Mountain Spring Splendor

With a name that reflects its geography, a dip between two peaks, The Swag and a new sister property are a must-visit in the South this season. 

When the wheels of our Land Cruiser crunch to a stop at The Swag, we’re 1 mile above sea level in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. I open the door from my back-row seat, where I’ve been riding next to our 7-month-old son, Asher, for the past eight hours from Alabama, and take in a huge gulp of mountain air. It’s cold — mid 30s, about 15 degrees chillier than the base — and I grab Asher and step inside our cozy Hummingbird Cabin. My husband’s building a fire with wood, and a helpful staff member is schlepping our bags. I set Asher on the plush bed and he squeals with delight at a stuffed racoon, his happy sounds harmonizing with the cackle of bluegrass tunes emanating from the radio. It’s giving hygge vibes, and our little family is blissful anticipating our next few days in this mountaintop retreat.

The all-inclusive Swag was founded in 1982; but has plenty of recent updates, thanks to coming under the Relais & Châteaux umbrella in 2020. It toes the line between rustic elegance and secluded luxury: Think time-hewn wood logs and deep soaking tubs; gravel roads and hot stone massages; 1930s Great Smoky Mountains Park fence posts and multicourse meals with amuse-bouches. To visit The Swag is to reconnect with your loved ones and the land. This purpose is evidenced over decades of guests who’ve stayed in these cabins and suites — which have grown to 18 accommodations, including a larger Trinity Cottage that sleeps six — and penned recaps of their stays in notebooks left within each one. “We are well traveled and have been to some incredible places. The Swag has been the most remarkable trip for us in a long time,” reads one entry. “We have never experienced this caliber of service anywhere,” says another. 

While the 250-acre grounds, cabins and main house are exceptional in design and beauty, it’s the team that makes The Swag one of a kind. We notice this from our first dinner in the dining room, where our server had set out place cards for all, including one for Asher at his highchair that was so sweet it made my eyes water. Throughout our stay, he’d receive special attention, including tiny bowls of cheese grits with mini spoons, that he won’t remember, but that I’ll never forget. It’s this level of personalization to each family who visits that sets The Swag in its own class.

“We work to exude warmth and the feeling of familial community and hospitality here,” says Annie Colquitt, who purchased The Swag with her husband from its founders in 2018. The Colquitts are so committed to this vision, they’ll also reopen the 700-acre Cataloochee Ranch — which borders The Swag property and is also a Relais & Châteaux resort — in March. Originally opened in 1933, it now encompasses 12 restored cabins and a new main lodge. While The Swag leans into romance and relaxation, Cataloochee Ranch will be focused on adventure, from horseback riding to shooting sports and a craft studio. If you’re lucky enough to visit, add both resorts to your agenda.