Anyone who has lived through the heat of the South will know about Georgia Mountain getaways. In just two hours, you can go from red clay to pine forests and waterfalls.
It’s almost Pavlovian to want a cabin in a forest. I blame Thoreau. If you prefer to relax instead of burning hotdogs on a stick, consider staying in a resort that offers championship golf, a full service spa, a swim-through indoor-outdoor swimming pool, and restaurants on site.
Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa is located in Brasstown Valley, California.
Brasstown Bald, Georgia’s tallest peak, is 4,784 feet high. The Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa is located at the base of the mountain near the town Young Harris. The resort is located 2 hours north of Atlanta. This makes it a great getaway for weekend trips or for corporate retreats.
Brasstown Valley, one of the southernmost Blue Ridge Mountain Resorts has enough amenities to allow you to stay there all weekend. The resort is also close to the mountains, so you can use it for a luxurious base camp when going on outdoor adventures.
Brasstown Valley Resort and Spa Accommodations
There are three different types of accommodation at the resort: main lodge, cottages and Spa Suite. The lodge features 102 rooms, including many with gas fireplaces or panoramic views of the golf course and mountains.
Google rates this lodge as a three-star hotel. This could technically be correct, but we think it is the most beautiful three-star property that we have ever seen. It’s not a state park but the property is owned by the state. They wanted to keep it affordable and imposed ‘value engineering restrictions’ that prevented them from going into high-end luxury. Brasstown Valley Resort is a great value for money, and it’s located in an ideal location.
There are eight cabins in the woods and five suites with one bedroom in the lodge. There are cabins with kitchens, so perhaps Thoreau had a point after all. He did, however, go into town to have his mother bake for him on occasion.
The 825 square foot Equani Spa Suite is the ultimate in luxury. The suite features a rooftop terrace, a Jacuzzi for two, with a 46″ flat-screen television and fireplace, as well as a spacious “Experience Shower”, which offers a sensory experience, with LED lights, marine speaker, and double-drenched shower heads.
Main Lodge Amenities
The Main Lodge of Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa is not like a typical hotel. The lobby is the heart of the mansion, and the place to start. The 72′ stone fireplace is a popular place for people to gather and work, while enjoying a cocktail or coffee at the lobby bar.
A playroom is a must in every mansion. The hotel also has a hot tub and a heated indoor/outdoor swimming pool, as well as specialized workout facilities for guests who are active. Its arcade is popular with children. If you are in the Georgia Mountains, you will want to go outside and play, but this is coming soon. It’s now time to talk about something that everyone loves – the Kitchen.
Brasstown Valley offers two restaurants, perhaps because the kitchen is at the center of every home. The Dining Room offers upscale menus such as their Friday night seafood, Saturday night prime-rib buffet and Sunday brunch. Brassies Grill is a great place to enjoy a casual lunch, quick snack or cosy fireside dinner. The resort had a wide variety of restaurants and quality food that meant we didn’t have to leave to eat. The resort has enough kitchen space for the numerous banquets and conferences it hosts each year.
Brasstown Valley Resort hosts conferences and weddings
Let’s take a look at the different meeting spaces in Brasstown Valley. The food is already discussed, but their variety and diversity in meeting rooms are amazing. The 14,000 square feet of meeting space can accommodate both small groups as well as large gatherings up to 330 guests. We were able to check out some of the unique options.
The main lodge has an amphitheater equipped with the latest electronics, and there is also on-site support for IT. There are many rooms that can be configured. There are also several outdoor meeting spaces, including the Sunset Pavilion, stables and even a water garden.
Brasstown offers a variety of packages that include golf, spa treatments and team-building activities. Ask the group coordinator as many questions as you can so that they can create a package tailored to your needs.
Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa: Activities
Brasstown Valley Resort’s main activities are golf and spa. The resort has an 18-hole Championship Course that is particularly unique because there are no houses built on the fairways. Enjoy the beauty of the mountains and superb golf without feeling as if you are playing in someone’s backyard.
The full-service spa offers treatments that are inspired by local Cherokee Indians. Both the layout and design of the golf course as well as the spa treatments were designed with the tribe in mind to ensure that they were culturally relevant. The resort learned that there were a few places where the holes on the course would have crossed sensitive native areas. They changed the design so those areas could remain protected and undisturbed on state land.
Brasstown Valley has over 500 acres to explore, including 9.2 miles hiking trails. There are also fishing ponds. If you’re looking to ride the trails in style, there is a stable. Nothing makes you feel more at home than a horseback ride in the mountains. There’s also ax-throwing and archery which are always enjoyable and great for team building exercises.
Brasstown Valley Activities
Outdoor activities are plentiful in the Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains. These include hiking the Appalachian Trail and summiting Brasstown Bald. Other options include white-water rafting or visiting Helen, Georgia’s Bavaria. We loved two activities that are just a few minutes away from the resort: wine tasting and boating along the Chatuge.
We went to Crane Creek Vineyards which is just 10 minutes away from the resort. Their flagship wine is a 100% Norton called Hellbender. This is their tribute to Georgia’s famous Muscadine, but it’s refined enough to win awards at California competitions. The vineyard is a wine lover’s paradise, but their restaurant Paris & Company hosts live music every Friday.
Lake Chatuge, with its 132 miles of shoreline and elevation of 2000 feet, is the largest lake in Georgia. The resort is only 10 minutes away, making it easy to enjoy the mountains and water in the distance. We bought our boat at Lake Chatuge Marine & Marina, not only because they had the nicest and newest boats on the Lake but also because their prices were the most competitive. The navigation system was easy to use and they have a training video that can help anyone get on the water. You can watch the film online and then pick up your keys to get on the water.
Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa: A Wrap-Up of Our Experience
Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa was a great place to spend the weekend. We booked a massage and played a round golf. The resort was a great place to eat, and we enjoyed it all weekend.
The staff were excellent. The resort has many staff who have worked there for more than ten years. This is a true testament to the quality leadership that permeates each department.
The professionalism we encountered was impressive. The staff took the time to welcome us and make sure we had everything we needed to enjoy our Blue Ridge Mountain Vacation.