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The Esmeralda Inn and Restaurant is nestled within the Hickory Nut Gorge of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains located in Chimney Rock, NC. Enjoy hiking, climbing and fishing and golfing. While dining enjoy the majestic views of Chimney Rock State Park.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
This in and spa was absolutely worth it. Rebuilt after a fire in 1997, it is so well kept and maintained, the normal wear and tear is really not even seen. It is extremely well-kept grounds are beautifully maintained, and I am already looking forward to going back. Everyone there was genuinely nice friendly and helpful.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Â Bring swim trunks, prepare to eat really well, and enjoy this wonderful first class down to earth...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had the opportunity to stay here during their special, $99/night which included a home-made breakfast. Take a look at the website for the lobby area. It's just as pretty as the pictures and with a fire going it was nice and cozy. We were shown to our room by the desk clerk, showing us the amenities on the way. The room and bed were comfortable. There is a game room on the second floor with a pool table, game tables, etc. Breakfast is served from 8:30-10 and was awesome. Upon giving our room number, we were seated in the dining room next to the window which has a great view. The breakfast menu was on the table along with fresh flowers. Our waitress was so attentive and left us wanting for nothing. We had bread pudding, pancakes, sausage patties and a fruit cup. Way more than I could eat but it was wonderful.
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Date of stay: January 2021
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very warm and cozy place. Staff gave us tour of property once we arrived. Our room, #2, was perfect: comfy bed, modern bathroom, & beautiful terrace. We were told before booking a room that there was only smoking on outside property and smoking wasn't allowed inside or on terrace. However, after seeing reviews and the sand-filled container outside our room, I'm assuming smoking is allowed on terrace. Thankfully we didn't have to smell smoke during our visit and this would be only thing to make me reconsider a second visit. Restaurant was convenient and food was delicious. Gift shop on site. Staff was VERY courteous and took care of our every need. Being a big Dirty Dancing fan, I have to say how fun it was to see what's left of the wooden floor that lies inside the beautiful lobby.
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kim Cason, General Manager at The Esmeralda Inn, Restaurant, & Spa
Responded 4 Apr 2022
We are glad you enjoyed your visit with us at The Esmeralda Inn. We hope you can visit us again soon.
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My wife and I reserved two nights at the Inn to celebrate her birthday. The Inn was clean and the personnel were very nice but.... The room, which was about $250 per night, was small, musty and the bathroom was 40 years out of date with it's hand held shower and tub. When wet the floors and tub were so slick, were dangerous. The rooms and common areas were poorly lit and dark. Ahh.... the food was less than gourmet. All had been previously frozen, then heated. Our dinner with a bottle of wine and tip was about $90. Complimentary breakfast is served only at 8:30 am. Even the breakfast had been previously frozen or prepared by the food distributor and besides who eats breakfast at 8:30 when there activities one wants to have? WE decided to forgo a second night and returned home. There are no refunds, which was made perfectly clear before check in. I wish I could recommend another local hotel but most all of the others looked worse than this one. Stay in Asheville or Hendersonville.
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Date of stay: August 2020
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kim Cason, General Manager at The Esmeralda Inn, Restaurant, & Spa
Responded 8 Sept 2020
We are so sorry that we did not meet your expectations. We work very hard to provide an enjoyable stay with us at The Esmeralda Inn. Our fresh baked goods and breakfast are served and included with our rooms daily. Never is our food frozen or not prepared daily. Our Chef prepares our dinners nightly and everything is made in house and is fresh every day. We hope you can come again in the near future and give us a chance to make it up to you. Kim Cason Owner
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Property was beautiful . Innkeepers / owners Kim and Don were exceptional ... making sure our stay was top notch. Our room was heavenly with a private porch that we loved .Plush robes were provided to wear to romantic hot tub at night and then sit by outdoor fireplace. We loved Grace’s smile in the morning in the dining room. she was an excellent server and the food was awesome! We had a wonderful stay.Patti and Larry
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Date of stay: August 2021
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kim Cason, General Manager at The Esmeralda Inn, Restaurant, & Spa
Responded 19 Sept 2021
Thank you for your kind words. We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us at The Esmeralda Inn. We will look forward to seeing you again soon.
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Back for our 8th year at our home away from home. Chris at the front desk was a particularly bright spot during our stay. Chris felt more like a really helpful friend than just another employee of the inn. We always tend to feel at home here, but cannot overstate how much more comfortable that Chris made our stay.
Our room was nice (as usual), and everything was/felt extremely clean. We stayed on the second floor this year as opposed to the top floor. The difference is that you have porch access on the two second floor rooms. We stayed in the room facing the parking lot from the porch (room 1) and I would recommend specifically booking/requesting the room that overlooks Chimney Rock (room 2).
Breakfast the next morning was one of the better breakfasts that we have had in our many stays. The muffins are always good, and this year was no exception.
I think the major opportunity for this trip would be the spa. We share some blame in this year’s mishap, but it makes two years in a row that we have tried to enjoy the spa and were unable to.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our two night stay here was just wonderful! From the first contact booking with Jill at the front desk to our departure yesterday morning we were warmly welcomed and felt well taken care of. The location of the Inn is amazing, loved having our window open to hear the rushing river below at night. Being so close to Chimney Rock Park was super and our day hiking there was perfect. The food was amazing , both breakfast and dinner, fresh and obviously made by someone who loves their job. The wait staff service was top notch,also. The attention to detail was superb and their commitment to health and safety outstanding. Everyone wore masks and the rooms and entire inn were spotless. Loved our stay, kudos to everyone involved. Well done in this stressful time of Covid-19.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kim Cason, General Manager at The Esmeralda Inn, Restaurant, & Spa
Responded 8 Sept 2020
Thank you for your review. We appreciate your comments on noticing all the attention to detail that our staff do for our guest. We are so glad you enjoyed your visit and we look forward to seeing you again. Thank you, Kim Cason Owner
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Overpriced, small rooms, bad food. The Only thing this Inn does for COVID is the staff wears a mask. When we didn’t feel comfortable eating the breakfast in the restaurant due to COVID, they said we could eat in the room that did not have anywhere to eat except on our laps sitting on the bed!!!!! You think with COVID they’d be prepared
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kim Cason, General Manager at The Esmeralda Inn, Restaurant, & Spa
Responded 13 Sept 2020
We are so sorry that we did not meet your expectations. We did offer sitting for our guest outside or inside dining so that our guest have plenty of room to space out. We have tried to do all that we can to make it through COVID! Thank you for understanding. Kim Cason
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Stayed here on a Friday and Saturday night to celebrate my boyfriend’s 50th birthday. From the phone call in which I made the reservation to the moment we checked out, it was nonstop wonderful customer service. I arranged for a cake to be waiting in the room upon our arrival and I have to say the cake exceeded my expectations. Obviously made fresh on site with fresh strawberries and kiwis. The room was small but perfect, with a great view of the mountains. The level of cleanliness throughout the inn was exceptional. Dinner on Friday night at the restaurant was wonderful. I had the filet which was cooked perfectly and my boyfriend had bacon wrapped scallops which were excellent. We were forced to spend much of our weekend indoors because of the rain, but we had so much fun playing chess and pool in their spacious and comfortable game room. Sadly we didn’t get to try the hot tub because of the weather, but look forward to trying it when we come back, which I definitely believe we will. The staff was amazing. Very attentive and professional and the daily breakfast that was included with the room could not have been any more amazing. Pancakes, muffins, and breakfast casserole were spot on. I’m so grateful for the hospitality that made this weekend so enjoyable and memorable. To be honest, I can’t think of anything negative to say at all. You should definitely book a stay at the Esmeralda if you’re ever in the area.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Casually elegant dining experience in a gorgeous setting. From online booking to friendly greeting on arrival, the initial promise of the place carried through the evening. The server was gracious and informative without hovering, and the special and menu items were well-prepared and presented. Fresh ingredients with thoughtful preparation and spices. The ambience was pleasant( we were outdoors) and felt intimate despite 80% of tables occupied. Definitely a place we would return to enjoy again.
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kim Cason, General Manager at The Esmeralda Inn, Restaurant, & Spa
Responded 19 Sept 2021
Thank you for your review. So happy to hear you enjoyed your visit with us and we were able to meet your expectations. We hope you will be able to visit us again soon.
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Rose,
Sorry I'm just seeing this response. Yes, we have an elevator at our property. Please call the front desk for a military discount. We would love to assist you in accommodations. We are only about 10 miles from Hickory Nut Farms.
We were on the far end, on the second floor and we could see the mountains. I'm sure the third floor had even better views. There is an awesome sunrise from the window.
There are more places to choose from in the Chimney Rock area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
the esmeralda hotel chimney rock, esmeralda hotel chimney rock, esmeralda chimney rock
LOCATION
United StatesNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina MountainsChimney Rock
NUMBER OF ROOMS
14
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THE ESMERALDA INN, RESTAURANT, & SPA: See 700 Resort Reviews and 684 Photos (Chimney Rock, NC)
Frequently Asked Questions about The Esmeralda Inn, Restaurant, & Spa
Which popular attractions are close to The Esmeralda Inn, Restaurant, & Spa?
Nearby attractions include Lake Lure Flowering Bridge (2.7 km), Chimney Rock At Chimney Rock State Park (2.6 km), and Hickory Nut Falls Trail (1.1 km).
