The Smokehouse Lodge and Cabins

The people were fabulous and friendly, which was the one good thing. The heating and air window unit first showed a filter error and wouldn't run. When it finally worked, it was so loud and kept turning on and off that we couldn't sleep. We went to Waffle House at 4 am, ate, then checked out a day early, feeling miserable. We thought we'd get a refund for the night we didn't use because the website had misled us, but as of Wednesday morning, 2/18, neither the booking agent nor the hotel had contacted us. We're in our late fifties, and we still deserved a nice weekend away. My husband had planned this as a wonderful Valentine's Day surprise, but it felt like a bait and switch. The hotel is expensive and dated. The Smokehouse, which was the main reason we picked this location, had burned down two years ago, and nobody mentioned it before we arrived. There was no great Smokehouse meal to enjoy. There's a small bar and grill a bit off site, but the three-star rating and prices put me off. Outside, it looked like a junkyard or what was left of one. There's not much to do in the small town, and some recommendations were 50 to 70 miles away. Why would we go that far? I wouldn't recommend this place or return.

We liked our first visit so much that we came back a second time. The first trip was for an event nearby, and the next one was just for the cabin and neighboring restaurant. The staff are so kind and accommodating, and both cabins we've stayed in were lovely. Can't wait for a third cabin.

The walls were bulging and the floors warped from what looked like unrepaired water damage. Who knows what mold could be growing there. There were also random holes drilled in the furniture for no reason, which was just weird. Then I saw signs saying I couldn't dye my hair or flush latex gloves. Seriously? It's hard to believe this place has 3 Google stars. I'm clearly not the usual clientele, and I hope I didn't bring bed bugs home.

The bed was really comfortable, and the staff were the nicest anywhere. Maybe they forgot to clean everything, but just look at the pics. There was a sock on the floor, sticky goo on the desk, and pubes in the shower. The moldy toilet especially made us uncomfortable.