Cabin

Mountain View Retreat/2BR Log Home Apt w/Private Dining Deck & BBQ/Massage

Photo gallery for Mountain View Retreat/2BR Log Home Apt w/Private Dining Deck & BBQ/Massage

A log cabin with a balcony, outdoor seating, and a stone wall.
A kitchen with wooden cabinets, a granite countertop, a stove, and a refrigerator.
A living room with a white sofa, a beige sofa, a glass coffee table, and a plaid armchair. There is a painting on the wall, a lamp on a side table, and a potted plant.
A kitchen with wooden cabinets, granite countertops, and a refrigerator. There is a dining area with chairs and a table visible in the background.
A rustic cabin with a wooden deck and a stone staircase leading to a porch.

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional

Highlights

  • Family fun awaits
    Top-rated for families.
  • Beach equipment
    A rare find — beach equipment ready to go for your days by the sea.
  • Centrally-located
    You're never far from where you need to be with this convenient location.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Close to Nantahala National Forest
2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 6

Popular amenities

  • Massages in spa
  • Ski lift privileges
  • Patio
  • Kitchenette
  • Toys
  • Barbecue

Explore the area

View map
Sylva, NC
  • Place, Harrahs Cherokee Casino
    ‪30 min drive‬
  • Place, Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
    ‪31 min drive‬
  • Place, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
    ‪34 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

2 Single Beds and 1 Queen Bed

Living Room Sleeper Sofa

1 Double Futon

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Kitchenette
Separate dining area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Mountain View Retreat/2BR Log Home Apt w/Private Dining Deck & BBQ/Massage

---Your Mountain Retreat Awaits—Peaceful, Scenic, and Close to Everything!

Welcome to Crystalsnest, a warm and inviting 2BR/1BA private apartment nestled beneath our stunning Jim Barna log cabin in the heart of the Smokies. Set on 2 peaceful acres with a panoramic mountain view, this cozy retreat is perfect for families, weekenders, WCU visitors, or anyone craving a little mountain magic.

---Sleeps up to 5 comfortably

King bedroom.

Queen bedroom.

Pull-out sofa in spacious living room.


---Your Own Private Deck with Epic Views
Step out onto your exclusive guest deck for morning coffee with the clouds nestled in the valley, or grill dinner at sunset as the sky turns lavender and gold. You’ll have your own BBQ, dining table, fire pit, and open space to relax—it’s all yours.

---Fully Stocked Kitchen + Dining for 8
The kitchen is ready for family meals or lazy breakfasts: full-size fridge, stove, oven, dishwasher, microwave, drip coffee + Keurig, cookware, glassware, and more. The handcrafted cherry table seats 8, plus bar seating for two.

---Game Night or Movie Night? You Choose.
Wind down with board games (Scrabble, Battleship, Uno, and more) or enjoy hundreds of channels—including HBO and streaming—on the large LED smart TV. There’s also a Blu-ray player and retro Nintendo GameCube for old-school fun.

---Extras You’ll Love

Fast, reliable Starlink WiFi

Plush towels & linens

Peaceful, quiet neighborhood

Massage discounts available from the owner (licensed therapist!)

Impeccably clean, fully furnished, thoughtfully stocked


---Perfect Base for Exploring Western NC

5 min → Charming downtown Dillsboro

8 min → Historic Sylva

12 min → Western Carolina University

20 min → Cherokee / Harrah’s Casino

20 min → Waynesville

30 min → Maggie Valley Skiing

45 min → Asheville

Easy access to hiking, rafting, tubing, ziplines & all the mountain adventure you can handle.



---Booking Details

2-night minimum through September

3-night minimum in October (leaf season)

Game weekends & holidays book fast—secure your dates early

One-time cleaning fee: $75

Add dates for prices

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Check out before 12:00 PM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
Great for families!
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Events

Events allowed: family gatherings and birthday parties
As long as it cleared with the owners.
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Outside smoking is fine.

Important information

You need to know

Property # 1155142vb
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
Parties and events (including family gatherings and birthday parties) are allowed on site. Maximum attendees: 10
Note from host: As long as it cleared with the owners.
Long-term renters welcome
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a deadlock
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room

About the area

Sylva

Located in Sylva, this cabin is in the city centre and in the mountains. Jackson County Historic Courthouse and Cowee Mountain Ruby Mine are local landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Nantahala National Forest and Tuckasegee River. Jackson County Green Energy Park and Country Side Bowling Lanes are also worth visiting. Kayaking and waterskiing offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with hunting and mountain biking nearby.
View more Cabin rentals in SylvaOpens in a new window
Map
Sylva, NC

What's nearby

  • Western Carolina University - 14 min drive - 15.7 km
  • Harrahs Cherokee Casino - 30 min drive - 36.1 km
  • Great Smoky Mountains Railroad - 31 min drive - 43.7 km
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park - 34 min drive - 48.4 km
  • Cataloochee Ski Area - 60 min drive - 75.9 km

Getting around

  • Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) - 63 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Courtyard Dining Hall - ‬15 min drive
  • ‪Cook Out - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Sonic Drive-In - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪El Patron - ‬14 min drive
  • ‪Starbucks - ‬13 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Mountain View Retreat/2BR Log Home Apt w/Private Dining Deck & BBQ/Massage pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much does it cost to stay at Mountain View Retreat/2BR Log Home Apt w/Private Dining Deck & BBQ/Massage?

As of 12 Oct 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Mountain View Retreat/2BR Log Home Apt w/Private Dining Deck & BBQ/Massage on 3 Jan 2027 start from AU$812, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

How much is parking at Mountain View Retreat/2BR Log Home Apt w/Private Dining Deck & BBQ/Massage?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Mountain View Retreat/2BR Log Home Apt w/Private Dining Deck & BBQ/Massage?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Mountain View Retreat/2BR Log Home Apt w/Private Dining Deck & BBQ/Massage?

Checkout is at 12:00 PM.

Where is Mountain View Retreat/2BR Log Home Apt w/Private Dining Deck & BBQ/Massage located?

Located in the heart of Sylva, this cabin is steps from Nantahala National Forest and 1.4 mi (2.2 km) from The American Museum of the House Cat. Tuckasegee River and Jackson County Green Energy Park are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Reviews

9.8

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. 31 out of 35 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 35 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 35 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 35 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 35 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Staff & service

10/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Conveniently located, beautiful mountain views, and wonderful hospitality!
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Great Place

A very clean, quiet, comfortable place to stay while visiting the Cullowhee area. Scenic views and great location!
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
My family truly enjoyed staying at Mountain View! House was very well stocked with everything we needed. Beautiful decorated! Check in was great!! Will be staying again!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Basement Beyond Compare

Beautiful, comfortable, relaxing, peaceful. The location is central to the small towns and natural’s beauty. We enjoyed spending the days out and about and returning to our home away from home with beautiful views and great outdoor space. It is spacious, beautifully decorated with comfortable sofas and beds. We also enjoyed time outside in the evenings listening to the night sounds of nature and sitting by the fire pit. The host was very responsive in meeting our requests, but respected our privacy. I would highly recommend this vacation rental. A definite 10+ out of 10.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Great Family Thanksgiving Getaway!

We stayed at Crystal nest for 4 nights and it was so relaxing and beautiful. The kitchen was fully stocked allowing us to prepare our Thanksgiving dinner. Mike even bought a pan for us so we could roast our turkey. It comfortably slept 6. We had 4 adults and 2 kids. The views were fantastic and our personal deck with a fire pit made relaxing with some coffee in the fresh air a delight. Not to mention the s’mores. The surrounding small towns were perfect for outings and the Polar Express train ride for the kids in Bryson City was a blast. The hardest thing was sharing one bathroom but we survived 😂. The ground floor cabin was beautifully decorated, cozy, clean and warm and inviting. Plus it was stocked with games. Mike was very friendly and attentive to anything we needed. We had a wonderful family getaway. Thanks!
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2017
Response from VrboOwner on 1 Sept 2023
So, so wonderful to have you all for that weekend. You are a wonderful family! It was great also to talk with your Mom and Dad. So glad you had a great time! Michael
Verified review

6/10 Okay

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

Excellent view!

The view from the front of the rental was amazing, such beautiful tree-covered mountains. The rental is a basement apartment built into a hill, and it has nice windows along the front wall. The bedroom with a king didn’t have windows, and the bed was hard to get in and out of (tight fit, would have been easier if I’d been able to crawl in). The owners live upstairs and were very helpful and responsive. Most renters’ reviews didn’t mention the noise of a basement apartment, but it’s pretty typical. A sweet spot was the wonderful piano playing of one of the owners. He was very considerate and only played a couple of times during the week we rented, and asked if it was okay first.
Stayed 8 nights in Jun 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

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

Wonderful getaway

Despite a lot of rain, we spent three wonderful days at this location. We felt right at home in the cozy apartment. Michael and Javier are very friendly hosts. The view from the porch was amazing!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2019
Verified review

8/10 Good

Overall a very good experience. Very, very clean. Living space was spacious

Very easy and hassle free
Stayed 2 nights in May 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Great for motorcycles

We brought two motorcycles for a week of riding around the area. Plenty of room inside and out, very clean and everything we needed was there.
Stayed 5 nights in May 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

One of our favorite places to stay!

A very clean, quiet, lovely place to stay while visiting the Cullowhee area. Scenic view and great location! We've stayed here 3 times now!
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

We loved it

We love our stay so much we be back soon
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2019
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Beautiful location.

Beautiful location. Enjoyed sitting out and looking at the mountains. Enjoyed a fire pit in the evening and looking at the stars.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Beautiful property and setting!

Hosts were very accommodating and great! Everything we needed was provided. Great experience.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Perfect!

Loved the location, the hosts, and the accommodations! I will be back.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

A Perfect Getaway spot!

The Title of Basement apartment does not Justify how AWESOME this home is! It’s nothing like a basement or apartment, but more a Mini Cabin! Upon waking in we felt right at home! Everything was SO CLEAN, Cozy and Welcoming! And when I say Clean, I mean CLEAN! Javier made sure we felt right at home letting us know if there was anything we needed to contact him ANYTIME! But we didn’t have to, because everything was already perfect ! The location was great since we’re about 30 minutes to the Ski areas and great food, it was so convenient. Joeys Pancake house was our Breakfast Spot and Willie Brooks BBQ was just mouthwatering Anytime of the day! I can’t say enough about how Cozy this cabin was! We will be booking here for many years to come! I love a home away from home mini vacay and this was Perfect! Thanks Again For making us feel right at home :)
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Loved it!

This was our 2nd time staying at this place. Brought my family this time, we all loved it. Clean, close to town, close to Blue Ridge, Cherokee and other places we like to visit and only an hour to Asheville.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Beautiful space

Had a lovely visit to the smokey mountains. This home was comfortable and had everything we needed to enjoy ourselves. Was close to the highway to get where we needed to go but nestled into the mountains with a beautiful view.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Awesome spot in the Smokies!!!

Great little get away spot, super clean and had everything needed!! Owner was great in communicating and everything just went perfect for our Thanksgiving weekend!! Thanks so much The Isaacsons
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2018
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Very nice homeowners..very clean and beautiful home apartment with stunning views!!

It was so clean and beautifully decorated with the most stunning of views!! Furnished and stocked with everything we needed. So impressive and two of the nicest homeowners ever!! We will be planning another trip to stay in the spring/ summer of 2019! Thank you guys so much for the warm hospitality!! Happy Holidays!!!!
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Beautiful and Relaxing

This place was great! Very beautiful and the hospitality was like no other! Can not wait to come back one day!!
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2018
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Wonderful stay!

Beautiful home with a great view of the mountains. The owners were very helpful and welcoming!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Everything was so nice!

Beautiful view and the place was so clean and comfortable. I would definitely stay here again :)
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2018
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Great place!

We loved this place! So immaculate and clean and beautifully decorated. The kitchen was equipped with anything you could possibly need. Such comfortable beds and couches and our kids had a blast with the game cube they didn’t want to leave. We would love to come back again.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Extremely comfortable and relaxing

Beautifully decorated and very relaxing. Would recommend to family and friends. And would definitely stay again.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2018
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Really great!

Our stay was wonderful! The home was comfortable and well furnished. We had everything we needed. The location was perfect also.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2018

About the host

Hosted by Michael Yannette

Host profile image
Michael Yannette as an artist and real estate agent with Sotheby's International Real Estate iin Highlands, NC. Beyond diving into his passion for real estate, Michael Yannette brings a unique eye, creative intuition, and deep love for the North Carolina mountains to every client interaction. Originally from Florida, he relocated to Western North Carolina over a decade ago, drawn by the serenity, soul, and sense of possibility in mountain living. His longstanding fascination with property, design, and transformation is matched by a cultivated sensitivity to the needs and dreams of others.

Before real estate, Michael enjoyed a distinguished career as a multifaceted performing artist - pianist, actor, playwright, and musical director - known for creating and performing in bold works like An Evening with George Gershwin and the spiritually charged Fantasia on Mysterium. He also founded acclaimed arts programs, including the long-running music and theater initiative with Cherokee students. His work in the arts sharpened the same intuitive and listening skills he now brings to every real estate journey.

Check out Michael's other VRBO property in Cancun, MX... Property #399514.

Why they chose this property

This property has everything that a mountain property should have - a stunning deck and view that is absolutely stunning! It is an inexpensive property for up to 8 people that has a beautiful mountain themed interior and a full kitchen. The apartment is perfect well appointed with everything you need for a great family or romantic vacation. The owners are always available to you but also give you complete privacy to enjoy the home and make it your own.

Languages:

English, French, Spanish

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
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