Travel Planner: Franklin, NC

This restored country inn, constructed in 1875 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has a rustic but polished charm. Nestled in a quiet out-of-the-way location on a beautifully landscaped 17 acres, the inn's well-appointed rooms feature antiques and comfortable, attractive furnishings. There are no TVs in the rooms, but they are available in the large garden room, complete with snacks and comfortable seating, as well as in the newly redecorated lobby. You can play volleyball, badminton, horseshoes, or croquet, or practice your swing on the mini-putting green on the grounds, or sip wine at Glen-Ella's tasting room. Pros:

the staff is eager to make the stay special; picturesque perennial and herb gardens; golf, hiking, boating, fishing, wineries, and horseback riding are all nearby; family movie nights.

the spring-fed swimming pool can be quite chilly; inn on a gravel road; restaurants require a drive to Clarkesville or Clayton. www.glenella.com. 12 rooms, 4 suites. In-room: no TV, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: restaurant, pool. Credit cards accepted. Rate includes: Breakfast.

For upscale, lodge-style accommodations, this resort is a great option. The rooms are comfortable and spacious, in an elegant but rustic style. Some have fireplaces and balconies overlooking the valley. The stone fireplace in the lobby is an impressive 70 feet high. The resort also features a variety of sports activities. Pros:

elegant rooms, some with fireplaces and balconies.

far-flung location. www.brasstownvalley.com. 102 rooms, 32 cottages, 5 suites. In-room: Wi-Fi. In-hotel: restaurant, bar, golf course, pool, tennis courts, gym. Credit cards accepted. Rate includes: Breakfast.

On the front lawn of this old inn are some of the most ancient trees in the region, including a giant Fraser fir that is a national champion. Many of the buildings are bark-covered, and inside the main building you'll find rare wormy chestnut. With rustic rooms—30 in the main lodge and 90 in small cottages around the 1,400-acre property—the atmosphere is more down-home than country club. Meals are served buffet-style in a huge hunting lodge-style dining room. There's an 18-hold George Cobb golf course and a 35-acre private lake. On the National Register of Historic Places, and family-owned for three generations, High Hampton Inn stubbornly sticks to traditions such as requiring coats and ties for dinner and declining to install televisions or telephones in guest rooms. Many guests have been coming here for decades. A new 5,000-square-foot fitness center opened in 2006. RVs and motorcycles are not permitted on the property. Pros:

historic mountain inn; full of tradition, like resorts used to be.

perhaps a little old-fashioned. www.highhamptoninn.com. 120 rooms, 18 cottages; 40 rental houses. In-room: kitchen (some), no TV, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: restaurant, golf course, tennis courts, gym. Credit cards accepted. Closed mid-Nov.-mid-Apr. Rate includes: All meals.

A dozen red rocking chairs line the front porch of this inn in a quiet residential area two blocks from downtown. Your room (some are on the small side and most are ready for an update) may have a golf theme (the Pinehurst Room) or skylights, a fireplace, and a claw-foot tub (the Garrett Room). The restaurant ($$$-$$$$) is open to the public for breakfast and dinner by reservation. At dinner you'll enjoy heaping portions of Southern food, served by candlelight. Pros:

pleasant small inn; in charming small town; filling Southern breakfasts.

smallish rooms; not much public space; could use some updating. www.redrockerinn.com. 17 rooms. In-room: safe, no TV. In-hotel: restaurant. Credit cards accepted. Rate includes: Breakfast.

Asheville's premier large resort is an imposing granite edifice that dates from 1913 and has panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Henry Ford, F. Scott Fitzgerald (who stayed in room 441), and Michael Jordan, as well as eight U.S. presidents from Woodrow Wilson to George H.W. Bush, have stayed here. It's furnished with oak antiques in the Arts and Crafts style, and the lobby fireplaces are as big as cars. Four restaurants offer plenty of choices. The spa is one of the finest in the country. As the hotel's main focus is on group meetings, alas, sometimes individual guests get short shrift. Rooms in the original section are mostly smaller but have more character than those in the newer additions. Pros:

imposing historic hotel; wonderful setting; magnificent mountain views; first-rate spa and golf course.

individual guests sometimes play second fiddle to large group meetings. www.groveparkinn.com. 498 rooms, 12 suites. In-room: Internet, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: restaurants, bars, golf course, pools, tennis courts, gym, spa. Credit cards accepted. Rate includes: No meals.

Built by Harvard professor Williams James in 1891 and rebuilt in 1936 after a fire, this lakeside lodge, best described as dressed-up rustic, sits 3,800 feet above sea level and is one sure way to beat summer's heat. Golf is a passion here, on the Donald Ross-designed course, but the diversions are many. All rooms overlook the manicured grounds and gardens. Rich chestnut paneling and stonework grace the public areas. Entrées at the restaurant ($$$$) may include free-range chicken and rainbow trout; jacket and tie are required at dinner. Pros:

upscale lodge on championship golf course.

a bit too much like a country club for some tastes. www.eseeola.com. 19 rooms, 5 suites, 1 cottage. In-hotel: restaurant, bar, golf course, pool, tennis courts, gym, spa. Credit cards accepted. Closed late Oct.-mid-May. Rate includes: Some meals.

This inn and condo resort, named for the Cherokee word meaning "haven of rest," grew out of an early-20th-century stone-and-wood lodge. The original building now houses the resort's restaurant and meeting rooms and is adjacent to the 1988 lodge. Many guest rooms in the lodge have private balconies facing either the mountains, a small lake, or both. The Bob Timberlake Inn is a more upscale lodge within a lodge. Condominiums are spread among the hills, and the 87-acre property adjoins Moses H. Cone Park, with hiking trails and riding facilities. Pros:

variety of accommodations from condos to motel-like rooms to upscale lodge rooms.

no golf on premises, some units need upgrading. www.chetola.com. 45 rooms, 5 suites, 62 condominiums. In-room: safe (some), kitchen (some). In-hotel: restaurants, bar, pool, tennis courts, gym, laundry facilities, some age restrictions. Credit cards accepted.

This alpine inn and golf resort on 750 acres overlooking Grandfather Mountain and a lush golf course designed by George Cobb (green fees are $90, plus $22 cart fee) offers amenities such as a swimming pool secluded in a natural grotto and comfortable, well-kept rooms dressed in Waverly print fabrics. The main lodge, with a Scottish theme down to red-and-green plaid carpet, has only four rooms. Condos and cottages are also available for rent. The dining room is open only to guests and members; reservations are required, as are a jacket and tie for dinner. Pros:

golf, golf, and more golf; stunning mountain views.

some may not like dress code for dinner. www.houndears.com. 28 rooms. In-hotel: restaurant, golf course, pool, tennis courts, gym. Credit cards accepted. Rate includes: Breakfast.