Room (Azalea Lodge)

The Azalea Lodge Room at Tapoco Lodge Resort has 1 king bed with a pillowtop mattress, premium bedding and fresh sheets. It sleeps 2 guests, which makes it a good fit for a couple or two travelling companions.

The room is soundproofed and air-conditioned, so it is set up for restful sleep. The lodge sits on 120 acres of woodland along the Cheoah River in Nantahala National Forest, about 15 miles from the town of Robbinsville, so the surroundings are peaceful.

The room has a private bathroom with a shower/bathtub combination. It comes with towels, bathrobes, designer toiletries and a hair dryer.

You get a coffee/tea maker, free bottled water, free WiFi and daily housekeeping. An iron and ironing board are also provided. Parking at the lodge is free, though vehicles are left at the owner's risk. Breakfast is available on site for an additional charge.

It sleeps two with a single king bed, so it suits couples best. Children 12 and under are not allowed to stay in the historic lodge rooms because of the building's historic nature, so families with young children should ask the lodge about other accommodation.

Check-in runs from 4 PM to 10 PM. The front desk is staffed from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and there is no after-hours check-in. Check-out is before 10:00 AM. Bring photo ID and a credit card. A $50 damage deposit is collected on arrival and reimbursed within 7 days of check-out. The property's terms set a minimum age of 21.

The Cheoah Dining Room serves breakfast daily from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The riverside Tapoco Tavern is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with tables seated until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays according to third-party listings. It serves burgers, brick-oven pizza and local trout, and reservations are recommended at (828) 498-2800. The Laurel Lounge, just off the lobby, is a cozy bar that one source says stays open until 10 p.m. The Tavern is seasonal, so the Lounge is the main bar in winter.

The property has hiking trails, tennis courts, firepits, a games room, a library and the Tapoco Tin Can Theater, which hosts movie screenings on most Fridays. The Mountain Spa is open Fridays to Sundays from 10 AM to 6 PM. Complimentary weekly yoga is held in the spa massage room or by the river in good weather. There is no swimming pool, but the property does have a hot tub.

The lodge is less than three miles from the start of the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap. The Cherohala Skyway is about 9 miles away and Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest about 13.5 miles. The Cheoah River in front of the lodge has scheduled whitewater release dates. The closest airport is McGhee Tyson (TYS), roughly 76–83 minutes by car. Cell service is limited once you leave the lodge, so plan routes ahead.