with a bottle of wine from what seems to be a fairly good list, however, I am no expert.
To say the inn is quirky would be a compliment. The mis-​matched coffee mugs at breakfast (and here I mean anything from «world’s greatest dad» to 1970s smiley faces of all sizes) aren’t that big of a deal, nor is the paper cup tea and coffee «service» in the library. However, they take the place from care-​worn to kitsch. With just a little financial effort these items could be converted to a theme more consistent with the Inn’s storied past. Maybe, it’s just me.
I love the all wood construction, which comes with it a lot of squeaks however, the staff manages a very subtle cue to the guests that 10:30 starts quiet time and I never had a problem falling asleep. Staying asleep was another thing entirely. The mattresses in the two rooms we stayed in were about as hard as they could possibly be and yielded a very bad night sleep both nights.
Overall we had a lovely experience, the staff is friendly, the patrons are absolutely delightful and we will certainly be back. .. memory-​foam bed topper in tow.

We stayed at the inn over a weekend. The inn itself was very homey, comfy, warm and full of history. We appreciated the spaciousness of the room and bed and would encourage anyone who hasn’t tried a room with a bathtub to do so. It was extremely relaxing and added a nice vintage touch. Unfortunately, we did find gray hairs in various places throughout the room which caused us to question the cleanliness of the entire inn. The breakfast left something to be desired and we didn’t finish our meals either day. The French toast was unrecognizable and smothered in caramel. The egg casserole lacked flavor and the yogurts were past expiration. Service was friendly. Unfortunately, the weekend that we stayed the hiking trails were closed due to ice which was disappointing as the trails were the reason we had initially booked the room, though this was no fault of the inn’s. However, we did enjoy visiting several wineries in the Morganton and Marion area about 1.5hrs from the property. All in all, we enjoyed our experience but are not likely to return.

I love the feeling of the mountain’s and this beautiful inn. The room’s are very cozy with feather comforters and the food wonderful.

Great B&B on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Good food!

Nice getaway. no tv, phones, or radios in room but still nice. Friendly staff and free great breakfast. Wifi was weak and cell coverage was weak but that’s ok. Would recommend to anyone wanting that rustic country inn feel

This is a very nice bed and breakfast hotel. It remains largely the way it was a hundred years ago. That’s not to say its rustic, which makes me think of unclean and dusty. Neither of those is the case. It is very clean and well preserved.
There are no TV’s and fancy appointments in the lobby. Instead, you may find a person quietly working a jigsaw puzzle or reading a book. The porches are amazing and well appointed with plenty of rocking chairs.
This place isn’t for everyone but if you’re interested in staying in a historic hotel that has been lightly updated, this is the place for you!

The inn is amazing! The restaurant has the best shrimp and grits I’ve ever had! The hotel and restaurant staff are friendly and accommodating!!! Love this place! Our 7 year old son loves it too!

I am giving this place five stars because it is exactly as described and exactly what we were looking for. My daughter, who lives in Tennessee and I wanted to meet midway between our homes in a rustic mountain inn convenient to hiking and with good food. We were pleased beyond expectations with the charm, beauty and architectural significance of this place. Every staff member was genuinely invested in assuring each guest had a great time. They are knowledge banks of local information on how to plan a perfect day in this beautiful region, from breakfast to late night. It’s an elegant old boarding house skillfully restored to reflect it’s early 1900’s origins. We are a hotel business family, so have had the fortune stay in luxury establishments around the globe. Don’t expect this to be luxury. It is a perfectly lovely, relaxed mountain in and a tribute to Appalachian hospitality. We loved the creaking floorboards and call of coyotes at night. The cool mountain air and full day of hiking followed by a long hot soak in the deep claw foot tub insured a sound night’s sleep. The common areas encourage mingling with the other guests and staff, or one can settle in to read a book by the fire in the warm library.
To my consternation, when I got home I realized that I had left some souvenirs purchased for my family in my room including some pretty epic leather moccasins from Cherokee, NC. Before I could even explain myself on the phone, the kind font desk gentleman knew who I was and what I’d left behind. The items were sent immediately back to me, what a relief, but no surprise.
I look forward to returning with the rest of my family.

Very interesting, very relaxing, very classic. You are forced to relax. I’m serious! LOL
Loved the Restaurant!

Well.
This place reminded me of the house I grew up in built in 1903 and the house I raised my sons in built in 1887.
So for the most part, though it was not at all the kind of place I ever stay (my brother and his fiancé chose this inn), the reminiscing, happy memories from my past (sans the wood burning stove we had), and the disconnect from the wired world (mostly) made for an enjoyable weekend.
The folks running this inn were friendly and welcoming. They made no obvious judgment as to race or sexuality, treating us as kindly as anyone else.
The included breakfast was a nice value-​add and was satisfactory. The meals from their dinner menu looked and smelled delicious.
The rooms were most definitely provincial (an understatement) but had everything we needed. (No TV was nice.) The pine-​scented accoutrements were – well – memorable. Akin to what a 1910s boarding house must have been like, you can hear your neighbors up and down and in the hallway; but once the bedtime hour appeared, everyone retired, all of us slumbering together.
My favorite memory of Balsam Mountain Inn will be gathering in the downstairs «living area» with my brother, his future husband, and my boyfriend and playing dominoes, while many of the other guests put together puzzles or sat reading books. We had so much fun.
This is most definitely not the kind of place I choose to vacation and yet, as we drive down the skinny gravel road, I’m glad we did.

One hundred year old B&B. No TV, no phones (good cell reception if needed). Service was excellent. If you want to just get away for a few days but still near the city, this is the place. Innkeeper has done a beautiful labor of love in restoring and keeping up this attractive facility. Each room or suite has it’s own personality. An enjoyable retreat!

Not for everyone. If you are looking for lights, entertainment, TV, etc then go to Harrah’s in Cherokee. If you are looking for relaxation the Balsam Mtn Inn is for you.
It is conveniently located by the Blue Ridge Pkwy, Sylvia, Dillsboro and just a bit further Cherokee and Bryson City. So a great place to rest at night while you enjoy the Western NC /​Smokey Mtn area during the day.
We had the upgraded room so had a king bed, sofa, and bath tub. NO TV or radio. Just clean fresh mountain air, which made for perfect sleeping. Feather pillows, comfy covers.
I was expecting couples, but was pleasantly please to see families and younger couples as well.
Breakfast was fine. Did not eat dinner there, we were out and about until after supper. We definitely enjoyed setting on the front porch enjoying the view and reading.
Suggestion. Have two pitchers of unsweet and sweet iced tea available to those that are relaxing on the porch.