Re-Imagining The Greystone Inn: The Ellis Years
If you missed them, catch up on the early years of The Greystone Inn in our extended blog series. Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 cover its early years as a grand private home; in Part 4, the mansion undergoes a stint as the Lake Toxaway Country Club; and then in Part 5 and Part 6, we chronicle the birth of the Greystone Inn under its original owners, Tim and Boo Boo Lovelace.
Shannon and Geoff Ellis of The Greystone Inn.
The serendipitous history of The Greystone Inn continued when current owners Geoff and Shannon Ellis happened to vacation in the area in 2014.
According to Geoff, “We stayed at The Greystone while on a family holiday with our daughter, who was climbing Looking Glass [Rock]. The location of the property was incredible but sadly it needed a lot of attention.”
“Two years later, we heard the owners [Natural Retreats] closed the doors and were actively trying to sell it. We knew the property and community was incredibly special. After long discussions with each other and our team at our sister property in South Carolina, we began the long due diligence process to purchase the property.”[1]
The sister property he references is a beautiful hotel called The Willcox in Aiken, SC, with a pretty fascinating story of its own. Built in 1898, The Willcox was once famous for hosting politicians, princes, and captains of industry. But with the passing of the gilded age, there had been many challenges for the aging hotel.
Enter the Ellises, who in 2008 opened a restaurant in The Willcox. However, within just a few months of opening, they were told that if the hotel was not sold, its doors would close forever on January 1, 2010. Despite a $10 million renovation in 2000 (and other previous efforts to reclaim the magic of its past days), The Willcox had failed again.
So, with a bridge loan from a friend and 10 minutes to spare, Geoff and Shannon purchased the property on New Year’s Eve 2009. In 2011 The Willcox was awarded the Triple Palmetto award as the most sustainable hotel/restaurant in the state, and by 2012, The Willcox was recognized by Travel + Leisure readers as the #32 Best Hotel in the World.
According to Shannon, “The success of The Willcox is the magical result of community support and the commitment and passion of a great team. Each one of us is proud to be part of the history of The Willcox and sincerely enjoys contributing to her success.”
And with that experience already under their belts, the couple and their team were prepared, perhaps perfectly, to become the new owners and managers of The Greystone Inn.
Geoff recalls: “Shannon and I purchased The Greystone Inn on November 1, 2017 after it had been closed for almost four years. The property was badly neglected and needed major renovations. Thanks to the help of many people, we were able to do a two-year renovation in six months.”[3]
Shannon remembers one particularly distressing moment during the renovation: “The area was hit with what locals told us was the worst cold front in 25 years. We walked through the front door of The Greystone and it looked like Niagra Falls pouring through the ceiling. We’d lost seventeen pipes to the cold, and to this day, we are still sensitive to the hiss of a burst pipe!”
In fact, the Willcox and The Greystone share many similarities. They are both historic boutique hotels with restaurants and spas. Each location has unique stories, such as Indian legends describing the healing powers of the area to the railroad tracks laid nearby to help establish these summer and winter colonies of the gilded age.
The Greystone Inn.
The Ellises credit much of their success to the communities around their properties. Shannon explains it this way: “We have a tremendous team and both hotels are exceptional in many ways but it has been the people of each community who believed in preserving the history and integrity of the area, so passionately, that they went to tremendous efforts to support us and help us bring these hotels back to life.”
“The Lake Toxaway community came together in ways that are unprecedented: From financially ensuring the hotel could handle the first three years of re-opening, to actually making beds, vacuuming, and cleaning after the construction crews as we raced to open in time to host a wedding. The Greystone Inn would not have reopened, if not for the tremendous support of the Lake Toxaway community.”
The Ellises share an interest in the history of both properties, and Shannon says they feel “extremely lucky” to have found the original 1913 architectural plans for the Greystone that Lucy Armstrong had drawn up with Hentz and Reid, a well-known Atlanta firm. “These plans allowed us to see how the home was originally built, so that over the years we’ve been able to restore the original “flow” of the house, just the way Lucy intended it so many years ago.”
Although the property was the Armstrong’s summer house, and originally opened only in season under the care of the Lovelaces, The Greystone Inn today is open year-round, with an incredible team of local professionals who can care for any need. The restaurant, bar, and spa are also open to the public year-round.
Besides an array of beautifully well-appointed rooms from suites to condos, The Greystone Inn also offers a full-service spa with an expansive selection of services.
The inn’s Lakeside Dining Room is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with wonderful views of the lake.
The Mansion Bar offers drinks and a selection of small plates and appetizers so guests of the historic home can relax in front of a puzzle or game with friends or family, or just gaze into the fire or out at the water.
The Greystone also has wonderful relationships with local businesses that can provide off-site adventures including a private guided waterfall tour, private water trout fishing, a falconry experience, boat rentals and more.
Under the Ellis’s care, The Greystone Inn continues to be recognized with both national and local awards.
Below are just a few of the recent designations:
- Top 20 Resorts in the South – Condé Nast Traveler
- Top 15 Best Resorts in the South – Travel + Leisure World
- Top 15 Historic Hotels in the South – Southern Living Magazine
- Award of Excellence – Wine Spectator 2018, 2019, 2020
- 2019 Transylvania County Employer of the Year – Mountain Area Workforce Development Board
- 2019 Outstanding WIOA Business Partner – Mountain Area Workforce Development Board
Today’s Greystone Inn carries its original owners’ history through many of those early period details, and it also builds on the legacy of charm and hospitality first introduced by the Lovelace family. The magnificence of its surroundings continues to inspire; and that remains the heart & soul of The Greystone experience.
According to Shannon Ellis, “There is just such a beautiful energy and peacefulness in the home and in the area. Mostly it is the way you feel when you are here, as if you’ve arrived home after being away for a while. The way you feel when you cozy up on a comfy sofa with a warm blanket, a crackling fire, a glass of wine, and a good book: That’s the essence of The Greystone Inn.”
Check out The Greystone Inn website or call 828.966.4700 for complete information!
