Our 1st Leatherwood Mountains experience
Pros: roads/ grounds well maintained. Easy process for reservations/ check in/ check out. Clear warning about nearest convenience store/ grocery store. Clear driving directions. Various outdoor activities available on site such as pool, outdoor basketball court, tennis court, hiking trails, mountain bike trails, available tube rental for on property creek, available guided horseback riding. Restaurant/ gift shop. Clear instructions to bring bath products, extra towels for hot tub, etc.
Cons: restaurant, horseback riding limited to end of week/weekend. Website/app doesn't have a lot of detailed info such as hiking trails, activity info such as availability of basketballs/ tennis equip rental/ checkout, etc. Cabin cleaning wasn't exceptional.
Black Bear Lodge
Pros:
Beautiful house!
* dog friendly - If you don't have dogs, be prepared for scratched wooden floors, etc
* wifi - there is no cell service but the wifi was great
* outdoor area - there are rocking chairs upstairs and downstairs and covered swing downstairs as well as the screened porch upstairs... which was great because it rained pretty much the entire time we were there
* views - views were absolutely lovely, however are slightly obscured because of tree growth.
* living areas: layout was great for multiple guests. Pics online are correct - don't expect fancy updated furnishings or fixtures. 3 bedrooms: 3 king beds, one twin. 2 full bath, 1 half. Parking area was roomy for 2 cars.
* pool table was much enjoyed
Cons:
* Needs Dedicated outlets/ USB outlets in bedrooms for electronics
*higher price point: in my opinion some outdated items don't give the feel for the price - ie kitchen not updated - fridge looks dated, sink chipped
* linens: towels that look nearly as old as house. Quilts/ pillow shams need a thorough cleaning.
* lack of info: wish I knew of some of info beforehand - I found out last day that there were useful baby gates in laundry room.
* cleaning just ok - Dust on night tables, fridge ice/water dispenser, etc could use some better cleaning. Quilts/ pillow shams have some stains. Pillows could use a cleaning with bleach
* outdoor area - wish the lower deck had way to gate it to keep dog (or children) in
* views: need to cut down some of the recent tree growth bc view is slightly obscured read more