Helendorf River Inn Suites & Conference Center

Specialties

American owned and Army family operated for over 42 years… Whether you’re looking for a family vacation place, meeting space or a party venue, The Helendorf is ideal. Our 99 lodging rooms with brand new custom furniture and multiple meeting facilities have hosted everything from weddings and reunions, to mountain bike clubs and sports car rallies, to television, movie and country western stars, to groups of all kinds. Even your pets have a place here! Celebrating its forty-​second year as a mountain community hotel with a Bavarian flourish, the Helendorf offers access to a wide array of attractions — ranging from Native American burial sites, to wineries, to 200+ specialty and import shops offering everything from candle making to cuckoo clocks. Be sure and visit our website for many more pictures of the Helendorf, Helen, and the North Georgia Mountains.

History

Established in 1973.

The Helendorf has been closely tied to the modern city of Helen, Georgia since the early 1970’s; in fact, the Helendorf was the brain child of Alpine Helen’s creator Pete Hodkinson and has been at the center of many of the area’s numerous events.

The Helendorf started played host to the rich and famous in 1977, during the filming of «Smokey & the Bandit.» The Helendorf provided lodging for Jackie Gleason, Hal Needham and most of the film crew. Burt Reynolds and Sally Fields were frequently seen around the property during filming.

In 1980, we hosted Diane Lane and her mother, Colleen Farrington, former Playboy Centerfold Miss October 1957, when they came to Helen for a festival and stayed at the Helendorf.

In the 1990s, after winning the Country Music Association’s (CMA) «New Horizon Award», Travis Tritt escaped to the Helendorf on his brand new Harley for a fun and relaxing time and during the filming of the movie «Black Dog».

Come join-​in on the making of history!