The Swag

A romantic adventure at The Swag - the North Carolina Smoky Mountains' premier country inn - is like no other vacation you've ever experienced. Journey to our mountaintop and you'll find incomparable Smoky Mountain views, an award-winning restaurant, pampering accommodations, world-class hiking trails, and warm hospitality. Our secluded lodge is located just outside of Waynesville, North Carolina (about 50 minutes west of Asheville).

Once you've arrived there is little need to leave our grounds until you depart for home. Your meals are provided. You'll find plenty to do - or enjoy doing nothing at all - on our spectacular grounds and in our common spaces. And, if you have a specific need, our wonderful staff will meet it.

Whether it's the start of a new life together or the start of a new business direction,
our stunning and secluded Smoky Mountain location is the perfect mountaintop destination for group gatherings - including weddings, meetings, parties, executive retreats, family reunions and more.

Of course, excursions to the Biltmore Estate, into Asheville, or along the Blue Ridge parkway are always an option. Our staff will be happy to make arrangements or point you in the right direction. Come experience our hidden and secluded mountaintop setting and discover the treasures the crowds have yet to find. We look forward to welcoming you.

The Swag Country Inn rests along the Cataloochee Divide, an immense ridge that forms one of the National Park's boundaries. Four of North Carolina's six highest mountain ranges are visible: the Great Smokies to the northwest, the Plott Balsams and Richland Balsams to the southwest and the Black Mountains to the east. The Divide Trail, traveled by settlers for 200 years and by the Cherokee for many hundred more, passes just behind the inn. Walk out our front door and discover stunning views, secluded nooks in the woods, and numerous hikes - from simple strolls to challenging climbs on our 250-acre grounds and in the park itself.

Sink into a hammock together or soak in the hot tub - gazing out over four of North Carolina's six highest mountain ranges. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the front meadow overlooking a garden in full bloom. Play croquet, horse shoes, or badminton. Walk along moss-lined trails - underneath 20' blooming rhododendron that span overhead like a cathedral ceiling. Join a workshop or hiking excursion program led by renowned naturalists and authors. Inside our grand, rustic Swag House you'll discover quiet corners to curl up with a book, play a board game or cards, or chat with other guests. Our Chesnut Lodge also offers numerous amenities - ranging from an impressive book and video library, to a sauna, to a regulation racquetball and wallyball court.

Room Amenities

• Warm, fluffy robes
• Herbal lotions, soaps, and shampoos
• Hair dryer and makeup mirror
• Wireless Internet, Bose CD player, An XM satellite radio
• An 8-page New York Times summary brought to your door each morning.
• Coffee maker, bean grinder, and an assortment of coffees and teas.
• Telephone, Safe
• Small refrigerator stocked with soft drinks and snacks.
• Please note that our county does not allow liquor by the drink. Feel free to bring your own spirits.

Smoky Mountain Resort Property

• Personalized hiking sticks - yours to use on our trails and to take home!
• Book and video library
• Sauna
• Outdoor hot tub with amazing views
• Croquet, horse shoes, and badminton
• Regulation indoor racquetball and wallyball court (really!)
• Special event classes and workshops

Meals at The Swag, a Smoky Mountain resort, are both social and delectable experiences. It is not unusual for lasting friendships to be forged while guests feast on our gourmet cuisine at our North Carolina mountain escape!

Breakfast & Lunch

Prepared and presented with care by The Swag staff, our hearty breakfast buffet is an enticing reason to get out of our comfy beds in the morning. And, just when you've hiked off the last of your morning meal, our yummy packed lunch will hit the spot.

Dinner

Our always-exceptional evening meals are influenced by the seasons and the personal style of our fabulous chef, Bryan Kimmett. Our ever-changing menus feature the freshest herbs, fruits, and vegetables (often from our own gardens) and products from local farmers and purveyors. We invite you to relax and experience the fine casual dining and creative regional cuisine that is the hallmark of The Swag.

Rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation are what our Smoky Mountain resort is all about, so you don't have to do anything if you don't want to! That said; there are many fun and interesting things to do, both on and off our secluded mountain escape:

• Expand your horizons at special events, making things in hands-on workshops or participating in sessions led by renowned authors and naturalists. Check out our Special Events Calendar on our website.
• Delight in garden fresh meals (comfort food with a twist)
• Soak your sore hiking muscles in the outdoor hot tub
• Relax in our redwood sauna
• Take a romantic stroll past our small pond
• Sing songs, traditional and popular, with the help of our player piano
• Read, eat a picnic lunch, or just plain sit and think in one of five hideaways scattered throughout the property
• Laze in a hammock that's built for two
• Sit on our front porch and watch the hummingbirds
• Play badminton on a court nestled in rhododendron that's next to our pond
• Play croquet while enjoying the fifty mile view
• Play racquetball on our regulation underground court
• Hike on The Swag's two and a half mile nature trail, or in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's extensive system of trails
• Climb into the tree house for a romantic picnic lunch
• Take a day trip to Asheville, where you can visit historic Biltmore Estates and the Grove Park Inn.

Weddings

It is difficult to imagine a more beautiful, natural setting to serve as the backdrop for the celebration of a marriage. Most weddings at The Swag are relatively small events, roughly 50 to 75 people in size (maximum of 100). The couple and their immediate families and closest friends usually reserve the entire inn for at least two nights. Other friends and family can be accommodated at nearby lodging facilities.

The first night is generally a "rehearsal" dinner followed the next afternoon by the wedding ceremony and then a dinner and reception celebration. The Swag provides all meals and will work with you on the menus. Most weddings require reserving the entire inn for the event and may require booking a year in advance. Call 800-789-7672 or click here to email our events coordinator to discuss a tailor made wedding/special event.

Group Events

Our one of a kind location and our welcoming hospitality at The Swag create a casual elegance and relaxing atmosphere for North Carolina retreats, meetings and events. Whether it's a family reunion, executive retreat, brainstorming session, or product unveiling, you won't find a more unique venue to relax, generate creative ideas, or simply enjoy the company of colleagues or loved ones.

Experience:

• A private rural location, a "world apart" from the everyday business environment
• Elegant yet comfortable facilities and guestrooms
• Distinctive fine dining
• Abundant recreational activities both on site and nearby
• Some AV equipment and office support available

Most group gatherings require reserving the entire inn for the event and may require booking a year in advance. Call 800-789-7672 or click here to email our events coordinator so we can make your event suit your group's needs.

National Geographic Adventure (June/July 2009) "Mountains of the Blue Mist"

National Geographic Traveler (April 2009) "129 Hotels We Love"

Conde Nast Traveler (January 2009) "2009 Conde Nast Traveler Gold List"

Conde Nast Traveler (November 08), "100 best hotels in America"

The Tennessean (August 08), "Smokies resorts offer mountains of fun, luxury"

Continental Magazine (July 08), "A Rustic Must"

Atlanta Journal Constitution (May 08), "The Swag, in Waynesville NC shows nature at its finest"

Conde Nast Traveler (Jan 06), selected The Swag for the 12th annual
"Conde Nast Gold List" as one of the world's best places to stay.

Conde Nast Traveler (November 2005), ranks The Swag at 34th among the Top 75 hotels in the United States.

New York Post (November 8, 2005), selected The Swag among 10 small inns worldwide for "sophisticated amenities and uncompromised privacy."

Listed in the 2005 Zagat's Top U.S. Hotels, Resorts and Spas

One of 12 "Romantic Hideways for 2005" by The Discerning Traveler, January/February 2005

Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report, January 2005 as one of three
"Memorable Retreats in Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina."

Gourmet Diners Society of North Carolina 2005 Golden Fork Award

Gourmet Diners Society of North Carolina 2005 Country Inn Restaurant of Distinction

Selected as one of 10 distinctive small hotels worldwide
by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information (November 2004)