Blue Ridge Village is great. The 2 bed room/ 2 bath units have a full bed room and bath upstairs with a loft outside of the bed room overlooking the 2 story ceiling in the den. There is a washer/dryer in each unit, and TVs in both bed rooms and the den. The units are huge with the standard 2 bed rooms having about 1300 square feet, and the deluxe 2 bed rooms having over 1400 square feet. There is a stocked lake with free paddle boats, a modest (but free) 9 hole putt putt course, tennis courts, indoor pool with an awesome view of the mountains, and a great activities list with hikes most days. Go to grandfather mountain, The Mast general store in Valles Cruz, eat at the Daniel Boone Inn in Boone, and either ski at Sugar Mountain (about 2 miles from the resort) in the winter,Ride the chairlift to the top for a picnic lunch in the summer, or mountain bike ride down the slopes when it isn't ski season.Lots of whitewater rafting, caving, and mountain climbing outfitters in the area. If you like to ski there are about 5 different ski slopes within 20 miles of BRV, including the 2 largest in North Carolina (Sugar and Beech Mountain).
Do not buy from the developer or swap to Festiva Points. You can buy good weeks for ridiculously cheap prices on E-bay. I love this resort but it is not luxurious like a Marriott. It is very nice, very roomy, and in one of the best mountain locations in the southeast. If you are an owner at BRV you can get discounted rentals for weeks other than you own. Last year I took my son snow skiing and stayed there as a renter for under $100 a night for 2 nights since I only owned a summer week. I have since purchased a winter week 2 bed room/ 2 bath since we had such a great time last year. We will be skiing the area while staying at BRV this December ,and hopefully for many Decembers to come.
I am typing this as I sit in my timeshare in Gatlinburg. I love both places for different things. Gatlinburg has so many touristy things to do with families walking main street till late in the night. Ride the rides, gondolas, Dollywood, go carts, souveniers, junk, candy, restaurants, so much to do. The downside is the expense and the crowds. On the other hand,Banner Elk, Boone,and Blowing rock are great little towns with no crowds. The mountains, roads, restaurants, and stores are slower paced with a lot of opportunities for peace and solitude. This area has a lot less to do touristy-wise, but so many fewer people vacation here that it is still a wonderful destination. I love to go to both places every year but I believe that if I could only own at one place that it would be Blue Ridge Village and the Boone area. Fortunatelly I don't have to make that decision and can enjoy the best of both places a couple of times a year.
