The Greystone Inn, a magnificent historic property located on North Carolina’s Lake Toxaway, reopened in 2018 following a complete renovation aimed at restoring the Inn to its original splendor. The Inn itself, a Swiss-style mansion, was built in 1915 by Savannah heiress Lucy Armstrong Moltz and has through the years become an iconic destination for travelers to the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Inn’s thirty guest rooms and suites are located in the orginal mansion and two separate lakeside accommodations, the Hillmont and the Lakeside Cottage, which includes two suites. Guests here enjoy the feeling of being in a grand private house; some rooms have fireplaces and lake views, others have private entrances and lakeside terraces. The reopened Inn has received numerous awards and is included on Travel + Leisure‘s World’s Best list for 2021.
Dining options at the Inn include the Lakeside Dining Room, which emphasizes fresh, seasonal cuisine, and the Mansion Bar, with its clubby ambiance.
Lake Toxaway—the largest private lake in the state—forms a stately backdrop to the Inn and is an attraction in itself, with a meandering shoreline ideal for fishing and boating. The lake may be best enjoyed from the deck of the Miss Lucy, a 24-passenger handcrafted mahogany boat made by the legendary Hacker-Craft Company. From May—October, Inn guests can enjoy a nightly sunset cruise. Other options for getting out onto the water include a private cruise on the Miss Lucy II, and, for the serious boater, taking the helm of the 3-passenger Lightning Bug.
On dry land, guests can enjoy golf, tennis or croquet at the nearby Lake Toxaway Country Club.
Some of the more unusual recreational activities in the area include exploring the 250 waterfalls (including 400-foot Whitewater Falls, the highest falls east of the Rockies), falconry, and an opportunity to tour a honey-making operation (and wear a bee suit). The nearby Southern Highlands Reserve, a private native plant arboretum and research center, offers guided tours and private group tours through 120 acres of the natural ecosystems of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Photo by, The Greystone Inn
Meanwhile, fans of the great indoors can luxuriate in The Greystone Inn’s spa with a massage, body treatment, or guided meditation. The more energetic guests may investigate yoga or a customized dance lesson. Doing nothing is also a good option.
For more information check the website at www.greystoneinn.com or telephone 1-828-966-4700.
Photos by Brent Cline and The Greystone Inn
