In the heart of the “Land of Waterfalls” – Brevard, North Carolina, sits a forest sanctuary built around a single idea: giving couples the time and space to remember why they fell in love.
Meraki Escape was recently named North Carolina’s Best Private Couples’ Wilderness Retreat 2026 and awarded the LUXlife Secluded Getaway Excellence Award 2026.
But ask Co-Creator Dana Antonuccio what the retreat is really about, and the answer has nothing to do with trophies.
“’Meraki’ means doing something with soul, love, and passion, and that philosophy is at the heart of everything we do,” she says.
Each stay begins in a cabin built for slowing down – French doors that fold the mountain air into the room, a private hot tub beneath a covered porch, a stone walk-in shower built for two, and a fireplace that turns a quiet evening into an occasion. It’s less a place to stay than a place to disappear into together.
Step outside, and the same intention carries into every corner of the property. Three private waterfalls sit in the forest, each with its own personality – one for massages, yoga, and sound baths; another for chef-prepared dinners; and a third meant simply for sitting close together.
A wooded hiking trail connects it all, where couples gather wild ingredients bound for their own private dinner table. In the courtyard, they slow down further still, gathering for sun catcher workshops, guided paintings, and quiet creative moments meant to be shared rather than perfected.
Stays range from à la carte add-ons to all-inclusive escapes, and the concierge team works with each couple to shape their stay into the escape they’ve been dreaming of – with nothing to plan once they arrive.
Behind that experience is a devoted circle of local chefs, massage therapists, artists, and guides who turn any escape into a love story in motion.
Meraki Escape has become a favorite for honeymoons, anniversaries, proposals, and elopements, but its guests will tell you it doesn’t take a milestone to justify the trip. Sometimes it’s just two people, worn down by the pace of ordinary life, choosing to remember what it feels like to sit beside someone and not need to say anything at all.
For couples craving a secluded, soulful escape into the Blue Ridge Mountains, Meraki Escape offers a rare kind of romance – one measured not in amenities, but in meaning. The mountains are ready whenever you are.
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