The Greystone Inn

We stayed in the Hillside rooms. Very big with a delightful porch on the lake. The bathroom was spacious, with a wonderful tub and heated floors. The owner was very receptive to my complaint of the cushions on our porch chairs and when out and brought two NEW chairs and cushions!! The restaurant on site was awesome!! Our dinner both nights we are there was a 5 star experience. This was our second visit and we will be back!!

The Inn has a very pretty location on the banks of Lake Toxaway and benefits from co-location with the neighbouring country club (which is well-manicured, offers decent bistro-grade food, a stunning golf course, tennis/other sports and a small leisure pool best suited to children). Lake Toxaway is a quiet lake surrounded effectively by privately owned communities (ie minimal public access), so if you are looking for a peaceful setting, this is it. Positives: - Our mansion room was spacious with character, a comfortable bed and good bed linen - The food is fair but a bit over-priced; service in the restaurant was mixed - some good, some not - The lady running the bar was engaging and helpful - Spa: treatments competent and staff were kind - Grounds: well kept Downsides: - Room: Tiny bathroom - if someone is standing at the wash basin, you can’t open the door - with a roaring extractor fan filled with dirty fluff. Small towels (no bathsheets). Bedroom had no soundproofing to the corridor. Ancient coffee maker dispensing only lukewarm liquid. No in-room safe for valuables. No mirror in the bedroom. Bed still unmade at 2.30pm on any day - Service: With a few exceptions, staff were very friendly but they had very limited service skills. Simple requests (e.g. a kettle) were met with weak excuses (“we don’t have any!” and the offer of a jug of hot water). A good hotel seizes on small things with good grace as a chance to make your day - The spa: shared spaces are small and dark, with no dedicated relaxation area to enjoy after a treatment - Public areas of the hotel - more cleaning and maintenance required e.g. some dirty windows and tables, dusty light fittings, disintegrating plasterwork on the landing; outside terrace and garden furniture felt unloved - Price: way too expensive for what it is. Three nights here in our room was more expensive than three nights over comparable dates in June at the Four Seasons in Manhattan! I just checked. In summary: Reality check required. Objectively, I can’t make sense of the rave reviews. The Inn itself is quaint but definitely not great. I am not looking for a “city luxe” experience here - but at this price, you should expect top quality comfort and quietly excellent service that goes the extra mile. The hotel needs investment in buildings, equipment/fittings, facilities, cleaning, staff and training. Based on our experience, it’s trading on a pretty location and the country club facilities, rather than the quality of its core offering.

Wonder lodge surrounded by beautiful scenery! This was our 2nd stay at the Inn and we can’t wait to go back again. The hospitality was amazing the room was spectacular and the food at the Inn was fabulous! It was an all around enjoyable birthday get away