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Waynesville · Hotel shortlist

Waynesville hotels with a bar

Peter Halvorsen

Peter Halvorsen The Nordics

Updated 1 September 2026 · 12 Waynesville hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Waynesville, out of the 12 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.8 down to 4.5.

The Swag is the one I would book myself.

The Swag

Highest rated of the five

The Swag

★★★★★4.8 from 279 reviews

The Swag comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.8 from 279 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 3 star property and found under city centre.

12 hotels in Waynesville qualified for this list and five made it. Red Leaf River Inn is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Bara drink without going back out
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. The Swag1

    The Swag

    ★★★★★4.8 from 279 reviews

    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  2. Red Leaf River Inn2

    Red Leaf River Inn

    ★★★★★4.9 from 101 reviews

    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly

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  3. Cataloochee Ranch3

    Cataloochee Ranch

    ★★★★★4.7 from 313 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly

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  4. Courtyard by Marriott Asheville Airport4

    Courtyard by Marriott Asheville Airport

    ★★★★★4.5 from 640 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

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  5. Maggie Valley Club5

    Maggie Valley Club

    ★★★★★4.5 from 520 reviews

    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Kid friendly
    • Accessible

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How this list was put together

12 Waynesville hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Peter Halvorsen

Peter Halvorsen The Nordics

Twenty-six years of teaching means 26 long summers. Trains and driving through most of Europe, now further afield, usually alone with a tent. Keeps every train ticket since 1994.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.