Nantahala Village Resort was our lodging for the night when we took the kids to the Polar Express in Bryson City, North Carolina. Even though it’s technically in Bryson City, it’s far from the actual urban area. We still got a great deal since it’s considered their off-season.

It isn’t a large place at all. It almost looks like a giant house rather than a motel or hotel. As far as I could tell, there was only one hallway of rooms, which made sense when they told us we had Room 1.

But the place is absolutely beautiful and thoughtfully designed. I forgot to take a picture of the room because the kids “destroyed” it within minutes, but everything about it was pristine. It really seems like an ideal spot for a romantic getaway. It’s a shame we had the kiddos with us, lol. Since we did have the kids, I was grateful for the TV (even if it was a bit small) and the access to most major streaming services instead of basic cable. They only had sausage biscuits for breakfast, which I found a little odd. As a vegetarian with ARFID, I never assume I’ll be fed, so I brought my own emergency food.

During the warmer months, they clearly have a pool available. It was far too cold during our stay, so the pool had been closed and drained.

My stepdaughter Lily really wanted to see the game room, which turned out to be a rundown shack with an old table tennis table, two pool tables, foosball, two pay-to-play arcade machines (one of which was Crazy Taxi), and three claw machines. It was a bit disappointing, but I did win two stuffed animals from one of the claw machines with just a five dollar play, so that put me in a good mood. If we’re ever in this area again, I would definitely stay at this resort as long as the price isn’t too unreasonably high.