Lake Toxaway’s Greystone Inn

Issue: August - 2022

The story of the Lake Toxaway’s Greystone Inn begins in1915 – the year construction was completed on what wasonce the vacation home of Lucy Camp Armstrong andher shipping magnate husband.Those were the heydays of the lake when titans of industry– Vanderbilts, Firestones, Fords, and Rockefellers summeredthere. But in the half century that followed, floods, a dambreak and economic setbacks converged, and the property fellin disrepair. In 1984, Atlantan Tim Lovelace and his wife BooBoo bought and renovated the grand old mansion, dubbed it theGreystone Inn, and opened for business on July 15, 1985.In 2017, ownership passed to Shannon and Geoffrey Ellis,owners of Aiken, South Carolina’s acclaimed The Willcox.The couple, clearly born hoteliers, transformed the Inn atsubstantial expense. The result is a reinvigorated property thatkeeps a sense of tradition and place, and preserves the originalintegrity of the architecture, without losing any of its charm.The dark interiors were lightened up and new life injected intothe historic mansion. Guest rooms were brightened, and a newbar and dining room added.Recently a new Dining Terrace opened, and the inside diningspace was rejuvenated. Hardwood now covers the floors, boldaccents and decorative touches enhance the ambiance, newartwork adorns the walls and the old tables and chairs replaced.Whether dining inside the dining room or outside on theterrace, unobstructed views of the lake and mountains, giveguests the feeling of being on an Alpine retreat. As ShannonEllis recently told me; “We’re very pleased with how the diningterrace turned out.It gives us more space; even better views ofthe lake and guests are loving it!”The Ellis’ culminating move was to hire longtime South CarolinaChef Thomas Prado, and Certified Sommelier Mathew Arnall.The influence of the surrounding mountains, and lakes andabundance of regional foodstuffs is evident in Prado’s seasonalmenu. Flavorful dishes like “NC Sunburst Trout with SeaIsland red peas, red chimichurri and crispy spring onion” and“Seared Scallops with corn puree, Benton’s bacon, succotashand Marcona almond gremolata,” express the chef’s affectionand flair for Southern cooking.Arnall, a long-time veteran of the hospitality industry, met theEllis’ while working in Los Angeles as the wine director atBaltaire Steakhouse. In his role as General Manager – Foodand Beverage, he has been busily updating the seasonal cocktailmenu while expanding and curating the wine list.Open year-round for breakfast, lunch and dinner, to the publicand hotel guests, the restaurant at the Greystone has pledged to“reducing our environmental impact and increasing our use ofsustainable resources.”