Disappointing experience, won't book again
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 1/21/12
After much research and waffling back and forth (due to mixed on-line reviews, mostly about the hotel), I finally decided to give New Life Hiking a try in Oct. I realize I was there just after Hurricane Irene, which made a mess of the area (kudos to the locals who banned together to get things back in order so quickly!). But the overall experience was a disappointment ... and i don't think it was because of Mother Nature.
New Life HIking stayed open a week longer than usual in Oct, perhaps they shouldn't have ... I heard that most of the regular guides and staff were gone. I presume this influenced my experience.
Food: I found the food to be average, with the exception of one dinner which was fabulous. Overall choices were limited, b'fast the exact same every day. While I was not there to count calories, I would have liked some nutrition info for each meal so I could make an informed choice -- there was no info, not even a printed menu .. we waited for our server to tell us outrchoices. Some guests found the food bland and brought sauces or spices to the table.
Hiking: a crap shoot. Some days great, other days not. No pre-hike communication to guests, no giving choices at b'fast so we could think about where we wanted to go. Everyone just showed up at 9am and had to ask the various guides for the plan. Some guides were great, others not (one guide one day stayed in the back of our group and listed to her iPod the entire hike).
Other activities: unimpressive. I took a few classes in the afternoon, but they were held in a room next to the hotel bar ... yoga at 5pm meant we got to listen to Happy Hour conversations! Luckily I had a car, so usually spent the afternoons elsewhere.
Hotel: I read some pretty bad reviews of The Inn at Six Mountains. To be honest, I didn't find it to be that bad. Yes, it is a bit run down but I found my room to be clean so it was good enough for me. The staff was friendly. I had a GREAT massage one night, wish I could remember her name but I can't.
Even though I was disappointed and won't be back, I will say that several women I met during my stay were repeat customers and love New Like Hiking. I honestly could not understand why.