Lake Rabun Hotel

My husband and I stayed for a weekend at Lake Rabun Hotel because our lake house on Lake Rabun was being used by friends. Bad timing, my fault!! But we love this hotel and were glad to have the opportunity to use it! It is an older hotel, so the floors will be squeaky, but the rooms will be clean & fresh. The decor is so lovely! You won't be able to see the lake, probably, but if trees & flowers are a fan of yours, you will love the view. The restaurant is fantastic, with one of the best chefs in the state of GA. There is always a special, but a regular menu as well. Breakfast is included in the price of the room. There is also a restaurant on the lake across the road, called Max's Lakeside, with the Swinging Bar downstairs. If you just want to be in the North Georgia mountains for a short vacation, Lake Rabun Hotel is the place to go!!

Love this property. Consistent and lovely.

Our entire experience at Lake Rabun Hotel was first rate. The staff was friendly and accommodating to our needs. The rooms were clean and tidy. The breakfast was excellent. This is my fourth stay at the hotel over a 50-year span and I would do so again.

We were very disappointed in both the hotel and restaurant. While the staff was friendly and the rooms were clean, there was much else that was not as expected.
Our Garden Room faced the rear parking lot and it was next to the kitchen exhaust fan. So while the private porch was charming, you could not use it between 6 am and 9 pm when the kitchen was cooking. It smelled of cooking exhaust and it was loud.
Also, our room had no temperature control so it was very cold during out stay. We couldn’t open the door to the porch due to the smell and the noise.
The restaurant food was billed as gourmet but the breakfast was more ‘diner’ style serving scrambled eggs and hash browns most days or pancakes and eggs.
Dinner was similar as it was nothing unique or special. The food was fresh but it was very basic in preparation.
Lastly, there was no lake access or lake view at all.
Very disappointed.

whole hotel was freezing, it was warmer outside than in, we stayed in the Andrea room with a fireplace, otherwise we would have left; deferred building maintenance throughout including insulation visibly falling out of our window, there was not a single chair in the whole hotel that was comfortable, bathroom molding was filthy, bed was the worst mattress we have even slept in, tried sleeping from the foot to the head of bed, but no difference, breakfast buffet wasn't even as good as motel 6, the dinner however was excellent in the restaurant.

Booked a little getaway for my partner's birthday, based on positive reviews I read online. We were not disappointed. The Lake Rabun Hotel was cozy, quaint, clean, lovely, and the staff was very nice and accommodating. Booked birthday dinner at the restaurant. Delicious, and our server Tonni was so cheerful and attentive. Will definitely be back!

Staff

Lake Rabun hotel is a really lovely place! The building is a wonderfully kept historic property, the staff is helpful and efficient, and the food is absolutely fantastic. We really enjoyed our dinner at the restaurant, but the breakfasts (which are included in the price of your stay) were the standout. We can't wait to go back :)

wonderful restaurant so we had a great breakfast and a couple dinners there. food was very good. they cooked my Pittsburgh style steak to perfection.

accommodations for good as well.

chris s

We stayed at the cabin next to the hotel. It had a hole in the roof for the porch and is about to fall down and kill someone. The bed was absolutely the worst I have ever tried to sleep on and the shower has mold.

We loved the staff and the food was good and that is the only positive thing I can say about this place. I would not stay here again or recommend it or the area for that matter.

Very unusual with quirky furniture. Very pleasant evening receptionist. Comfortable bed.

First the positives - all the staff were lovely and helpful. In addition, the food at the restaurant for dinner was very good.

As far as the facilities, the cabin we stayed at needs a lot of repair. There was mold in the shower and the deck had a hole in the roof and a support beam that had fallen such that the roof is caving in and at some point in time going to fall hopefully not hurting someone since it’s right by the front door. We booked five rooms for our party there for a wedding and we all agreed that the beds were some of the most uncomfortable we’ve ever slept in. They are exceedingly small, very old and caved in. I don’t think any of us got a good night sleep while we were there for the three nights we had booked.

If you book hotel rooms in the main building beware there is absolutely no privacy. The walls are apparently very thin such that you can hear everything in everyone else’s room. They have a coffee station located right outside of those rooms so if anyone is getting coffee you will know it and awaken you if you were sleeping.

The website for this hotel is misleading at best in a lot of aspects. There is no swimming nearby unless you were to go to the marina walk into the boat ramp. Moreover, we were expecting there to be walking or hiking trails nearby and learned that they are 5 miles away which is problematic when you don’t have your own transportation. There no restaurants or shops within walking distance, other than an Italian restaurant across the street so in no way is this Hotel centrally located to anything.

Anyone who comes to this area should know that there are no taxis or Ubers available so if you are planning on, for example, going to a wedding and being responsible to not drinking and driving that is not feasible. Moreover, if youwant to go to any of the nearby towns for dinner or shopping that also is not feasible unless you get the one Uber driver who charges and exceedingly high rate because of supply and demand. We had to pay him $70 for the 15 minute drive to dinner in Clayton. Unfortunately, we learned the hard way that this area is extremely remote and you will feel like you are not in this century.

The History.

We had dinner in the restaurant for the second time. The first was in February and it was pretty good. Not this time. I was steered to the lamb chops by my server. While the baby potatoes and zucchini were good, the chops were a disaster. They were not flame grilled as stated and the fat on the sides was uncooked. But the worst part was that they were served with a full cup of uncooked white onions on top. This was not in the menu description and was just so weird. My husband’s salmon was fair and the sweet bourbon sauce on top didn’t have a trace of bourbon flavor. It came with the same sides, although I heard my server offering other diners options, which we were not. Since there was only one server that night, a Sunday, meals were delivered by other staff. One of whom tipped my husband’s plate and spilled a stream of liquid onto the table, including his phone, and the floor, barely missing dumping on his lap. Sigh…we won’t return.

This was our first opportunity to stay in the hotel, although we have eaten several times in the restaurant, most recently this past Easter afternoon, where, fortunately brunch was served late and excellent Bloody Marys were on order. Currently, the restaurant has limited evening hours, at least in the off-season, so check on that if it might be a problem for you. (Good pizza restaurant right across the street, on the lakeside.) Breakfast is included in the stay. I liked the first morning's breakfast better than the second morning, but even the second beats the typical hotel complimentary breakfast. Coffee good. There is a coffee machine on the floor, but I wasn't sure how to use it, and sound is a problem-- that is, the slightest sound carries throughout, at least, that floor. But coffee was available from before 8, on the first level, just outside the restaurant. Many balconies and nooks on property to sit in and enjoy the grounds, so, it isn't necessary to pay extra for a balcony room. I did pick a private balcony for my room so I could sip coffee in my bathrobe in the early morning. Biggest "con" is that you can almost eavesdrop on conversations in the next room, or the one next to that. But otherwise really enjoyed the ambiance and the service provided. (I don't disagree with an earlier post about the restaurant's prices. However, I think they are typical for a resort area. Lodging prices very reasonable, at least when we were there in early May.)

The hotel was beautiful and very homey. The staff were amazing and were very easy to talk too. I would 100% stay again.

Loved the stay! We were looking for an intimate getaway without the kids. The hotel has a lot of character and charm. Very peaceful environment. Room was clean and beautiful. We could hear the road from our room but that is to be expected with a 100-year-old hotel. Staff was friendly and helpful.

Beautiful property! Amazing staff. Wonderful restaurant. Nostalgic. Highly recommend.

Unique cozy lodge nestled at Lake Rabun. Quiet and relaxing. We stayed in the “Moonshine” room. Although initially I thought the room was small, it was perfect for our short stay. I liked the fact the rooms did not have a phone or TV. The staff were so nice and accommodating. A big shout out to Samantha who was a ray of sunshine, personable and informative. The hotel was very clean considering its age and the value was pretty reasonable. We loved the location to the hiking trails and waterfalls. The breakfasts were hearty and delicious. We will be back!