A world-class gorge, a very mediocre company…read more
We stayed mid-September during Gauley Fest, one of the biggest weekends of the year for this area. The New River Gorge is one of the great landscapes in America, and that's exactly why this stay was such a letdown.
The staff: The people we dealt with, including the front desk, were helpful and friendly, and clearly working hard to paper over some corporate cracks. The servers at Smokey's were terrific. My complaints are with the company, not the folks stuck representing it. Multiple staff, including river guides, told us the company has been cutting benefits like food discounts, raising rents on site, and hiring foreign workers to replace West Virginians. Bold strategy for a brand that sells itself entirely on West Virginia and its people.
The view: The resort's crown jewel is a sweeping view of the New River Gorge, and someone decided the fix for "too much natural beauty" was a swimming pool dropped right in the middle of it. Ancient rock and river, meet chlorine and pool chairs. Whoever greenlit it, management looked at millions of years of geology and thought, "needs a Marriott courtyard vibe."
The cabin: We opened the door to a visible layer of dust, like the last guests left mid-2025 and nobody noticed. Then we were asked to clean up the cabin and take out our own trash before leaving. At these rates, I didn't realize I was also signing up as unpaid housekeeping staff. That's a corporate staffing decision, not something the front desk chose.
Smokey's buffet: Photos attached, because words alone won't do it justice. Smokey's wasn't even open for dinner during Gauley Fest weekend, arguably the single busiest weekend of their year, so we had breakfast there instead. It was a parade of starchy, heavy, low-quality institutional food with almost nothing fresh or healthy in sight. The yogurt and "granola" were some of the saddest things I've ever put in my mouth, and I've eaten actual prison food that fared better.
Bottom line: Come for the gorge and the rafting, and tip the staff who are doing their best with what corporate gives them, but book your bed elsewhere. That buffet food, quality-wise, belongs at Mount Olive prison. The difference is the people there don't get a choice. Here, you get to choose it, and pay resort prices for the privilege.
