Azalea Inn Bed & Breakfast

The Azalea Inn came highly recommended from a colleague for Management Recruiters. He is so impressed with this inn, that he puts his prospective employees up here when they come to town.

My wife and I spent our 10th anniversary weekend in this Inn. The Innkeepers, Frank & Karen Wimbush are the greatest. Frank is the cook and Karen runs the other facets of the inn. Frank is retired from sales and has some really great stories to tell. We hit it off from the word go because I am a buyer and could relate to being on the other side of the sale.

Upon arrival at the Inn, we were greeted in the parking lot and were wished "Happy Anniversary". A nice touch and really made us feel welcome. We grabbed our bags, Frank helped and we went in the inn. Right there, in the entrance hall, was a sign that said Welcome, help yourself to some cookies. A fresh plate of homemade white chocolate macadamia nut cookies awaited. Me, being the queen's tester, had to check them out. They were great! I hated to share, but left some for the other guests.

Frank took us up to our room, showed us the ins and outs, the bath, the amenities, how to work the TV, etc. Then he left us alone, told us to unwind and when we came downstairs, he would show us the rest of the house and tell us about the details of the inn. We would also meet Frazier, a really cool Boxer that is their mascot.

Our room was the Azalea Room, their signature suite. It was intended as a honeymoon suite and since we were celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary, it was appropriate. The room featured a king size bed and an interesting nook over to one side, where you could go and sit in a fluffy comfy chair and read a book or take a nap. This became my favorite place in the mornings, as my wife slept and I got up to catch up on my reading. The bathroom had a stand up shower (my preference) and was roomy and warm.

After getting unpacked, relaxed and refreshed, we ventured downstairs and met Karen. They showed us the dining room and where we would have breakfast the following morning. Then they introduced us to Frazier. He is a really cool Boxer that LOVES people. We became fast friends and I look forward to seeing him again soon.

The town of Banner Elk is small and is a popular snow skiing spot. Since we were there in July, it was a pleasantly warm vacation. There are several little specialty shops in walking distance, an old general store and several restaurants. We chose a local favorite seafood place for dinner the first night. Walked around town, went to a newstand and purchased some things to read the following day. A two night stay is required. The second evening, we had dinner with our friends that recommended the inn.

The Azalea Inn has 7 rooms and two cottages for rent. Their rates are from $99-$185 per night. This includes a gourmet breakfast prepared by Frank. Frank is a very good cook. The first morning we had the usual breakfast of eggs, link sausage, fresh fruit, toast and homemade jelly. The second morning we had stuffed french toast - that was one amazing dish! I look forward to having that again someday.

What I truly enjoyed most was the fellowship with Frank in the kitchen, after breakfast. We just walked in and started talking and telling stories about things that had happened to us in corporate life. Fortunately for Frank though, he had hung up his corporate hat and moved onto operating a B&B.

This inn is charming and relaxed. The meals are outstanding. The innkeepers are very in tune with the customers. Frazier is cool, but I think I mentioned that a few times.

If ever in this part of the world, stop in for a couple of nights.

You can find out more information here:
http://www.azalea-inn.com/

Their contact information, taken from their website is:

Azalea Inn
Frank and Karen Wimbush
888-898-2743
828-898-3482 - fax
email: azaleaInn@Skybest.com