It's been so long, and so much has happened in those months. Back in April when I paused the Top 20, it was with the intent of just regathering my ideas and how I wanted to proceed with it. Since April, actually mid May I launched my own luxury travel agency, secured my LLC and state liscense to be insured, and become an independent affiliate of Avenue Two Travel. Of course if you follow the blog or are a client you've been aware of this via updates and notifications. Upon opening my own agency of course things got very busy as not only was I taking care of my clients my A2T (& continue to do so), but now I'm bringin own my own new clientele to Mr. Travel Agent, LLC. With all that responabilty to my agency and my clients I had to step away from the Top 20 for awhile, and focus on the future, profitabilty & getting my agency name out there online, an continue to do that nearly every day.
With the last week or two getting caught up, and little slow down, I actually found time to consider bringing back the Top 20 and finishing it off. There are 9 more resorts to go to wrap it up and reach number 1. How I'm going to approach the Top 9 now, are a little different. I'm going to make these shorter, and not as much detail as 20-10. I know that may seem unfair to these higher ranked resorts, but hey at least I'm giving them their spots, exposure, and finishing the countdown.
As always this countdown is based on overall clientele in 2021.
Top 20
#9 - Blackberry Farm, Tennessee
Situated on 4,200 acres with access to an additional 5,000acres of private wilderness (known as Blackberry Mountain), Blackberry Farm is nestled into the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in Eastern Tennessee. The renowned luxury farm resort is an elegant 68-room property managed by Relais & Chateaux ( a Preferred Partner) resort that brings together the time-honored belief in not only enjoying the beautiful land on which it sits, but utilizing it to provide every guest an unforgettable experience. Located in Walland, TN. Blackberry Farm is located in the beautiful foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. It is within a three-hour drive from many Southern cities, as well a short 25-minute drive from the Knoxville airport.
Paying homage to the locally grown & sourced ingredients, Blackberry Farm is celebrated as an unrivaled food and wine destination in the United States, providing farm-to-table incredible cuisine, as well as a very comprehensive wine cellar complete with more than 170,000 bottles of wine from around the world. Activities include fly fishing, horseback riding, hiking, sporting clays, spa treatments, yoga, cycling, and mountain biking. The perfect destination for business and pleasure, Blackberry Farm offers various meeting rooms, and annual music, epicurean, enrichment and adventure events that are held various times throughout the year. Owned to this day by the owners of Mary Celeste Beall and the Beall Family.
Whether you select the intimate charm of a Historic or Estate Room, the legendary elegance of a spacious Singing Brook, Farmstead Cottage, or Holly Glade Suite, the luxurious comforts of a Hill Cottage, the sweeping views of a Carriage House Suite, or the privacy of a Home, Blackberry Farm's accommodations offer a haven of carefree comfort. From heavenly beds adorned with sumptuous linens to plush robes and luxurious amenities, your accommodations reflect meticulous attention to every detail.
The nightly rate at Blackberry Farm includes nightly accommodations as well as daily meals starting with dinner on the day of arrival through lunch on the day of departure in one of their restaurants during traditional dining hours (7:30-10:30am, Noon-2:30pm and 6:00-10:00pm), along with all pantry snacks, pantry non-alcoholic beverages and non-guided activities. Therefore it is considering an all inclusive luxury resort. Supplementary charges apply for Wellhouse snacks and beverages, guided activities, alcohol, gift shop items, and additional food and beverage experiences either via room service, private chef experience, dining afield or in our restaurants during non-traditional dining times.
Blackberry Farm's renowned cuisine is definitely rooted in what comes from their farm as well as the region. Often described as Foothills Cuisine®, it wanders the line between refined and rugged, borrowing from both haute cuisine and the foods indigenous to Blackberry's Smoky Mountain heritage. Guests have the delightful adventure of fulfilling their gourmet desires in three warmly inviting and wondrously inventive restaurants to chose between for their meals, reservations in advance are highly recommended especially for special dining occasssions. Blackberry Farm brings together a rare collection of artisans - the chef, the master gardener, the baker, the cheesemaker, the forager, the butcher, the preservationist, the restaurant manager, the sommelier - who blend their unique talents to create what our guests know as Blackberry Farm.
A typical extended weekend getaway pre organized itinerary to Blackberry Farm during the spring or summer could look something like this: (but there are so many more options for wellness and activities)
Day 1: Arrival
13:00 PM American Whiskey Tasting
4:00 PM Rooms Guaranteed
Dinner by Reservation at The Barn or the Dogwood
Day 2:
7:30 AM-10:30 AM Breakfast at Leisure
Main House
10:00 AM Farmstead Tasting Tour
12:00 PM-2:30 PM Lunch at Leisure
Main House
3:00 PM Sporting Clays- Off Property
Dinner by Reservation at The Barn or the Dogwood
Day 3:
7:30 AM-10:30 AM Breakfast at Leisure
The Main House
9:00 AM Road Cycling
12:00 PM-2:30 PM Lunch at Leisure
Main House
2:00 PM Paddle Boarding- Off Property
Dinner by Reservation at The Barn or the Dogwood
Day 4:
7:30 AM-10:30 AM Breakfast at Leisure
Main House
9:00 AM 2 hour Guided Hike
12:00 PM Check Out of Room
12:00 PM-2:30 PM Lunch at Leisure
Thank you for your interest & any potential reservation and I invite you to become a preferred client of Mr. Travel Agent, LLC! Now with my own agency rewards & loyalty VIP Club! Please contact me to discuss Blackberry Farm in more detail and to secure your preferred status client reservations.
Other Honors for Dorado Beach in 2021:
#1 in US
All Images Courtesy of & used with permission by Blackberry Farm & its proper photograper credits.
The Top 20 of 2021 so far:
- #10 - Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve, Puerto Rico
- #11 - Rosewood Mayakoba, Mayakoba Mexico
- #12 - Casa de Campo, D. Republic
- #13 - Eden Rock, St. Barts
- #14 - Four Seasons Maui, Hawaii
- #15 - Paws Up, Montana
- #16 - Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Kona/Hawaii
- #17 - The Breakers, Palm Beach
- #18 - Sea Island, Georgia
- #19 - Four Seasons Jackson Hole, Wyoming
- #20 - Montage Healdsburg, California (Sonoma/Napa Region)
Derek Schemonitz