The Esmeralda Inn & Restaurant

My wife and I took our honeymoon here in their rocky broad cabin. This place was amazing. Staff was excellent and over the top accommodating. Food was delicious. The cabin is right off the main road, however you wouldn't realize it. Having the river right in your back yard was beautiful.

The Esmeralda Inn is a wonderful place to come and relax and be pampered! My wife and I had a wonderful experience here and will definitely be back with our kids another time. Each dinner experience was great, and the gourmet breakfast every morning was unique and amazing, especially considering that it’s included! The staff is all very attentive, and there were no details missed. They are knowledgeable and considerate, asking us about our day each time we passed the front desk or saw someone in the hall. It is very intimate and cozy. The rooms are comfortable but not extravagant, just what we expected. The s’mores by wood burning fire and quiet relaxation on the wrap-around porch were absolutely perfect. We also definitely enjoyed our picnic lunch at the cabin park on the picturesque river. Highly recommended! Thank you!

Staff were incredibly nice, the breakfast was perfect for me and my wife as they worked around some dietary restrictions for us as well. Hannah was a great server Beth and Beverly were amazing therapists and helped us relax on our anniversary getaway. Jordan and the front desk team was always handy for answers and advice. Will be coming back for sure and recommending this to our friends and family

We love this place. Have visited twice now and plan to go back again. Rooms have a beautiful view of the Broad river. The restaurant is a little pricey, but the food is amazing. Make sure to schedule a massage before you get there (they can book up fast). The Inn is just a mile or so from town. There are tons of fun small shops and places to eat. If you keep going down the same road, you will run into Lake Lure and the beach area.

What a wonderful place to stay! This was our first time here and our anniversary. We were greeted by Jeffrey who took us on a personal tour and to our room. The breakfast was amazing, so nice to sit down and eat in the morning. We also ate dinner here one night, the shrimp tortellini was AMAZING! Our server Megan was so nice and Chef came out to chat with us which was great! Our room was small but cozy and we loved the hot jacuzzi and wearing out luxurious robes to go out there. Downtown had tons of cute gift shops and breweries right on the water. The views were breathtaking! Every staff member we met was just so nice and made us feel right at home. We will definitely be back! Thank you for making our stay wonderful ;)

Another ABSOLUTELY relaxing stay! From the best breakfast around (I love the freshly baked muffins) to the wonderful massage treatments, the outdoor jacuzzi that melts away all thoughts to the relaxing sounds of the Broad River at night, our stay was exactly what this city couple needed.

My husband and I stayed at the Esmeralda Inn for an extended weekend to celebrate our anniversary. As avid hikers and State Park enthusiasts, we wanted to revisit Chimney Rock, Hickory Nut Falls, and the Blue Ridge Parkway as the leaves began to turn. The Esmeralda welcomed us back each afternoon with freshly-made beds with soft bedding, fresh towels (even one specifically for makeup), great water pressure in the shower/tub, and peaceful mountain views (Room 2 has a balcony and the best view!).

We enjoyed dinner at the Inn all three evenings and enjoyed the Calamari, Pulled Pork Sliders, Harvest Salad, Esmeralda Burger, and all three "From the Sea" entrees. The portions were quite large and could easily be split. The Specialty Drink Menu is also very creative and delicious. Just be sure to make reservations in advance: the restaurant is a real treat and the secret's out! The wonderful wait staff will try and accommodate you, but you may wait a bit.

After dinner, we enjoyed wine on our balcony until sleep called. (NOTE: Rooms do not have private microwaves or refrigerators. Each floor has a small kitchenette where guests can store wine, leftovers, etc.). I'm already looking forward to our next trip to the Esmeralda!

This experience is an absolute MUST! My husband and I chose to stay here to celebrate our 15 year anniversary and I am so glad we did! The breakfast is truly delicious and the muffins are the best I have ever eaten. We enjoyed dinner at the restaurant as well. You won’t be disappointed! The owners, Kim and Don, go above and beyond to make you feel welcome and to ensure you are getting everything you need! We will definitely be returning for many more visits in the future!

Beautiful location, great staff, room was adorable. Pool table, pool, hot tub. Great location. Fantastic stay. Everything was perfect. Couldn't have wanted for more. Spent a night and wish it had been a week. Highly recommend stay for your next get a way or adventure.

We stayed two nights. Our original reservation was for one but we decided to extend after the first night. The hotel is unique in decor and located in a beautiful area. There is a recreation area indoors with pool table and board games lots of seating. A speakeasy bar in the basement and an outdoor fireplace and hot tub. The service is excellent and very personable they remember your name and work hard to make the experience memorable.

Our first visit to The Esmeralda won't be the last. From check-in to check-out, guests are welcomed as if visiting the home of a long-time friend. The rooms are unassuming and well-appointed with luxurious towels and bedding. Casement windows allow enjoying the outdoors as the Broad River is across the street. Included gourmet breakfast is delicious and varied every morning. New Year's Eve dinner was amazing. Highly recommend The Esmeralda!

My book club celebrated our 28th year together with a fabulous outdoor luncheon. The food, atmosphere and wait staff (thank you Timothy!) was truly first class. The views from every direction were daunting, even being on a busy roadway. And there was no noise except our constant laughter. After our lunch we were invited to view the Inn and look in the parlors, billiard and games room, and a bedroom suites, complete with a lovely balcony. We will be back! I highly recommend this Inn.

After climbing hundreds of steps to Chimney Rock and hiking the Hickory Nut Falls trail to the waterfall, we had a great lunch at The Esmeralda Inn. The lobby/seating area of the Inn is lovely. They had life-size cut-outs of Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze from Dirty Dancing on the steps...the movie was actually filmed at Lake Lure (the body of water seen from Chimney Rock), not the Catskills. Who knew?

We sat outside for our lunch with a beautiful view of the mountains. Our server, Faybrianne, was an absolute delight, very friendly and helpful with the menu choices. We started with the Shrimp Corn Fritters. I had the Crispy Chicken sandwich with house-made pickles on Texas toast. Best chicken I've had in NC so far. My husband had the BLT (Fried Green Tomato, Applewood Bacon, Mayo, Bib Lettuce on toasted Texas Toast). I'm not usually a sandwich person but these were very satisfying.

This place is incredible! We arrived for a 2 night stay and were immediately made to feel so welcome. Molly greeted us, got us checked in, gave us a tour, answered our questions, and then retrieved a luggage cart for us. The room was extremely comfy and the view from the semi-private balcony was breathtaking! We made reservations for dinner and were not disappointed. The food was incredible! We had breakfast as well and were just as happy! The entire staff was courteous, helpful, and knowledgeable.

The place is just wonderful starting when you first walk into the building. There's history and fun just in the lobby! Once getting the dinner, you'll first notice how wonderfully plated the dinner is and how wonderful it tastes. The sea bass is. to. die. for. All in all I can see why the restaurant stays busy.

I loved my stay here and most definitely will be back! Zoe checked us in, gave us a tour, and showed us to our room. We played pool in the common area until dinner, where we had some lovely lavender infused martinis. We ordered several appetizers and sides and shared everything. The mussels were amazing!!! Then for the rest of the evening we enjoyed the stone hot tub jacuzzi under the trees, listening to the roaring broad river. We opened our window that night and the sound of the river put us to sleep. Breakfast in the morning was out was of this world. Chef Peggy made her famous blueberry coffee cake, I have no words to describe how amazing it was!!

The staff at The Esmeralda was genuinely friendly and accommodating. Going into the hotel we were given a tour and escorted to our room, where it was waiting with chocolate covered strawberries and music playing. The room itself was simply beautiful, with a gorgeous mountain view and a private deck for us to relax on. Breakfast was lovely. I have a strict diet and they were accommodating to my needs when there was nothing on the menu I could have. This was a working trip for me, but I’ll be looking for an excuse to go back just to enjoy the facility. Thanks Esmeralda staff!

Where do you start with this place? How about Amazing. From the moment you walk in until you leave, the staff, the atmosphere, the amenities and the food are unbelievable. I surprised my wife with a spa treatment and dinner there for our anniversary. The staff got together and gave us a card at the last minute for our anniversary. Extremely thoughtful. The food was the best food I have ever put in my mouth. I travel a lot for my job and eat at a lot of different places. This was by far the best I have ever had. We will be back.

I went here to celebrate my birthday and was very happy. The inn is so quaint and cozy. The staff was so friendly. The food at the in was really great. The chef did an amazing job at the pairings. I highly recommend the jacuzzi, especially in the cold. The room had a view of the river and mountain. The location is great close to the entrance of Chimney Rock. I highly recommend taking a trip to the mountain. I'll be visiting again for another hike.

Had dinner on their patio, which had an amazing mountain view. The service was good, although a bit slow at times. Food was excellent and they had a diverse selection of craft beer (there wasn't a large number of choices but it covered a large range of types). I had the boar and my wife had the shrimp and grits. Both of us enjoyed our meals. I would recommend this place too anyone in the area.

Wonderful staff, ambiance, and farm to table cuisine. I have eaten in some of the best restaurants in the country and this filet rated among the top 5 steaks I've ever had. This is so reasonably priced for the experience and for the wonderfully prepared food that is so artistically displayed. I love this restaurant. In fact, I was so taken by the food and decor that I forgot to take pictures of the beautiful food. I'll be back and bring more of my out of town guests to this beautiful gem tucked away in the mountains.