River House Inn & Restaurant — Hotel in Lansing

My wife and I stayed here on Sunday July 14 2019. I can not share what the average week day is like but Sunday afternoons are what one could only describe as perfect. We checked in to the Chicken Coop and discovered a whimsically decorated comfortable and clean room with more space than anticipated. Our first impression was just how quiet it was. Absolutely perfect after being surrounded by bagpipes for the previous two days at Grandfather mountain. No TV, no phone, and to be honest there may have been internet access but we never even attempted it. The view from our personal little balcony was secluded yet provided a perfect place to sit and enjoy the mountain views and reflect on the beauty of this wonderful piece of property. After cleaning up and changing for dinner, we joined a wonderfully eclectic group of folks that come for the live music, cocktails, and dinner on Sunday evenings. The service, attention to detail, and friendliness was beyond special and I can write for both my wife and I, poached trout and duck would not have been any choice we would have made on our own for dinner. It was absolutely fantastic. Not that we have any culinary expertise, but our review is that dinner was well beyond our expectations, was perfectly prepared, delicious, served timely and with care by a small staff of very attentive, friendly, and professional folks completely committed to making the experience perfect. If this were all there was to write and was a complete review it is enough to make the River House a place to return to again and again. What appears to make this such a special and unique place is the owner, her staff's commitment to fine service, and the wonderful group of friends and guests this quiet, beautifully maintained inn draws for a Sunday of music and fellowship. I would compare it to going to a cocktail party at ones closest friends house that you may not have seen in some time ... If that friend just happened to be a professional hostess, had a staff of like minded attendants, and all the friends you are about to meet were simply just wonderfully good people with amusing and interesting stories to share. My wife and I travel frequently and prefer to stay in inns such as this. In the years of our travels we have stayed at some very fine and wonderful establishments. Not one compares to what the River House offers in an incredibly unique experience. This is truly a special place and merits the comments made and, of course, being placed on at least the top five places in the world I have stayed that I would go out of...

I'm giving your establishment 3 stars for 2 reasons.

1. We had dinner in your restaurant. My husband's lamb chops were over cooked and dry as was my duck. There was a complete lack of seasoning on all items on both plates and the food was lukewarm. All of this confounded me as there were only 3 tables for that seating. But I understand that sometimes, such "fine dining" places are exaggerated in their reviews and would only deduct 1 star for that. I used to work in the food industry and at times, the kitchen just has an off night. We would still have returned to the inn for another stay despite this (but would not dine in the restaurant again except for the free and delicious breakfast) if it wasn't for our final following reason.

2. Our last day there, my husband and I were having breakfast and the lady who checked us in, and eventually out, was there as well. Upon leaving the dining room she was speaking to the party she had been eating/sitting with and remarked that she "hopes everyone checks out early". I mentioned this to her when we checked out at the designated time of 11am. She was defensive in saying she was sorry BUT that's not what she meant. Her excuse was that she meant she hopes everyone leaves by 2pm. This confused me because your check out policy specifically says check out is 11am. When I confronted her about this fact she says that people stay until 2pm and it disrupts the cleaning and turnover of the rooms. I'm sure this is the case at times but doubt this is a constant issue. Also, when you apologize and follow it with a "but" statement, it is no longer an apology. That is customer service 101. Either way, saying this within ear shot of guests is bad form and not professional. My husband and I felt like we were not welcome any longer and this experience/interaction put a very negative perception on the way you treat and think about your guests.

The grounds/location were lovely. The linens and towels, clean and crisp. The room was charming and clean. For these reasons, and the free and yummy breakfast which I aforementioned, we would give the River House Inn and...

We were planning to camp at Grayson Highlands 2-nights but because of the sudden freeze we decided one night was quite enough. Not being from around here, we googled places to stay close by. River House Inn came up, we called and talked to Sheila. She immediately made us feel like family. When we showed up they (Sheila) knew exactly who we were. She showed us the grounds and let us pick our room based on what was available. We had our dog with us, which Sheila was sure to let us know that he was welcome at the bar and in the dining room (huge green flag for us!). The staff was incredible. It felt like we were staying with extended family. The whole stay felt quite surreal. It was cozy, comfy, clean, safe, peaceful and beautiful. I told the manager (she was the owner. She’s incredible) I didn’t have a coffee pot in my cabin and asked if coffee was provided at breakfast. She said “well what do you drink and what time would you like it outside your cabin”. I woke up the next morning to a hot pot of coffee for me and hot water & tea bags for my boyfriend on a tray waiting outside our cabin like she promised. The attention to detail felt surreal. The natural way they all gravitated towards showering our puppy with love when he was in the bar and dining area was enough to make us never want to leave. We wanted a lowkey camping birthday/anniversary weekend and staying at the River House Inn was so far above and beyond everything we could’ve asked for. Thank you so deeply to the staff who welcomed us in and made it hard for us to leave. Can’t wait...