Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge — Hotel in Talking Rock

Visited for a 2-night stay in mid-September in room 320 as a short birthday trip. It was a King-bed room with Mountain View, but on the north side of the building where the views are not as nice as the south side. ||Upon checking in, there was a mix-up in the room assignment because of what they said was "overbooking" of the lodge. I politely but firmly informed them I made my reservation back in the spring and I wanted the room type I originally booked. They reluctantly changed my room with someone else also checking in that day, so I hope that party wasn't too disappointed. That's one good thing about checking in early in the day; if you do have a room issue, it can usually be resolved one way or another.||This resort is very nice, and you cannot beat the view from the patio common areas and the large windows in the lobby. The view is due west and the sunsets are simply stunning.||I was pleased with my room. The room was average size and had one king bed with a recliner-type chair and also a small table with two chairs. There were two night-stand tables with a drawer on each side of the bed. For a short stay, there was plenty of storage space in the closet unit, which also contained an iron and ironing board. There was a bench located under the shelf below the t. v. for more storage or for seating if needed. ||The mini-fridge was one of the larger type with a small freezer section and it kept my items very cold, so it worked well. I did not use the small K-Cup coffee maker. The television was wall-mounted and adequately large, but since I never turned it on, I don't know how well it worked nor what channels it got. There were a smidgen of musty smell in the room probably from the A/C unit needing a good cleaning and filter change (though it did keep the room very cool as I like it), and the bed was reasonably comfortable (I bring my own pillow, so cannot comment on the comfort of those). I will say the A/C unit is quite loud when the compressor kicks on, but having the fan on constant mode does provide some white noise (I always bring my own fan as well just to help provide more). The walls are somewhat thin, like most hotels have, so you do hear noise from adjacent rooms if you don't drown it out.||The bathroom was average size for a hotel room with the "barn-door" style entrance including two sliding doors. It had wonderful lighting (two separate types with two switches). There was even a light over the tub area which was very nice. The sink had a nice granite-type countertop and the fixtures were better than average, and underneath the vanity was adequate storage. There was even a lighted make-up mirror on the countertop. The shower had very good water pressure, and the toilet had one of those somewhat loud "jet flush" units ensuring no clogs. The only thing lacking was a towel rack for bath towels, but there were two hooks, one on either end of the tub. At least there was a short hand towel rack next to the sink. Also, I'm used to "grab bars" in the shower area, so the lack of them was a bit scary for me personally, but I managed to not fall.||The lobby area was simply wonderful and beautiful. My friend and I enjoyed sitting by the fire at different times (yes, even in warmer times they light the gas fireplace). There was also a small gift shop called The Bear Den (I love that name) where you can purchase small snack/food items, toiletries, and other supplies as well as many varieties of t-shirts and other souvenir items. The variety was quite extensive for such a small shop.||In the hallway not far from where the room was located, there was a very small vending area, an ice machine, and a microwave for public use, plus a "common area" located right near the elevator where folks could meet "on the floor" with a view out the large lobby windows as this area overlooked the lobby.||The outside lawn on the back side of the lodge was absolutely wonderful, and the view is stunning. There's plenty of chairs and tables, both out in the open and also under cover. There's two nice patio areas and a fire pit area as well. We enjoyed sitting out near the fire pit in the evenings enjoying the sunset. The fire pit has a timer located behind the seating area on a pole so you can control how long it stays on (up to an hour). ||We ate four meals (two dinners and two breakfasts) on-site at the Cascades Restaurant since there's really no where else in the area and we didn't want to drive a good distance elsewhere. The breakfast is a buffet, but very well stocked including bacon and both pork and chicken sausage. Typical breakfast items were also available, and we were pleased with the variety. The dinner meals apparently have varying items each night, as the menu selections on Friday had much more variety than Thursday. However, both meals were very good and the staff was very attentive (granted, they were not very busy either night). The only downside was the price of the meals, which is more than one would expect to pay for similar dishes at typical restaurants, but you are paying for the convenience of location and not having to drive elsewhere for miles. Dinner for two averaged about $52 and breakfast for two was about $37 with tax included.||While staying at the lodge, my friend and I hiked both days and enjoyed the trails around the falls area and also the visitor center area. The tall waterfall, which is the park's namesake, was at medium volume, but still beautiful. The visitor center was busy, but very nice (it looks pretty new) with a nature area, A. T. history section, and even a small cafe. It also had a wide variety of gift shop items, including supplies for camping and backpacking. Outside the visitor center, there are several covered pavilions and a playground area as well. On a busy day, plan to "circle" around for a parking space as they fill up early in the day.||I personally enjoyed this short stay at the Amicalola Falls State Park Lodge and hope to come back again...

Have visited here often, usually in the RV park which is nice. This trip we decided to rent one of the cabins. Upon our arrival we discovered that the cabin is pretty dark and not well lit with numerous light switches that seem to control nothing. The website states "Our recently renovated facilities come well-equipped with heating and air conditioning, decks, fireplaces and satellite TV, and are some of the finest cabins in Georgia." I can assure you that this is not near the truth as the furniture in our cabin was really old and worn and the only part renovated was the bathroom! The kitchen might have been "refreshed" but certainly not renovated. The room was not cleaned well prior to our arrival and had cob webs on lamp shades, windows, and most other areas. (pics). We spilled some water on the floor and my wife wiped it up with a paper towel and the result was disgusting. The floors were filthy. Upon returning home I received my charges via email and discovered a 12.00 dollar per day charge for "Lodge Fees". ||||According to their website ||||Our $12 Lodge Fee Includes:|||| Applies to Cabins and Lodge Rooms only|| WiFi Access in Lodge, Rooms and Cabins|| Two bottles of water in guest room|| In-room coffee and tea|| Local newspaper (available in lobby)|| Unlimited local and toll-free calls and long distance access|| $5 State Park Pass|| Business Center||||There was no water, coffee or tea in our cabin and in fact we had to go to the Lodge for coffee (up a different road than the cabin). there was a small coffee pot, but no filters or coffee. Don't know about the WiFi since we didn't use it, but can't believe there is a charge for it if you are a rental guest. Not sure about a daily newspaper, but if it is at the Lodge lobby, that is a drive to the top of the mountain from our cabin. After numerous calls to inquire about these charges, I was told that the GM would call me back, which never happened. I did receive a call from a young lady who talked in circles about the "amenities" I had access to for the 12.00 fee, such as the visitor center, trails, falls, and other park areas as well as access to the Lodge and restaurant. When I told her that day use visitors have access to all that for 5.00 per day she became flustered and said she was not explaining it well and would have someone call me back. (Never happened). While on the phone I told her about the cabin not being cleaned, she at first said she would give me an email to send them to, but never did. We did visit the new visitor center which is really nice although the folks in there seemed a bit depressed. ||||Now the good:||||Shelia and Fatima at the Lodge desk were great. In fact Shelia helped us to round up coffee since we had none in our cabin. This lady has the perfect customer service attitude and couldn't have been more helpful. The park and falls are beautiful and well kept and we always enjoy a visit. We will never stay, or recommend a cabin though. If you don't have an RV stay in Dawsonville or Dahlonega and drive over for a 5.00 fee, and enjoy all the amenities of a cabin or lodge rental, who pays 12.00 per day. Bought some souvenirs at both the Lodge and the Visitor's Center for gifts and enjoyed that also, so check out those shops.||||This park needs a thorough audit by someone. Could be a real gem...

Visited the Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia the week after the 4th of July weekend. Stayed at The Lodge at Amicalola Falls. The drive up there is very nice. Lots of trees and beautiful scenery. Made the reservation online and they hold a deposit that is 100% refundable as long as you cancel the reservation 7 days before. Friendly staff at the check in counter.  They have outdoor sitting with fire pits looking at the amazing view of the mountains full of vegetation. The Lodge has 4 floors. The first floor lobby is a lot nicer than the second floor and the rooms on the (ground) 1st floor have an outdoor patio that overlooks the mountains. Booked a double Queen size bed room with view of the mountains. Stayed on the second floor. Very disappointing with the room.  Rooms don't have a refrigerator or a microwave. Also, cleanliness from 1 to 10, ten being the most clean. I would give it a 4. Especially in the bathroom area. The faucet and the vanity counter top had toothpaste from the previous guests, the toilet was not cleaned properly, the bottom of the tub was also very dirty. In addition there was some maintanance needed, the caulking around the tub had mildew and the security latch on the door was broken. There were other issues like the bedroom window with the view of the mountains was not clean, the curtains had stains and there was a hair on the top of the bed on the white linen. Also they DON'T RECYCLE. I had a hard time throwing away the plastic water bottles in the regular trash. There is a restaurant at the Lodge and it closes at 8pm. They offer only a Buffet option for now. They mentioned that they will go back to a regular menu in the future. There were a couple of issues I observed at the Restaurant.  First, there is no hand sanitizer station at the entrance for everyone to use it before entering the restaurant and using the Buffet. There is only a bottle of sanitizer with a pump by the plates that almost nobody uses, some of the AC vents have some kind of growth on them (see picture). The window sills were dirty and the tables were not cleaned properly. The staff is very friendly but do not were a mask and masks are not required there. The food was good and it is prepared by a Chef. They have a delicious Peach Cobbler which is even better if accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The last issue I encountered was that nobody answers the phones. I called the phone number to make a reservation for a guided hike. I left message three days ago and no one called me back. I called the visitors Center also got a recording.  The location is amazing and the trails are really nice. Especially the one going to the top and bottom of the Amicalola Falls. The one along the Creek is also a very easy and relaxing walk in the woods. They also have Ziplining. If you plan to visit bring your disinfectant wipes along with your hiking boots. I don't think I would visit again. I would rather visit a different State or...