Riverfront Recovery Center — Hotel in Hayesville

My daughter fell in LOVE with this place, and we have friends in the area who have had weddings here and had a good experience, so we were eager to come see it! It took 4 days to get an email back with a price list, but once we heard back after several e mails and calls, the correspondence seemed to pick up. We had a tour scheduled for 9:00 a.m., and my daughter traveled from Florida to come. We arrived for our tour and nobody was at the office. We called the phone number, which suggested we email for assistance. I e mailed, and did not hear back. We ended up giving ourselves a tour, and on the way out noticed a woman cleaning a cabin. We stopped by and she was very friendly and I asked her if she could possibly reach out to Cassie who was supposed to be meeting us there to see if she was around. Cassie told her our appointment was at 11, so I showed the woman the email. After that, she said that she could come up there in a little while, but by this time we had already seen the facility, and my daughter needed to get back on the road to Florida (this was an hour and 20 minutes after our scheduled time). It has been a day and a half and we have still not heard from anybody. Not a single email or phone call or apology - anything. I tried to call today and there was no answer. I emailed asking for the owners contact information because I feel like the people in charge right now are going to run this beautiful business to the ground, but received no response. In their defense, from what I understand the woman who usually handles all this is out on maternity leave, and they are new people in charge. Being a small business owner, I understand that mistakes happen, and I have definitely made my share, but I do anything that I can to make it right. A wedding is one of the most exciting times in young woman's life and a bride should be made to feel special and important and my daughter felt neither of these things. Obviously, we are going to choose a different venue, but we are both still feeling pretty disheartened about...

We booked the Retreat for our wedding and we couldn't be happier with our decision. This was the PERFECT wedding venue; I don't know how it isn't booked every single weekend. For what most places charge you for 6 hours, you get this place for 72 hours (check in Fri, check out Sunday). Doesn't include the cost of the cabins, but once your guests book those you get a big discount on your venue. GORGEOUS location in the northern GA mountains. Has both outdoor and indoor ceremony and reception options so you have an immediate rain contingency plan. I LOVE the cabins onsite- all our wedding party and family stayed on site in cabins that are so lovely, with full kitchens, and of varying sizes. We didn't want a venue with a ton of rules (such as you must use preferred vendors, or pay fees if non-preferred, or must have a bartender or security, etc.) their rules were basically "don't burn it down". Jokes aside, they were SO flexible and accommodating. Megan who runs it was so helpful and available and just amazing.

We really wanted venue that was outdoors with lots of trees and peaceful, had flexibility and had no hidden fees. This more than delivered, it was my elven forest wedding dream venue, it even has a little creek running through it that is so serene, you’re surrounded by the mountains (on the other side of the creek is an adorable field with some cute cows).

All our guests were likewise gushing about both the venue and the cabins. I could not possibly recommend this venue anymore, what an absolute dream, we had a...

Extremely Disappointed – Poor Communication & Last-Minute Cancellations

We had high hopes for Retreat at Hiawassee River, but unfortunately, they’ve let down dozens of couples and families by abruptly cancelling all upcoming bookings — including cabin rentals and entire weddings — with almost no notice or communication. Some guests were scheduled just two weeks out, only to be told their event is no longer happening.

This kind of behavior is not only unprofessional — it’s devastating. Planning a wedding takes months of emotional and financial investment, and many couples now have to scramble to find new venues, accommodations, and vendors on extremely short notice.

If the venue is being sold, fine — but there are far better, more responsible ways to handle this transition:

Honor existing bookings through the remainder of the wedding season.

Provide clear, proactive communication to affected guests.

Offer to help couples find alternative locations nearby.

At the very least, give reasonable notice — not just days or weeks before a major life event.

This venue once had great potential, but the way they’re handling this closure shows a serious lack of care for their clients. If you’re considering booking here in the future (should they reopen), be cautious — because this situation has shown how little commitment they have to honoring agreements.

Do better, Retreat at Hiawassee River. People’s weddings aren’t just “reservations” — they’re...