The Esmeralda Inn at Lake Lure

We returned to Esmeralda again and had another wonderful time. We love going when it is less crowded and this was a great time. Thanks especially to Jodi, Jordan, Brock and Kristin. The place is beautiful, clean and everyone is so nice.

The Esmeralda brings historical charm and modern day amenities! A true gem in a perfect picturesque Chimney Rock area of North Carolina! The original flooring from the last scene of Dirty Dancing welcomes you into the lobby and the enormous stack stones fireplace is perfect for morning coffee. The outdoor spaces were just lovely: huge porches with rocking chairs, gas fire pits and an outdoor fireplace as well a natural edged extra large hot tub! Even if you choose not to stay at the inn, don’t miss dinner! The salmon and the pork ribeye were flavorful and the sides were nice portions and probably better than the entire! My personal favorite was the risotto!! Creme brûlée and Derby pie were also to die for!

My boyfriend surprised me with a get away for my 50th birthday! I have to admit, when we walked through the front door, it was breathtaking. Brock and Chris that greeted us were great. Took us through the hotel, showed us where all the amenities were and showed us to our room, My guy went all out and got the most requested room, Room 2, NOT something he would normally do. We had a beautiful terrace overlooking the river. We had dinner at the restaurant, it was good , a little over priced but with the atmosphere and company , it was worth it. I don't usually write reviews, and I'm not trying to knock the Esmeralda, it is beautiful and the staff are all amazing, except for the owner Kim! The hotel is a non smoking establishment, however, you can smoke on the terrace of your room. Even has a can with sand in it for your cigarette butts. You can also smoke at the hot tub, along at the outdoor wood burning fire. They even sell cigars on the premise for you to purchase and smoke. Perfectly fine , no problem. We left Saturday morning after breakfast to go hiking at Chimney Rock. Left the sign on the door for the maid to make up the room.(why would I have the maid come in if we were smoking in the room?) Come back to the room to shower around 5 and my boyfriend notices a folded letter on the dresser along with other papers we were given at check in. Long and short of it they accused us of smoking in our room, when we DID NOT! We did smoke on our terrace as allowed. When we confronted the owner (Kim) she more less told us we were lying. Before even speaking with us or leaving the letter flat and open to be sure it was seen, withdrew $250.00 off of his card on file. Now we signed to not smoke in the room, if we did, I would understand, taking the money to have the room cleaned. However, once again we DID NOT smoke in the room. Maybe it was on our clothes or followed us in the room when we left in the morning. Either way, to have someone stand there and treat you as though your a bold face liar or some 18 year old on spring break, is ridiculous. Then she told us if the room still smelled of smoke at check out she would charge another $250.00. Had we not seen the note, she would have pulled $500.00 out of his account and we wouldn't of known until we were home. Either way she agreed if it didn't smell of smoke at check out she would return the $250.00. We made a choice to leave Saturday night based on the principal of being called liars and told we did something we DID NOT do! When she came to inspect the room before we left, she said it stilled smelled of smoke but they would air it out. That was a bold face lie. It's nothing but a scam, to collect an additional $250.00 on top of the ridiculous price of the room. I told her thanks for ruining my 50th birthday , which was on Sunday. She could of cared less. I think they need to change their smoking policy and not allow smoking on the property. Even if you smoke at the hot tub and it's on your clothes, th

Went specifically for chef breakfast. Very disappointed. While the eggs, bacon, juice and coffee were good, the biscuit for the “biscuit and gravy” was dry and the gravy almost non existent. Hash brown patty looked like something that had been frozen/pre made. Biscuit and hash brown were cold. Overall, would not rate high enough to return for this meal.

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.

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.

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.

Our stay at the Inn was wonderful. I could feel my blood pressure dropping as we drove in to the parking lot. The Inn is very warm - lots of wood and log cabin-esque features. The grounds are small but stunning - beautiful fountains and sweet rock walks dipping into the adjacent mountain face. The windows in our rooms opened to the cool mountain air and had a BOSE speaker/music device. We enjoyed the breakfast each morning and the ample hot tub basin every evening. Finally, my friend and I each splurged on a two-hour massage and reflexology session. It was literally one of the best body work sessions of my life. The Inn's only drawback in my opinion? You have to get in your car to travel downtown safely, just a mile down the road.

What a great little get away from the Florida heat we had at The Esmeralda! Beautiful views from the top front porch rocking chairs. Great place to drink my coffee every morning in my cozy robe that was provided. Super comfortable beds besides that the rooms weren’t too impressive but the lobby, fireplace porches, spa and restaurant made it worth the stay for sure! Had an amazing massage by Cheyanne who was able to get me booked last minute (thank you) and Chris at the front desk was extremely helpful and kind. Also just fun to talk too! Our breakfast our first night was the best shrimp and grits I ever had and dinner portions are large and the drinks were lovely! Thank you for a great getaway. Highly recommend traveling here in September as we had the inn almost to ourselves the entire time. Thanks from your Florida Keys friends!