Fontana Village Resort & Marina — Hotel in Fontana Dam

We got to Fontana Village at 2:00pm, went to the lodge first only to find out you now check in at the general store. We get to the general store and are told we cannot get into our room until 4pm unless we wanted to pay a $75 early check in fee! Seriously $75 for less than 2 hours early when the resort literally looks like a ghost town. Not to mention we have a toddler that needs pack and play set up, dressed etc. before our Valentine dinner reservations at 5:30pm. So we sit in the lobby until 3:45pm go back to the general store finally check in head back to the lodge, get to our room only to find the door is open. Our first thought was “really, we could’ve been in here the whole time had we of known what our room number was going to be” then we realized it’s not shut because it physically will not shut! Had we of been able to check in a little bit early this problem could’ve been identified earlier! So we call the front desk, they send maintenance. He works on the door a little, meanwhile we don’t know if we should unpack or not because not sure if this issue is going to be fixed. Then he mentions we may have to move to a room with two queen beds. We specifically booked a king bed room because we need more floor space for pack and play and little guy to roam, we have no use for 2 queen beds. Anyway my husband tells him if we have to move it’s going to have to be after our dinner. He says that’s fine he needs to go get more tools and will continue working. We go to our dinner reservations right at 5:30. The dining space does not look any different for Valentines themed dinner. We ended up waiting 1.5 hours for our entrees. They didn’t even bring our toddlers kids meal first so at least he could be eating. I had to ask if his was ready when the waitress apologized for how long it was taking. It’s now 7pm finally get our food. Steak was not the best quality/flavor and my husband and I have came to the Valentine’s dinner for several years in a row we know how it usually is-delicious or we wouldn’t keep coming back. Also, they mixed up how we wanted them cooked-luckily my husband and I were able to switch, no one ever knew because no one came back and asked us how our food was or anything. Lobster tail was extremely overcooked. Not to mention, in years past they did a surprise appetizer like bacon wrapped dates that weren’t on the menu and sorbet in between courses so we noticed that was different for Valentine’s Day. Not a huge deal but of course the price goes up you get less but I guess that’s anywhere these days. Our server finally comes back to refill water and we ask to take our desserts to go as our child is literally laying his head on the table now he is so tired because it took so long. We go back to our room at least the door had been fixed so it was a relief we didn’t have to move rooms at this point. We were undecided if we wanted to eat onsite again the second night because they were not having the all you can eat crab legs like they have for the last several years on Valentine’s Day weekend but they did advertise they were having an all you can eat pasta series. Go to our reservations at 5:30 again only to be informed they are not having the all you can eat pasta tonight! Seriously!? Also, we were given an actual kids menu that night and realized our child’s entree the night before should’ve came with a drink and a side that we were not offered so we paid $10 for some butter pasta. Service was severely lacking this time, nothing like past trips here. Yes rooms have been renovated nice but cheaply redone our bathroom door came off hinge and I was briefly stuck inside at one point. Also, floor was dirty when we got there, maintenance man had mentioned there was a hole in the wall that was recently repaired and the guy didn’t clean up his mess- at least this man did before he left. Also, entire lodge is now dog friendly so you hear dogs barking all night. I am sad to say we won’t be back to Fontana Village, this was our last Valentine’s Day weekend trip here after...

Fontana village has been a part of my families' history for almost a 100 years! I personally have been visiting the village since I was 10 years old. Entering 5 decades now my family has been vacationing at Fontana.I hoped my grandsons, and their (pregnant) mom who where with me on this trip, would love this place as much as I did at their age. Alas, the current and far too long, management team managed to seal the villages' fate within my family. The stay started going south immediately, I was told on the phone an early check in would not be any problem, since multiple family members were to arrive at different times I had called ahead to be sure. The cabin was NEVER made available and we had to be moved into a different cabin...OK, fine. Not really but whatever. What follows in the next 3 days is progressively horrible. I really don't want to repeat the entire story. Suffice to say I ended up being injured by the shotty, Jack legged "maintenance manager" and the incompetence of him and his team! (Pics to follow). I am currently awaiting an appointment to see a doctor for my injuries which include a severely injured back, shoulder and hip.. can't even imagine what would have happen if it had been my pregnant daughter inlaw and not me...! AVOID this place at all costs until the 20 year plus management team is decapited and the infectious culture changed to mirror the real people of the Blue Ridge mtns. To the ownership I offer my services as a consultant on the property. Being a Cowee Valley product (local) and with my background in the service industry stretching from minimum wage lowest level worker to owner and proprietor with a B.A. in History and a B.S. in education with a minor in criminal justice, a life time of construction skills as well (grandfather was a master carpenter) I could give you an actual accounting of the property and entire staff within 72 hours given the proper conditions and cooperation. Your problems are fixable but only with the right visionary for completing the operation and tasks ahead. This resort "as is" will fail. You will lose money. But with the proper person in control Fontana could be an enormous cash cow operation. I was told the ownership was seeking to speak to me about my experiences with Meridith and her cronies but to date have not received any contact. It's really sad to see yet another western Carolina tradition being destroyed by greed, incompetence, and ego!!! As you can tell, I have taken this situation personally to the detriment of my personal health. To ownership, re assessments are in order from top down. I'm talking from cabin crawl spaces to the attic of the lodge and from the general laborers to and ESPECIALLY Meredith and the management team of the resort and marina. 20 plus years is enough suffering, put us all and Fontana out of our misery. To stop the poison you must remove the head of the snake and any necrotic limbs so as not to infect the rest of the body. Please, I would like my grandchildrens grandkids to visit, respect and cherish Fontana like I have. But my family will not spend another dime in the village to support this...

Update 2021: Fontana let my momma return her timeshare with no fuss no muss. Thanks guys from the bottom of my heart. We will still come every summer until I fall over and die but now we won't feel like we are getting the you know what for our loyalty. Thank you!

Original Review: Ultimately people are more important than numbers, and a place is more than the sum total of it's diversions. The math for facilities/amenities/availability/cost hasn't balanced in a while for timeshare owners. But it is still a wonderful place.

On Site: Family friendly pool area with "lazy" river, more "adult" lodge pool area, mini golf, disc golf course, Gameroom, softball, volleyball, nightly bonfires, grocery & ice cream store, a few bars. Think "Dirty Dancing"...

Nearby: Marina & Fontana Lake, Hiking/Biking trails galore

Car/Motorcycle Enthusiasts: If you coming for the scenery in the fall you won't be disappointed. If you are coming to try your hand on the curves the general increase in traffic over the years during peak times has basically taken that option off the table.

Motorcyclists, and I have personally totaled a superhawk, a duck, and a speed triple in these hills... Please note the following: If you have a flat spot on your rear tire, don't have to replace your pegs every few years, and aren't wearing appropriate clothing/armor do my first responder brothers and sisters a solid and stay home. Or don't... picking you out of the trees is fun for us but generally not so much for you.

My family has a long history with Fontana Village. My mother and father met and were married there. My mother and grandmother worked for the resort when square dancing was a big thing, bluegrass was not cool, and any mention of a Dragon would earn you a strange or befuddled look. There were no mountain bikes, kayaks, and people who hiked the trail were considered by locals to be a bit...crazy.

Peppertree came and went and Fontana remains a generally quite place. Which is why I love it! With all that said "Resort" is a reach if you are thinking about all inclusives etc. Again, think "Dirty Dancing". But the Village is a great place to take the family to unplug.

The permanent staff have always been great. Some years ago I had a final exam to take, a limited window to take it, and no internet connection. I asked a lodge staff member if there was any way they might be able to help. This was when Wi-Fi really wasn't that common or reliable. The staff didn't hesitate at all and plopped me down in one of their own offices, behind one of their computers, and I took my exam. I ended up with an "A" in that horrible accounting class. And that is one of the many reasons I will continue to come back...