N.C. inn named among top 100 in nation

Waynesville, N.C. — A leading travel magazine named a 15-room inn in the Smokies one of the top 100 hotels in the country.

The Swag Country Inn in Waynesville, N.C., was ranked 22nd by Conde Nast Traveler in its 21st annual Readers' Choice Awards.

The inn is on the boundary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park about 50 minutes west of Asheville. The magazine said it "offers guests a mountain meadow retreat, award-winning restaurant, world-class hiking trails, warm hospitality, and five-star comfort."

"We are honored to receive such a prestigious award, and it makes it so much more valuable that it came directly from the readers of Conde Nast Travel," innkeeper Deener Matthews said. "Considering we are a relatively small inn, this speaks volumes about the loyalty of our guests and how much they love The Swag."

The building was built in 1971 and converted to an inn in 1982. It incorporates 17th- and 18th-century hand-hewn logs and local field stone in the cabins and main lodge.

The inn lies on 250 acres atop a 5,000-foot ridge.