Rugged on the outside, luxe on the inside
The Swag is a magical mountaintop Relais & Chateau resort at the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where you’ll meet the most interesting people and bask in the natural wonders of the grounds, exquisite service and luxurious accommodations.
Once upon a time
Finishing a delicious afternoon nap after my long wildflower hike with Expert-in-residence, Esther Blakely, I heard a banjo player tuning his instrument on the porch below. Stretching, I headed down to dinner in the lodge. The meal was a fairytale, the chef sharing his love for locally caught fish and just-foraged food with us. Walking down the broad lawn at The Swag, I watched the stars light up the Catalochee Valley below and helped myself to a mug of chamomile tea before turning in. I lit the fire in my room’s big stone fireplace (housekeeping had set it for me) and trusted it would blaze while I was in my steam shower. It did. Beautifully. I cracked the window, threw a few more logs on and fell asleep to the crackle and warmth of my own fire. I dreamed of doing it all again. And again.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
19 wood-burning fireplaces
12 outdoor showers and tubs
6 private saunas
17 luxury rooms and suites including expansive private cabins
5,000 feet above sea level
25 feet to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
250-acre mountaintop grounds
Join (or not!) the Experts in residence
April through November
Walks-Painting-Printmaking
Songs from the Hearth
Black Bears and Unhuggables
Flora and Fauna of the Smokies
Wildflowers and Wit
Hiking and Outdoor Photography
Cooking School with Executive Chef Jake Schmidt
Birding and Traditional Folk Music
Foraging Strolls
Waynesville, NC
828.926.0430
