We have always stayed at Fontana Village when we come to Miatas at the Gap. We went on hiatus for a bit mainly because because people do not seem to understand that talking in the hallways and slamming doors at o'dark thirty means something. I asked my hubby if he wanted to start going again as I had found a room at Tapoco Lodge. Our big joke was it's the *Bougie place*! Well it is bougie where we are from, but it's also comfortable, calm, and very restful when coming back from hot rides with Miatas! From the beautiful Azalea Room to the fantastic eateries and bars in the hotel, you feel pampered and special! Our room was wonderful and there was not only in room coffee, but you could pop downstairs and get a to go cup of hazelnut coffee, tea or hot chocolate! We were cool after a long day, we could pop down for a drink or get some food and not have to leave. Best of all, we personally thought it was quiet. We actually got some decent sleep, which really never happened at Fontana. The mattress and sheets were very comfortable! My only regret would be we really didn't get to use and explore the property as we were at an event. I would recommend Tapoco Lodge to anyone looking for a special experience to enjoy their time, be it a honeymoon or going to the Dragon to ride! It's fantastic! read more

See all

This is such a cozy cool and comfortable place to get away from hustle and grind. We've been here twice, cabins are quaint and take you back to another era of getting back to nature and slowing down to enjoy your coffee on your covered porch and enjoy some birds and maybe a loud car and motorcycle too! read more

Tapoco Lodge Resort - Cool car! - Hotels Near Me - Robbinsville, North Carolina

See all

Anthony covers the lodge well in his review and I agree completely with his sentiments. I would like to add a shout out for breakfast in the dining room. Jasmine served us and Ethan prepared an excellent start to our day. Coffee is great and the breakfast is absolutely yummy. Since we visited in the off season things were very low key. But the food is worth the trip. read more

Tapoco Lodge Resort - The Dragon's Nest hash browns with eggs bacon and sausage mixed in with veggies. Had the two mornings in a row. - Hotels Near Me - Robbinsville, North Carolina

See all

Historic lodging at the edge of the Cheoah river. It was the executive lodge of the Alcoa company in its heydays, and now a charming and upscale resort for the well-heeled. The lodge rooms ae spacious, have a rustic vibe but with touch of luxury in the bath products used, and plush bath robes provided. On-site spa services are available. Families with children are restricted to the outside cabins only(albeit very well appointed ones). One drawback with rooms in the lodge is that it could be a little noisy as the bar/lounge is a popular gathering spot in the evening. The Tapoco Tavern provides great food featuring local ingredients. We had a fantasic smoked trout, and their pizzas are delicious. Guests can enjoy outdoor dining with river views on a long patio overlooking the river. There are also many Adirondack chairs set up along the river for guests to enjoy. The breakfast room inside the lodge is cozy with all wooden furniture and has a winery vibe. It serves as a game room outside of breakfast hours. We enjoyed the self-service coffee/tea station and there is also hot cider available all day. The resort is on 123 acres, so there are many recreational trails surrounding the property. read more

Tapoco Lodge Resort - Hotels Near Me - Robbinsville, North Carolina

We had a casual family dinner there after a small wedding and it was perfect. Food and service were great. The help Prior to the event getting it reserved and set for us was easy and cost effective. read more

This lodge has a private trail running beside the whitewater river that runs in front of the lodge. It's my favorite place to hike in Western NC. The lodge itself is beautiful. read more

Beautiful location at the Tail of the Dragon. Nice cabins and a beautiful lodge. Good food, too. They have an old-time gas station that serves as a cigar lounge. If you love the Smokies, you'll love Tapoco Lodge. read more

Tapoco Lodge Resort - Tapoco Lodge cigar lounge - Hotels Near Me - Robbinsville, North Carolina

See all

This place was amazing!! Such a cute spot on the river!! I would come back anytime I'm in the area again!! What delicious dry rub wings as well!! read more

See all

We only ate at the restaurant. They were super accommodating for a group of 12 people and our server was super attentive. Food came out in a timely manner and their side salads were really good! The tater tot casserole was kinda gross and my chicken on my sandwich was a little too juicy/slimey. The flavor of the chicken sandwich was good though. It's a beautiful place! read more

What a great meal, Maddie was our waitress and she did an awesome amazing job. The food is great, wonderful. The atmosphere is amazing sitting out by the river nothing more relaxing. I recommend this as a stop is traveling the dragons tail. read more

See all

Great hotel option right off the tail of dragon Pros: Suites are spacious. The grounds are large too which means there's a lot of nice relaxing areas to hang out outdoors Fire pit area with multiple fires. They supply wood, gel and matches to help start it. Also ample firewood available Several nice cars in the parking lot Lots of parking and free car wash facilities Rate was reasonable Right off the dragon Cons: Suite setup is a little strange as the bedroom with double beds is right at entrance, which leads to the main room with large bed and living area. Which means that you basically need to go through the main room to get to the bathroom read more

It was a great time and the white oak suite. We stayed in the White Oak cabin one they had lots of room, beautiful scenery, all around and super cozy inside. read more

Tapoco Lodge Resort - The Tavern - Hotels Near Me - Robbinsville, North Carolina

This review is for the restaurant only. My wife and I stopped in on a scenic drive through the area. It was busy, but we were still able to get a table for two outside right on the raging Cheaoha River. It was an absolutely beautiful spot to enjoy lunch. Our server, Memory (Yes, that's her name!), was lovely. She was polite, friendly, welcoming and attentive. I tried getting a NC Pilsner, but they were out, so I settled on a NC Lager instead. It was very good. We shared a Tavern Burger (with cheddar cheese) and fries. The burger was perfectly cooked to medium, as requested. It's a daily large burger, so there was no problem sharing. I lked the big thick cut seasoned fries too. Overall, a great place to eat. We would definitely return (if I ever make the mistake of driving my Ford Ranger on the 'Tail of the Dragon' on a Saturday again!) read more

Tapoco Lodge Resort - A spectacular view of whitewater kayakers passing by. - Hotels Near Me - Robbinsville, North Carolina

See all

This historic lodge has the absolute best view and atmosphere of anyplace in the county.

We had lovely stay and sooo glad we finally stayed here. It was a great spot to celebrate my husband's birthday. It was hard to find rooms available during the weekend, but the Laurel Suite (has a jet tub) was available on my husband's birthday (was on a weekday this year) so we booked it ASAP. We booked it two months ahead to guarantee a reservation for the occasion. The only bad thing was that it was raining and we didn't get to enjoy the bonfires at night. We will have to visit again to experience that. Tapoco Lodge is perfect for everyone! There are activities for everyone...trails, tennis courts, rocking chairs for lounging, and lots of others. Come here and enjoy the view! read more

See all

Beautiful place, absolutely delicious food, amazing service, cute little shop upstairs-would give 10 stars if I could

OUTSTANDING! This is a classic place that survived from a different era. It's like going back 100 years... The Suites in the lodge are not huge, but they are nicely done. For example our bed in the Laurel Suite was excellent. An old bed made of natural branches, with some fine sheets and pillows... Something that you don't see unless you are staying in some of the better inns. Great attention to detail here. The cabin that our friends stayed in was huge and appeared to have been recently remodeled. I definitely would recommend the cabins over the lodge, but that's a personal preference. Breakfast is available daily in the Cheoah Room, where a buffet is served every morning. Excellent food, nothing super fancy, but the basics are covered. Great eggs, bacon that is to die for, a huge bowl of blackberries... great coffee... Biscuits... No complaints. Lunch and dinner are served at the Tapoco Tavern with seating available outside next to the Cheoah river. If the weather is at all cooperative, you definitely should dine outside. The river is amazing. The food was great. All four of us tried the trout and were pleased with the meal. Two of us had the trout, two drinks, and then a bottle of wine for about $100 before tip. The menu allows for a variety of meals from pizza (which we hear is great) to a nice looking steak, Salmon, or Trout... that are further up the dining food chain. Not quite "fine dining" but close and given the price, a really good deal. I always gauge a place by the "Would I go back?" test.... this one passes. We drove a couple of Porsches up to experience the drive on highway 28 and the Tail of the Dragon and both were great drives. The overnight stay was an unexpected bonus. Over breakfast we were already discussing another drive as a n excuse to come back. read more

Wow What a great week at Tapoco as they hosted our 5th Annual Lexus Performance Rally. #FtheDragon Event. Shout our to Dave at rhe front desk and Jasmine at Breakfast time for steller service and hospitality. Even as the whole area lost power in a storm late Saturday eve, management and staff stayed late to keep us comfortable. See ya next year!!! Rick Jones and the Lexus F Community read more

Tapoco Lodge Resort - Hotels Near Me - Robbinsville, North Carolina

The ambiance and views were spectacular and that alone deserves the 4 stars. You should definitely go during the evening to enjoy the nightlights, the sounds of the flowing creek below and the fire pits throughout. I ordered the Campfire Carolina Mountain Trout which would have been delicious but a little too salty for my taste. We also ordered the trout nuggets and they were pretty good. Overall, great experience and I'll definitely recommend and return when visiting. read more

See all

The overview: GREAT views, fantastic food, friendly staff, and an incredible experience. The rest of the story: My wife and I had the opportunity to go to Tapoco for a couple of days this week. We've been before and were looking forward for a return trip. I love the grounds, I don't know how they keep everything so well maintained but they do a tremendous job! We arrived shortly before dinner and ate on the back patio near the water. After dinner we noticed someone had started a fire in the pit on the back lawn near the creek, and we went and enjoyed the swinging bench and the company of some other couples. The cool night made the fire very inviting and we enjoyed it for several hours. We stayed in the Laural room, though I hesitate to tell you because I don't want it booked up the next time we go back. It's on the top floor and has been our favorite so far. It has a huge bathroom with a jacuzzi tub and shower, while keeping the historic feel and atmosphere. The bed and pillows are COMFORTABLE! And this is from someone who doesn't typically enjoy staying away from home. The room has chairs and we enjoyed a quiet evening. The next morning we had the breakfast buffet... WOW. It was simple but SO GOOD! Ask for a waffle... just trust me. They aren't thick, cakey waffles. They're light and... ummmm, crepe-like? They're really good. After breakfast, we enjoyed the sunrise on the back patio. The chairs and tables had been dried off and the patio was clean. Mid-morning we moved to some chairs on the lawn nearer the creek and enjoyed the shade and breeze and sound of the water. I could keep going about the facilities, the great trails we enjoyed, or the food that I gorge myself on each time I come. But what really sets Tapoco apart is the staff. They are busy at times as other readers have said, that's true enough. But they are FANTASTIC! Each person we encountered was friendly and did everything possible to ensure we had a great stay. We love Tapoco and are already looking at our calendars to book a return trip. I highly recommend you book a short getaway to check it out. Once you do I'm sure you'll be booking a longer stay soon! read more

Josh checked us in! Such a wonderful man! Tori took care of our need at dinner. What a great employee. Dylan was wonderful, he attended by picking up dishes to keep our table cleared. Jessica- such a wonderful bartender! We created a new Tapoco Vice! Dalton spoke to us each day! I could name so many others! My point is- they become part of your family! I adore this place! read more

Tapoco Lodge Resort - Front on the Lodge from the road. - Hotels Near Me - Robbinsville, North Carolina

See all

Absolutely astounding resort. We were there to ride the tail of the dragon, US129. Tapoco caters to the bikes and provides a covered shelter for a large number of bikes. The service was excellent, rooms very clean and the grounds are perfect! The outdoor bar and patio were a great place to sit and relax with a drink amongst friends. The lodge sits right on the river full of large rocks. Fire pits and secluded seating areas are all over the 120 acre resort. I can not say enough good about this place. The management has food, drink, cleanliness and ambience dialed in to perfection. We totally appreciate the amazing way we were treated on our retirement/anniversary ride. Ride free or die! read more

The rating of 5 stars is not enough for Tapoco Lodge and Restaurant!! I would give it 10 stars. We spent the night last night for our anniversary and it was perfect. We had the filet mignon's for dinner and could cut it with a butter knife. The staff were top notch and very professional and friendly. The room was very clean and decorated with little touches. We will be back again. I want to thank Tapoco for making our anniversary awesome!!! I recommend everyone to come eat, stay at Tapoco. read more

Tapoco Lodge Resort - Hotels Near Me - Robbinsville, North Carolina

See all

I recently stayed at the Tapoco Lodge for a ladies' retreat and had a great experience. I was in a cabin with a king bed and separate living room with a twin bed. It was perfect Updated, clean and true to the locale/environment, The employees and wait staff were ALL incredibly kind, helpful and industrious in tending to needs of their guests. They truly want to ensure you have a wonderful experience while you are there. Great pizza in the tavern restaurant on the ground floor. Good hiking, eating, relaxing read more

Always such a beautiful spot. We went to the upstairs dining for the first time and were very impressed. Both Diego and Dalton were excellent servers and the food prepared by Jeff was delicious! The whole atmosphere is very inviting and warm. read more

This is a great gem! This lodge has retained its historic charm while being updated to the current century. The scenery and hiking trails are outstanding! Be aware everything shuts down at 8PM, and doesn't reopen until 7AM. There are also no TVs, which wasn't an issue for us. Overall we loved our time at the lodge. read more

See all

One of my favorite places to have lunch while out on the motorcycle. Great service, the trout is amazing, staff is always helpful and courteous. Beautiful view while eating !!! read more

Wow. What a fantastic place! A dream to visit over Christmas time with all their decor and a fire pit. Has the best pizza and GREAT view. Would rate 4 stars but it was a bit difficult to get service.. read more

See all

I have done two retreats at the lodge. The facilities, food, and atmosphere is unparallelled. Just a phenomenal experience. Their hospitality team and employees go above and beyond! read more

Tapoco tavern is a real gem! Great location, excellent service and awesome food. Try it out you wouldn't regret it.

Nice lodge. Great lounge area inside and wonderful deck out back over looking the brook. Great seating for meals and happy hour. Large Carport for motorcycles and it has three bike washdown bays! Food is good and reasonably priced. Drinks are very pricy. Not sure why the cabin I reserved wasn't available and was assigned to another room at the same price. The other room is called the evergreen. I didn't look inside but the front door was right next to the public bathrooms. Went back to the front desk and my roommate talked to the attendant who put us in the room I originally booked. Cabins are spacious but Chillowee two the front door goes into a bedroom. WIFI is additional cost. No cell service at the resort. Trailers are allowed but you will have to disconnect from the truck to park near your cabin or in the main parking lot. Other choice is to leave connected and park truck and trailer at the top of the hill and walk back down to the lodge. read more

See all

Simply put, I couldn't have asked for a better lodging experience on my short vacation! Being from Hawai'i, the scenery here is just unlike anything we have here. The location is set just along the river, and if you get the Overlook cabins like we did, you'll be the only people (outside of those staying in the main hall) that can see it! Just to also point out, the Overlook cabins are also pet friendly so, for those that live near by and want to bring your 'kids' along, this is your place. Where do I begin... once again, the scenery was just beautiful. The cabins were clean, everything was modern yet country, and best of all? They have a restaurant that serves AWESOME food. It's never a guarantee that your lodge/hotel/resort will have a quality restaurant but fret not - you can have your choices of salads, pizzas, burgers, pastas - what have you! My suggestion? You gotta try their burger. You're welcome. My friend and I came all the way from the opposite end of the country to ride on the Tail of the Dragon and needed a place to stay so that we could enjoy it without having to make a couple-hour-long trek to ride it each day. Being about 5 minutes past Deals Gap (the end of the Tail), it's about as convenient as it can get. The staff was INCREDIBLY hospitable and I couldn't be happier with their service. What else is there to say? Secluded enough that you feel like you're camping, but with enough modern amenities (cable and wi-fi!) to not keep you out of the loop. Just... trust me. Totally worth the price! read more

After a long ride to and through the Tail of the Dragon, we were ready to enjoy a relaxing night at the lodge. We drove from Birmingham straight to Tapoco (with a few pit stops) and were pretty tired, dirty and hungry when we arrived. We booked the room last minute through Booking.com after doing a bit of research on the Deal's Gap website. It seemed like Tapoco was the closest hotel to the Tail on Highway 129. We didn't want to stay in a predominantly motorcycle rider hotel and wanted something a little nicer. This was a little more than we wanted to spend for a night but it was definitely pretty fancy and worth the cost. The lodge was built in the 30's so you get that vintage vibe. The whole place is very well taken care of and is also very romantic. The lady who checked us in was very friendly and gave us a lot of information. We came back down after showering to eat at the tavern in the main building since we were done riding for the day and didn't want to go anywhere else. After eating we walked through the gift shop which has a lot of farmhouse decor. After looking around a bit we went back up to our room, Mountain View 3 to lay in bed and relax. They have DirectTV but you can't login to watch Netflix or anything so we just snuggled and went to bed. The rooms are very cozy and spacious as is the bathroom. There are plenty of fresh towels, clean linens and toiletries. They give you little samples of Bath and Body Work's Stress Relief which is the perfect aromatherapy to unwind. When we checked out in the morning we were going to eat breakfast at the buffet but since the occupancy was low they only had the ala cart menu. We decided to eat a protein bar we had in the bag and went on our way. If you're deciding on where to stay, definitely give this place a try. read more

See all

Can't say enough about this somewhat of a hidden gem. A little out of the way but we'll worth the scenic drive. Food is amazing! I've had burgers, steaks and street tacos. All fantastic! Atmosphere is beautiful! Creekside dining in the mountains at a historic lodge - enough said! But what really sets this place apart is the service!!! You just don't get that level of customer service anymore! All the employees seem to really want to make your dining experience perfect! read more

Tapoco lodge is my favorite place to stay when I come out for my annual Lexus F car rally. The views are amazing and they are located right of 129. David and Jasmine were wonderful and always accommodating. I would highly recommend Tapoco Lodge and plan on staying again in the future. read more

Tapoco Lodge Resort - Hotels Near Me - Robbinsville, North Carolina

As far as settings, this place takes the cake. Picturesque, beautiful, charming, striking...all perfect adjectives. Set riverside across from the mountain, it's hard to go wrong. The seating setup is nice until you have the odd numbered person. Then you can't sit riverside because you impede the flow...ok... So we agreed the five of us would sit on the main level, under the porch. Not as quaint but, alas. The server was cute and friendly, but it took her a little while to get to us. Granted, the place was busy as it was a weekend. After delivering our drinks, she took our orders and was off. And so began our wait...and my wander. I can tell you there's indoor and outdoor seating; obviously on a beautiful spring or fall day outdoors is de rigeuer; the inside is not bad, though. Once you come down the stairs, the first thing you come to is a bar; quite popular considering it includes a firepit. First come, first served, it was impossible to find more than a couple seats at any given time. There is good parking, including a covered area for motorcycles, which is wonderful on a patchy rain day. The bathroom is small and, on a busy day, will have you waiting with crossed legs. There are cabins available for rent, and a nice checkin/seating area upstairs of the restaurant. Open only to guests, I could'nt really delve too deep here. So the food took a long time (I mentioned weekend, right?) but was tasty once it arrived. Sadly, we were all tired after riding all day and really just scarfed it down, wanting to get back on the road before sunset. I'd like to come back next time we're in the area. The ambiance was wonderful read more

Fantastic setting overlooking a beautiful river. Excellent menu options in the Tavern restaurant. Our server was very friendly.

Ohhhh my goodness!!! The pizza was fantastic!! The view was incredible!!! The staff was so friendly!!! A must visit!! Be sure to spend the night in the beautiful cabins!!! They are so clean and upscale!! The beds are so comfortable and the sheets feel amazing!!!We are definitely coming back!!!! read more

Tapoco Lodge Resort - Hotels Near Me - Robbinsville, North Carolina

In June we rented a cabin and 4 of us had a wonderful time. When leaving my husband said let's come back next month for our anniversary!! The minute we walked into the cabin disappointment hit. A hair ball the size of two golf balls had to be plucked from the tub drain. The shower was only warm not hot like our last stay that 4 people were able to take showers continuously. We notified the front desk but it went unfixed for our 4 day stay. Then the worse disappointment was the restaurant staff. Our waitress was more into taking selfies at the hostess station then filling our empty glasses. The bar manager was obnoxiously rude and by no means should be dealing with the public. Unfortunately we won't be returning a third time. We are frequent travelers and understand their is a staffing issue throughout our country but these situations could have been handled correctly with proper management overseeing employees. After reading managements response I feel the need to clarify a couple points. First the glasses that needed filled where our water glasses which the very polite young man seating people finally did so we tipped him $20. Second 3 margaritas in 3 hours is not excessive and by no means were we "cut off". My husband had asked for the bill and explained that the full margarita remaining on the table was not made correctly. He did not ask for a refund or even ask to speak to the bartender. The waitress took it upon herself to summon the bartender who was very obviously annoyed. She was so exceptionally rude when she came to our table that the elderly couple the next table over commented to us how poorly it was handled. After the situation did my husband use one word he shouldn't have because he was beyond furious at how the situation was handled yes and I apologized on his behalf and we left. We did stop at the front desk on our way out and addressed the person at the front counter. Like I said above in a months time we saw such a difference in how the lodge was being run and at no time did management reach out to us about any issues. read more

Most amazing place, where adventure meets sanctuary, people that are beyond delight, views that feel like paradise - heaven in my mind, and food that nourished my body & food for the soul! Everyone needs to go to this place! Family, friend trip, work trip - anything! Amazing!!!! read more