By Taylor Hill, 2013
Snuggled at the foot of Chimney Rock mountain, sits the small and locally owned Valley Court Riverside Motel. A tiny and very quaint establishment, the motel is easy to miss as it sits on Highway 64, along with many other small buildings, in close proximity of Chimney Rock Village, which is where most tourists come to eat, peruse souvenirs and prepare to hike the mountain. The location of the motel was perfect though, given its nearness to Bat Cave and Lake Lure, and provided us with a stunning view of the mountain right in the backyard. The motel also sits on the Rocky Broad River, and luckily my teammates and I were able to obtain a room that had a window view of the river. Guests are allowed to walk down to the river, where there are tables and chairs for when the owners have barbeques and cookouts. The stay costs us a little over $100, which resulted in each of us paying around $25.
Our room was very small, with wooden walls, carpeted floors and low beds. The tacky floral sheets that adorned the beds gave the already dimly lit room an outdated look and were not very pleasing to the eye. The bathroom was a comfortable size, however the showerhead was oddly short which presented us with discomfort as we each had to stoop when taking our showers. There was a small box television available for entertainment and a small lamp on the nightstand which was placed in between our respective beds.
Sleeping in our beds was a bit uncomfortable due to the cold and a lack of thick sheets. I would not advise travelers to stay in the hotel during the cooler months, because the rooms are only equipped with small, portable heaters and there is little insulation within the walls. This made for an unstable night’s rest with much tossing and fidgeting in order to find warmth somewhere underneath the considerably thin sheets, but I am sure the stay is more enjoyable in the warmer months.
We spent one night at the Riverside Motel, and I will again applaud it on its location, which is conveniently between Lake Lure and Bat Cave, two towns that we had to research and travel to. Also, the surrounding landforms are stunning and will unleash the nature lover in any of the welcomed guest. Even with those benefits however, I would not stay at the motel a second time if given the chance, due to its shortcomings.
*To check out more of our day near Lake Lure, check out my travelogue “The Winding Road to Lake Lure”
