My husband and I spent 3 nights at Blackberry Farm over the Memorial Day weekend and enjoyed it enormously! We travel extensively and one thing that we actively seek is that elusive sense of place that reflects the culture and area you're visiting. Blackberry totally nails this with a huge dose of gracious southern hospitality and breathtaking vistas of the Great Smoky Mountains. It was far more beautiful than we had imagined.
From the moment we arrived we were treated as honored guests and greatly enjoyed meeting the lovely people who work here. There were so many special touches, such as one young man noticing my husband's camera and telling us about a huge hen-of-the-woods mushroom nearby that we could photograph. We arrived early for check-in but our bags were whisked away and Geoff took us on a brief tour of the property in a golf cart. When we expressed our desire to meet the truffle dogs, a special Italian breed named Lagotto Romagnolo, he drove us over to the kennel area to play with the adorable puppies and adults. We visited them every day.
Afterwards, we had scheduled a carriage ride to learn more about the history of the property and continue to get our bearings. It's a very large estate so it takes some time to learn where everything is, however, most places are easy to walk to. By that time our room was ready and it exceeded our already high expectations.
We had a Singing Brook Cottage Suite, tucked in a quiet location in the woods. It was spacious and spotlessly clean with tasteful decor and all of the amenities that you could want, including a Bose Bluetooth speaker and iPad services menu. WiFi connected easily and was fast and reliable. Lighting was excellent, especially in the bathroom, and there were dimmer switches so you could adjust it to your preference. The king bed was dressed in high quality linens and was supremely comfortable with 2 pillow types to choose from. It was a bit high for those of us who are (ahem) vertically challenged, but I managed to scramble up in ways that afforded my husband some amusement. There were also comfortable chairs and sofa, a large flatscreen TV behind a decorative screen, large windows and an enormous wooden table and chairs. We had cushy seating on our front porch as well where we could enjoy the tranquility and birdsong.
There was a separate nook with the well stocked mini-bar and Keurig coffee maker and a large walk-in closet with ample hanging space and shelves, quality hangers, Frette robes and slippers, and a safe spacious enough for laptops and other electronics. Snacks, water and soft drinks were included but alcohol incurs an extra charge.
The bathroom was enormous with a long, deep jetted tub, a large glassed in shower, dual basins on a very wide vanity with loads of drawers and counter space for stashing personal items, and a separate toilet stall. Towels were soft and plentiful. Not only was there a good hairdryer, but also a curling iron, the first time I've seen one of those in a hotel. Toiletries were luxurious as you'd expect, and I'm certain that if you were missing anything from your kit, they'd be quick to bring anything you might need. Housekeeping was very amenable to our schedule and willing to come around at times that didn't interfere with us.
While the Singing Brook Cottages house 2 suites with an adjoining door that can be opened for guests traveling together, we never saw nor heard our neighbors, and we hope that we didn't disturb them either. It was gloriously peaceful at night and we slept well. We had our own personal golf cart to get around, which came in handy at times. We experienced quite a bit of rain, perversely during dinner time, however, the team will drive you in a closed vehicle when the weather isn't ideal for the carts.
While we booked some activities, most of the time we wanted to relax and there are many secluded and scenic spots for that around the property. We arose early to bird watch and walked around the various areas of the farm. There's both an adult pool, located by the gym and spa, and a family pool, but we never got around to using them. I had planned to use the gym but we got plenty of exercise while exploring. We booked a canoeing excursion on a vast lake beyond the Foothills Pkwy that was excellent! Our guide, Terre, was terrific and we saw an Osprey nesting with chicks and others soaring overhead.
In addition to the regular activities on offer, there were some special events during the holiday weekend that gave us the opportunity to experience more of the local charm. The night we arrived we were pleased to meet the charming manager, Brian Lee, at an intimate welcome reception on the veranda. It's clear that the warmth of the team and excellent service start at the top. A luscious rose and tasty hors d'oeuvres were served while we soaked in the beauty of the scenery and listened to a talented duo playing bluegrass tunes on violin and guitar. The woman had the voice of an angel. A barbecue was scheduled on Saturday and in addition to absolutely delicious food, there was a band of excellent musicians, Misty River, expertly playing fun, down-home bluegrass music. We loved that there were plenty of vegetables and salads in addition to the traditional grilled meats. We also happened to be having lunch at the Main House while they set up the Ice Cream Social, so we nabbed some ice cream as well. While we're sure that they must have been fully booked for the holiday weekend, none of these events were crowded.
Like many people we also came for the cuisine, and it lived up to expectations. We took all 3 dinners in the Barn, which is gorgeous and atmospheric with an elegant rustic style. Seating is comfortable and service was superb. Everyone was attentive, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, but we especially want to call out our servers Abby and Lindsay, and Sean, the sommelier who took us on an informative tour of their impressive wine cellar. We tried the tasting menu one night with wine pairings for me. It was all excellent but more food and wine than we could finish, so we went for the regular menu the other 2 nights. There were plenty of good selections and the wine, while highly marked up, is superb. I especially appreciated that they offer a wide selection of half bottles since my husband doesn't indulge. Breakfasts and Lunch in the Main House offered variety and quality as well and service was top notch as well. There's a delightful fellow named Ed who assists with transportation, whom we have to mention. He greeted us by name before we were ever introduced, which is tricky since my husband and I have different surnames, and was always cheerful and helpful.
In case you missed it in all of that verbiage, we had an amazing stay and would highly recommend Blackberry Farm! Many thanks to the entire team who took such good care of us!