Cabin

Relax at the Read Retreat-ready to host families all 4 seasons

Photo gallery for Relax at the Read Retreat-ready to host families all 4 seasons

Welcome to the Read Retreat!
Updated Kitchen fully equipped
Enjoy the hot tub all year long
The dining room is read to host your family for meals or fun family games
The bedroom loft

Reviews

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
4 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 10148.6 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Air conditioning
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Parking available
  • Fireplace

Explore the area

Map
Beech Mountain, NC
  • Beech Mountain Resort
    ‪5 min drive‬
  • Land of Oz
    ‪9 min drive‬
  • Sugar Mountain Resort
    ‪20 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 10)

Loft Bedroom - "Banner Elk"

1 Queen Bed

Lower Level- "Game-On Deer"

1 Single Bed and 2 Double Beds

Master #1 - "Après-Ski"

1 Queen Bed

Master #2 - "Walk in the Woods"

1 Queen Bed

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 2

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 3

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 4

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Balcony
Outdoor play area
Dining area

About this property

Relax at the Read Retreat-ready to host families all 4 seasons

Welcome to Read Retreat.


Come enjoy the beauty and charm of lovely Beech Mountain here at Read Retreat. The Read Retreat offers many amenities for your next trip to the mountains. This property is located in very close proximity (only two rights and a left!) to Beech Mountain Resort, where you will find fun in both winter and summer months. On the main floor, you can enjoy a comfortable, open floor plan living space. The kitchen area sports stainless steel appliances and an open space perfect for creating food and fun. The living room gives you plenty of comfortable seating surrounding a stone fireplace and a large flat smart screen TV, a cozy place for spending time with family and friends. Off of the other side of the kitchen, you find a beautiful dining room with a large rustic table. On the main level, you will also find two queen suites both with their own full adjacent bathrooms. When you head upstairs you will find another queen suite. As you head downstairs you discover a large comfortable bunk room perfect for kids or teens. Here there are a set of bunk beds with a full trundle bed to give you plenty of sleeping space. The bunk room also has plenty of entertainment options, including a sitting area with a flat-screen TV, gaming system, and an air hockey table. Outside at Read Retreat you have many relaxing options. Enjoy the large outdoor hot tub, relax around the fire pit, or take it easy on the deck while you grill. Option to add Beech Mountain Club access which includes: golf, tennis, pickleball, gym, heated pool and tons of exclusive dining options (extra fee applies. Contact us for more details.) This beautiful location is a great place to enjoy the cool breezes and delightful wooded view. Come experience the joy of the mountains here at Read Retreat for your next vacation.

Property manager

Kimberly Read
Premier Host

Languages

English

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Hot tub
Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Free WiFi
Air conditioning

Have a question?

AI iconBeta

Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.

Similar properties

House Rules

Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM
default

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
default

Events

No events allowed
default

Pets

No pets allowed
default

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
There is parking space for two large vehicles in the parking area and one small vehicle on the road.
Please note: You must walk down a flight of stairs to access the front of the property. Therefore the Read Retreat is not handicap accessible.
You must have a 4-Wheel Drive Vehicle or tire chains during the winter months.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a deadlock

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Banner Elk

Located in Banner Elk, this cabin is in the mountains and on the waterfront. Beech Mountain Resort and Sugar Mountain Resort are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Grandfather Mountain. Travelling with kids? Consider Land of Oz, or check out an event or a game at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Map
Beech Mountain, NC

What's nearby

  • Beech Mountain Resort - 5 min drive - 2.2 km
  • Land of Oz - 9 min drive - 5.0 km
  • Lees-McRae College - 11 min drive - 8.9 km
  • Banner Elk Winery - 15 min drive - 12.3 km
  • Sugar Mountain Resort - 20 min drive - 15.1 km

Getting around

  • Tri-Cities, TN (TRI-Tri-Cities Regional) - 85 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Blind Elk Tap Room - ‬12 min drive
  • ‪Banner Elk Cafe - ‬12 min drive
  • ‪Beech Mountain Brewing Company - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪5506' Skybar - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Kettell Beerworks - ‬12 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Relax at the Read Retreat-ready to host families all 4 seasons pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-out at Relax at the Read Retreat-ready to host families all 4 seasons?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Relax at the Read Retreat-ready to host families all 4 seasons located?

This family-friendly Banner Elk cabin is located on the waterfront, 1.2 mi (1.9 km) from Beech Mountain Resort, and within 6 mi (10 km) of Land of Oz and Buckeye Recreational Center. Banner House Museum and Lees-McRae College are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 41 out of 57 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 15 out of 57 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 57 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 57 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 57 reviews

8.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.4/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Kristina H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great

I am really glad we picked this property.It was lovely
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Beth S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful weekend getaway!

Read Retreat was the perfect setting for a family weekend getaway!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jack B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent

Everything you need
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Hank J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Recommend this rental

Great location just a short drive to the ski area. Hot tub was a great plus.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Haily C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun mountain stay!

Clean, cute property situated perfectly right outside Banner Elk. Tons to do in the area.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Angela H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Bday/fathers day celebration weekend

Great location, cabin fit our needs perfectly and the kids loved the bunkroom. Great time!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful ski vacation

The property was clean and had everything we needed during our stay. The owner responded quickly and the house was exactly as pictured. The hot tub was very nice after long days skiing and my boys loved feeding the deer with the corn that was supplied. We would definitely stay at this property again.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2024

8/10 Good

Sarah S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location!

This was a perfect setting for a summer writing retreat for our cohort of 5. The location is really lovely, with a back yard that leads to a creek and then a walking trail. We had two deer visit us regularly and also saw a mama bear and her four adorable cubs. We each had our own bed, although one brave soul had to sleep in the top bunk. (She was a great sport about that!) Overall a good stay!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024

8/10 Good

Brantley G.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness

Nice cabin in an excellent location for quiet

P
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

CHRISTOPHER W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Avid ASU fans in for the ECU game.

Plenty of room for everyone and four full baths a definite plus. Hot tub, fire pit, carefree deer everywhere and of course the 5500 elevation views. A great place with room for everyone.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lynn D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Read Retreat

This was a fabulous place to getaway with family. We couldn’t have been more pleased with this rental. It was everything and more than expected from rental site. We definitely want to visit again and will recommend to other family and friends.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Jennifer M.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cozy but needs a good cleaning

We enjoyed our stay. It was great having so many bathrooms. Hot tub was wonderful but could have used some instructions. Overall a good cabin.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Regan L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect Ski Getaway

This home was perfect for our ski trip! We had a short drive to Beech mountain and relaxing in the hot tub after a long day was perfect! We had a group of 4 couples and had plenty of space! Kim was a great host and was quick to respond to any needs we had! We even had the chance to feed some deer that were hanging out in the back yard. Such a great time!
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Gena P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

BEAUTIFUL mountain views

We stayed over Christmas with 10 people total from ages 4-44. It was so relaxing and beautiful. We all fit comfortably and had an incredible Christmas vacation. Skiing and tubing was close. Kimberly, the owner was so friendly and gracious! Thank you Read family for helping us have a magical Christmas in the mountains!!!
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jeanne T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Our new favorite...

So glad we stumbled on this cabin. It is an absolute gem. Loved the wood burning fireplace, hot tub, fire pit. Beds were super comfortable, lots of room for everyone to stretch out. Updated bathrooms were a plus. We thoroughly enjoyed the cabin and the area/neighborhood and would love to buy in this area. The "hiking trails" behind the cabin were more than just neighborhood paths! We left the cabin and were gone exploring for hours. For those nervous about driving in the mountains it is steep but not sketchy. I wouldn't try it in the snow without 4WD but our old minivan did just fine.Thank you for sharing your wonderful retreat with us!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Kimberly M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Absolutely magical retreat!!!

My family and I absolutely loved staying in this beautiful cabin. I really can’t say enough great things about this place. In fact, we loved it so much that we are planning to head back up there in a month or two to enjoy an even longer visit!! The location is perfect, backed up right onto a trail. We literally would walk out the back door and just hop onto the hiking trails. These trails were breathtaking as well. We had the pleasure of seeing quite a bit of wildlife as well, including many deer! In the evenings we would cook hot dogs and burgers over the fire pit followed by s’mores of course ; ) The hot tub was a nice treat as well. Again, I cannot say enough great things about this property. Clearly we thoroughly enjoyed it as we are heading back up there very soon. 💕 Read Retreat for the win!!!!!
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2020

8/10 Good

Tara H.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness

Great location

We really enjoyed our stay at the Reed Retreat! Location is perfect! There were a few things that kept me from rating 5 stars though…. Cabin could have used a little TLC in cleaning department. Pots and pans are definitely on their last leg. Toaster bottom falls out when lifted. Garbage disposal not working while there even though someone came out to “fix” it. Shower also clogged up. But despite these minor issues my family had a wonderful time and the beds are extremely comfortable!!
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2022

8/10 Good

Cheryl L.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Very rustic cabin and lots of wildlife in the back yard

The cabin was rustic and quaint. Loved watching the deer come almost right up to the kids in the back yard! We had a great time, but struggled to find all the equipment We needed in the kitchen. Some of the pots and cookie sheets had been burned and were unusable. Most all the knives and cooking utensils and towels looked and felt cheap like they were dollar store purchases. The furniture was dusty and the lighting left a lot to be desired, especially in the bedrooms. The tv didn’t work in the living room which turned out to be ok. The best thing was the hot tub! We loved it!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2020

8/10 Good

Sharon T.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Disliked: Cleanliness

Vacation 2024

The property itself was exactly as shown in the pictures. We did enjoy our stay at the Read Retreat. We had 2 momma deer and their babies visit us every morning and evening. Our grandkids loved playing in the stream on the property. However, I do have a couple issues that I did talk to the host about. One was that the house could have had a little more attention to detail on the cleaning. My grandkids found several pieces of hard sharp plastic on the floor of the game room. We could never determine what it came from. Two, the house shows pictures of the club house pool, tennis and golf which we found out are NOT included. You have to transfer the club membership to your name in order to access. I was told by the host that it would cost $900.00 to transfer, but the clubhouse told us that it would be $300.00. Had I known this I would not have booked this house because we were planning on hanging out be the pool on our last day.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Mackenzie D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Saviors from Elliot !!

We arrived on Friday when Elliott crossed the Us. Leaving most of the mountain with a treacherous and slow drive in, most homes without power, pipes frozen , and the ski resort closed. The Read retreat concurred all those problem. Kim (owner) called on our way in to make sure we knew if the conditions. We live at WB but grew up in ohio so we immediately knew to keep the faucets dripping, and start a fire. We had power when we got to the mountain. Only lost our kitchen sink to pipes freezing (which came back in the next days). The home was warm and cozy!! My family enjoyed the few days of being all locked in together to play games and have dance parties! We will definetly be back to the mountain! And would completely stay at read retreat again!!
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Joe T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great mountain getaway!

We loved our stay at the Read Retreat! Our group of two families (4 adults and 4 boys aged 6-11) take an annual trip to the mountains to explore nature and seek out salamanders, and this cabin was a perfect base for doing so! There is literally a springhead in the backyard, with a small creek flowing down into Pond Creek (which was great for brook trout, btw). We saw hundreds of salamanders during the long weekend, as well as a black bear (heed the warnings about proper trash disposal!), loads of deer, squirrels, birds, etc. The house was very comfortable, and the beds and linens were all new and very soft. The bathrooms were a little small, but made up for it by being fully renovated with great showerheads, water pressure, and plenty of hot water. The deck and porch were both great for enjoying the yard, as was the hot tub after a long day of hiking. The public access trail along the creek was a big value-added, and if you follow it down you get to a nice public fishing pond. It is also a beautiful area to explore (Beech Mountain, Banner Elk, Grandfather Mountain, even Boone is nearby), and this cabin makes a great base for doing so. Thank you for the great stay! Our salamander and other biodiversity observations from around the cabin can be seen on iNaturalist (username- josiah)
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Robin D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

8/10 Good

angie s.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Disliked: Cleanliness

Friends

Spent a lovely weekend with some dear friends and made some wonderful memories. They cabin was the perfect size and perfect location. We had everything that we needed. The deer that came into the back yard and ate out of our hands were a special treat. The only thing that was a disappointment was that it needed some extra cleaning. I made the owner aware and I’m sure she handled it. It is a great cabin to make some lasting memories.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Susan B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Relaxing with nature.

Wonderful family getaway.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

About the host

Hosted by Kimberly Read

Host profile image
Hi! We are Erik, Kim and Brent Read! We live, work and play in South Florida. Both Erik and Kim were born and raised in Pennsylvania, but have resided in in South since the 90's. Our home is in Florida, but our hearts are in North Carolina! While we love boating, water sports and the beach, we yearn for the change of seasons, snow, hiking and winter sports as well!

Why they chose this property

It has always been a dream of ours to own a cabin in the mountains and a few years ago our dream came true! Erik and Kim have vacationed at Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain for decades and now we get to give our son, Brent, the same experiences we had growing up. We are excited to pass down the Read Retreat to the future generations, but in the meantime we get to share our little slice of heaven with other families!

What makes this property unique

The Read Retreat is a special cabin that allows families to reconnect with nature and each other. We have a creek that runs right through the backyard. If you wade across the creek, you can access miles of hiking trails and maybe even stumble upon "Fairy Glen." We are less than a mile for the Beech Mountain Resort which offers snowboarding, skiing, outdoor ice skating and tubing in the winter and biking, hiking, and mountain top yoga in the summer. No trip is complete without a stop at the Beech Mountain Brewery located right on the Mountain! There is nothing better than curling up with a book in front of the crackling fire, unless it is watching the deer mull about the backyard while you soak in the hot tub! We love our cabin and we know you will too!

Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests