The Feeling of Staying at the Andon‑Reid Inn: A Place Where You Finally Exhale

The Andon-Reid is not just a place to stay.  It’s a place that gives you the time and space to feel calm and grounded.  For centuries, the North Carolina mountains have been a place to which travelers retreated in order to breathe fresh air, heal, and reconnect with a feeling of peace and tranquility.  

Guests often tell us the same few things upon setting foot in our guest lounge, before they’ve even seen the rest of the property or the immaculately clean rooms:

“This is so beautiful!”  

“This is so cozy!”

At that point guests know that this isn’t simply a bed for the night and a bite to eat in the morning. It’s a chance to exhale and shift to a relaxing pace and fully experience life in the mountains.  It’s a palpable signal that it’s time to savor each moment, and live in the present, harkening back to a simpler time.

Everything about the experience at the Inn is designed to evoke these types of sensations.  We invite you to explore how it feels to stay at the Inn in our charming mountain paradise.

For many travelers, the journey to get to the destination is often the hardest part.  When you drive up to the inn and pull around into our parking lot, you are greeted by magnificent mountain vistas and the tension and uncertainty starts to melt away.  You are so eager to see the Inn at that point that you don’t even get your luggage out of the car; you just head to the entrance.

The check-in process is simple and stress-free and the Inn’s historic architecture greets you with a kind of grounded elegance. It’s warm, welcoming, uncluttered and unpretentious. You feel like you’ve arrived somewhere that understands you’re tired—not just physically, but mentally. And it’s ready to take care of you.

You also immediately know that you are in a safe, secure place, with modern technology and amenities and a staff ready to help at a moment’s notice.  It’s clear that the owners/innkeepers are present and live on property in a separate residence and are committed to providing great hospitality and service, yet also know that you need privacy, space, and peace and quiet.

When you close the door to your room and begin to settle in, you notice that you’re already relaxing without trying.  You don’t feel like you are in someone else’s home; you feel like you are in your own home, yet without all the normal stressors.

Soft lighting and thoughtful details. Spaces that invite you to slow down. You notice the quiet. You notice the warmth.  You realize you don’t need anything else at all at that moment.  Just time to enjoy it all and breathe.

While the space makes you feel at home, it’s the unique features that help you feel like you are getting away and retreating from the normal grind.  Features like:

• A cozy chair for reading

• A fireplace that doesn’t require effort

• The highest quality linens and towels

• A bathroom that feels spa‑like instead of rushed

• Immaculate cleanliness

It’s the kind of comfort that makes you want to unpack—not because you have to, but because you want to settle in.

Mornings at the Inn are a special experience.  You have time to start your day at a leisurely pace, the way it should be.  A warm cup of coffee or tea is always available and the Inn is quiet and serene.  On your way down to breakfast, you can see the sun’s rays descending down Eagle’s Nest Mountain and there’s nothing else to do but breathe in and breathe out, enjoying every sip of your warm beverage.  Depending on that day’s menu, you might start to smell bacon cooking in the oven, or hear the sizzle of crispy potatoes cooking on the stove.

Breakfast is not just a buffet or grab-and-go foods.  It’s an Andon-Reid ritual, passed down through generations of innkeepers, and meant to be one of the better moments of the day.  The food is unique, yet familiar, and hand-crafted with comfort in mind.  It’s real, gourmet, non-processed food.  It’s a simple yet special moment and you feel refreshed knowing you started your day with intention rather than urgency.  

There’s just something about being in the mountains that fills you with peace.  It’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason why, but it’s an undeniable feeling of comfort and closeness to the land.  It could be the charm of small-town Appalachia or that the mountains are wrapped around you and protecting you from the fast-pace of normal, everyday life.  All around you can feel the presence of rivers, lakes, waterfalls, trees and the splendors of the natural world.

And even with all this natural wonder, walking in downtown Waynesville feels like stepping into a different era or a hallmark movie.  The community is full of thriving, independent small businesses, creative artists and talented artisans and you know each dollar you spend stays within the local community.  

You don’t just visit the mountains—you feel them and savor every moment.

Back at the Inn after a day of immersing yourself in the mountains, there are so many ways to wind-down and settle into some peace and quiet.

In the winter, you can sit by the fire with a good book and feel the warmth and glow of the fire with hot cocoa and a fresh baked brownie or magic bar.

In the spring, you can sit on the porch wind-down with a nice glass of wine, and a decadent chocolate-chocolate chip cookie.

In the summer, you can relax in the adirondack chairs and watch the magic of the fireflies twinkling all around with a local-made soda and a satisfying lemon or berry bar.

Or in the fall, you can put on your favorite sweater and settle into a rocking chair by the firepit with a hot cup of tea and a piece of pumpkin bread.

In any season, every area of the property is a gentle invitation to rest. There’s no pressure, no schedule, and nothing to stress about.  Just time to enjoy each moment, savor the company of a partner or a good friend, or find time to just be.

When guests leave the Inn, we often hear the same refrain, time and time again:

“I don’t want to go home.”

“I haven’t slept that well in a long time.”

“We had a very relaxing stay.”

“I don’t know I’ll be able to go back to my normal breakfast”

Even after you leave, the memories of our charming mountain town will stay with you and invite you back.   The Andon-Reid is a place to reset, reconnect, recharge and rejuvenate.  We are confident the mountains will call you back from time to time and the Inn will be ready for you.  We can’t wait to host you here in Waynesville!

--Your Innkeepers,

Brenda and Peter