Switzerland Inn — Hotel in Spruce Pine

Note: My friends were double charged for their room and we’re still waiting to see if it’s going to be an easy fix. (As it should be for them) I’ll update that as she tells us but CHECK YOUR INVOICES.

My review of little Switzerland Inn, keep in mind this is after the renovations as I stayed just a few days after they opened.

I want to start off by saying the view is incredible, it’s absolutely gorgeous / breathtaking out there and my husband and I are both glad we went to experience it.

When I booked with Little Switzerland Inn, the allure was the small town, cute, friendly vibes. I wanted small town charm and kindness. Did I get that? 50/50. A lot of the staff was very kind, including at the amenities like the restaurant and the spa. Two younger woman at the front were exceptional with hospitality. One older woman at the front desk with shorter, white hair was downright hostile towards me and I wasn’t the only one to notice. Someone asked me why she was looking at us like that and I had no idea, I’d walked passed her and smiled many times throughout the day and she just glared.

We ate at the restaurant twice and the food was very average but priced above average. My husband and I spent over $150 on a dinner that was not very good- we didn’t eat much of the entree though the appetizer was great. (We skipped lunch that day due to running out of time and still neither of us ate half of the entree) The waitress we had, a dark hair green eyes, and her trainee, they were excellent! So kind. I have a severe food allergy and one day my allergy was accommodated and once it wasn’t. I was told they throw stuff away and can’t source the ingredients. Not ever great for someone whose heart literally stops if I come in contact with my allergen. At a place priced like it is, I expected more.

The Spa was great and the women who did them were great. I don’t really like massages but my husband does and he almost tried to do again before we left.

I’m not complaining about this because it’s the mountains but we have a few run ins with bugs in our room so be careful. The internet was very spotty so don’t come here expecting to be able to work easily or anything.

HUGE shoutout to the girl working at the candy store because she worked really hard to accommodate my allergy and she was kind about it. The gift shops, mostly the people were really nice like the woman at the boutique and the man with the dog but a younger guy just started at me when I said hello when we went in his shop and the hours were inconsistent there as well. We wanted to grab something before we left but there was a “be back at 10” sign and by 10:50 no one came.

You’re paying for the view, which is phenomenal. The hiking in the area is great, as far as restaurants and stuff eh. Everything closes early. Go for an escape from technology and people for sure that’s why we went. I don’t know if I’d go back, it’s definitely missing that small town charm you’d expect at a...

I imagine most folks book and stay at the Switzerland Inn for the views. Unfortunately for us the Canadian wildfire smoke made this moot with reduced visibility. Therefore the resort had to stand on its own offerings and fell spectacularly short.

Upon check-in three very disorganized ladies tried to get us into two separate rooms. Another gentleman was checking in at the same time - this is important later. Our first room only one of the two keycards worked. Our second room for my wife and I, none of the keycards worked.

Going back to the desk they redid the keycards for our room and we walked back. Much to our horror upon walking in the room was occupied! Never in 20-plus years of traveling have I been assigned an occupied room. It was the same gentleman from before having just unpacked and talking on the phone on his balcony.

Back to the desk for a third time now there was tons of confusion and only minimal apologies. At this point you’d think something would be comped, but I guess not. New room, new keycards, nobody offering to walk us up to make sure the third time's a charm.

The king room with mountain view is in a nutshell: disappointing. A king bed with an uncomfortable, hard mattress dominating the room. A bathroom too small for two people to operate in. A standard shower tub with brown stains where the water hits. A tiny balcony and strange latching door. It sits right above the bar and restaurant, so it isn’t really a peaceful place to enjoy some sun.

Continuing the poor service theme is the dining. We had dinner reservations for 7pm and asked if we could get drinks prior in the bar area. There’s a separate “pub” here and it really highlights the strange mix of folks. From inebriated Harley riders in jeans, to a wedding party in suits, to the elderly dressed on vacation, it never quite finds an identity.

The server here told us we had to check-in at the gentleman at the desk, which is where we just came from. Another server briskly told us to ask the bartender. No coordination. The bartender, tall with a big beard, was singularly the only good service we had at the resort and cleared a table to seat us. Fast, efficient, and poured strong drinks.

Dinner and the food are lackluster. Really it’s what I’d imagine food tastes like if you didn’t know better, which may be true for this part of Appalachia. Tuna with a wasabi sauce so spicy (horseradish) that you almost couldn’t eat it. The world’s saddest breakfast omelet that had to be made with carton eggs. Etc. Service, similar. Items we ordered were forgotten, but still tried to be charged for on the bill, and almost rude responses to questions like if they had milk alternatives for a vegan in our party.

Finally I will give a recommendation to the ladies in the spa, the massages we received were all very good. Try the hot bamboo and stones as a highlight.

TLDR: Highlight spa service, Lowlight...

Totally beautiful charming place with absolutely amazing service. The location itself with mountain views is breathtaking. It’s a quiet quaint place that allows you to disconnect for total relaxation. The whole place is super clean. I’m usually afraid to touch anything in hotels but the inn takes pride in high level cleanliness. It even smells good all over the place. There are outdoor games onsite and plenty of space to play with your own football or frisbee and plenty of seating around the property to enjoy the view. The Pub has the best food. I highly recommend it. It would be nice if breakfast was included though, even if only continental because otherwise it’s very expensive. Was charged $20 for tea/coffee and toast which is all I eat for breakfast. Not cool. They also don’t serve lunch which was shocking and dinner doesn’t start until 5:30. Was sent to the provisions shop for premade/packaged food items until dinner time. Not great but helped with controlling consumption 😌

All the staff members are super friendly. I was totally amazed by the hospitality, friendliness, and professionalism displayed by everyone. I’m from NJ and we rarely see nice happy people like that in any service industry. The staff made the experience even better. Of the ones I encountered, Julie at the front desk, Patty at the provisions shop, and Malorie, Gwen, Justin, Richard, Shelia, and Stephanie, especially Stephanie, from the restaurant/bar, were all so lovely. They make the place extra special and make southern hospitality a real thing. Looking forward to returning. Please don’t change anything. People visit from all over the world for a reason....