Old Edwards Inn and Spa

Check in was delightful. You sit at a large desk and sip champagne. After, a valet accompanied us to show us the correct building and assisted us with our luggage. We had a Hickory King room and the decor was lovely. There were 4 rooms in our building with 2 common rooms in the middle. There was no elevator and all rooms were up a flight of stairs. The 4 poster bed and room furnishings were quite nice. We had a private patio off our room and enjoyed sitting out there but the French door leading to the patio did not lock behind us as it was supposed to so we could not use that door as an exit. We were shocked by how noisy the room was and it definitely interfered with our sleep. The lovely, heavy wooden doors made a loud noise every time they closed. We could clearly hear conversations and all noises from the adjoining room. This was particularly annoying when the grandchildren were yelling and whining at 10PM. When lying in bed, we felt as if we were in the shower/bathroom with the room next door. One day I sat in a corner of the common room to read and could hear the conversation in the room farthest away in the opposite corner. In our 40 years of travel. this was probably the loudest room we have ever stayed in! The mattress was just ok but the plastic mattress cover made a horrible squeaking sound with every movement- it woke me up many times each night. There were only 2 pillows on the bed and they were flat, dense down pillows that I found to be very uncomfortable. I used the extra pillow in a plastic bag in the closet which was better but it had a stale, odd smell. Next to the bed was a charging dock and the time was displayed in large blue digital numbers that lit up the room. We had to double wrap it in towels to minimize the light. There were lamps next to the bed but the only way we found to turn them on was the switch across the room next to the door which was odd. The A/C worked well but there was a strange rattle in the vent. Given all of the noise, I used ear plugs but still did not sleep well. After 3 nights, I was happy to check out and get home for some sleep. The bathroom was definitely luxurious. There was plenty of storage and the extra long sink area made it easy for 2 people to get ready at the same time. Loved the heated marble tile floor and heated towel rack. The huge shower had a great rain shower head and the toiletries were wonderful. I was so excited to soak in the large free standing tub but this was a big disappointment. It was very slippery and very long so I kept sliding down into the water and could not find a comfortable way to brace myself. Also, the slippery bottom made it scary/dangerous to get in and out. The plug in the bottom had to be lifted manually and my husband had to do it (with some difficulty) to drain the water. My hopes of a relaxing nightly soak were dashed! We did find it odd that the water provided in the room cost $5 a bottle. At other luxury properties we have stayed at, we have been given 2 free bottles of water daily and in some cases even snacks. We ate at Madison's 4 times (1 breakfast, 2 lunches and 1 dinner). The food was delicious and the service impeccable. We went to the Hummingbird lounge each night for after dinner drinks. The first 2 nights were extremely pleasant with excellent service. We were disappointed the last night however. The hostess was unable to stand upright- she sloughed against the lovely curtains next to her stand and made them crumpled and wrinkled. We would give the bartender only 1 star. My husband ordered the nonalcoholic champagne and the bartender said they did not have any, When my husband explained that he had ordered it several times during our stay, the bartender agreed to go look for it. He proceeded to make my cocktail and it was left on the counter for 15 minutes while he disappeared to look. He returned and said he couldn't find it. At that point, the manager went to look and did find it. We finally got our drinks after 20 minutes or so and my drink had been sitting on the counter with the ice melting the entire time. When making my drink. I observed him run his fingers through his hair and the grab a lime from the box with that hand. He spent most of his time laughing loudly with the female servers in the hallway. The manager brought us the bill without asking if we wanted to put it on the room so we had to wait for our server to rerun the tab. So, the service that night was subpar for any luxury property. We were there off season so the pool, the wine garden and rooftop terrace were closed. The pizza bistro was closed for renovations, The fitness center was open only some of the time but we hiked so much that we did not need to use it. We did not try the spa. In sum, we highly recommend Madison's restaurant. We are unlikely to stay at the resort again but if we did, we would not spend the money for the Hickory king room due to our poor quality/quantity of sleep.

Old Edwards is one of my happy places. I always enjoy outdoor time and hiking but being able to pair that with a luxury stay and spa time is such a treat. There always seems to be personal touches that really set Old Edwards apart from other places we travel. Thanks for making my birthday special.

The Old Edwards Inn is a special retreat for a getaway. Very cozy and upscale vibe that is a welcome change from larger properties. Service and facilities were top notch.

We live 90 minutes away in Hendersonville, NC. Was looking for a special place to celebrate my wife’s birthday. We came for one night. It was perfect from start to finish. The hotel’s public spaces are beautiful, the grounds are well maintained and thoughtfully designed. We had lunch at their pizza restaurant and it was delicious pizza. My wife had an 80 minute massage, which she raved about. We stayed in the Lee King Suite, which was spacious and amazing. Also, an aside, it may have the best shower I have ever had!! We finished the evening with drinks at the bar, followed by dinner at Madison’s. All perfect. Great food, great setting!!! We came just at the beginning of the season and it was our first visit to the hotel and the Highlands area. We plan on coming back in season next time and get the full environment and beauty the area provides!!

Spent my wife's birthday in Highlands, NC. The staff addressed her at each location with "happy Birthday"