We are former restaurant owners in New Orleans, LA, who in 1998 “escaped” from the stresses of big city living and moved to Chimney Rock where we purchased a local bed and breakfast inn and, shortly thereafter, our first vacation rental home – River Rose Cottage. After 5 years, we decided to sell the inn and concentrate on the vacation rental home business. In 2004, we formed Distinctive Mountain Lodging, a property management company specializing in unique vacation rental homes sprinkled throughout the Hickory Nut Gorge.

While we are licensed real estate brokers, our sole focus is the management of vacation rental homes. This means that our interests are not divided between renting vacation homes and selling property. All of our time, energy and talents are devoted to helping our guests choose a vacation rental home that best meets their needs and proactively maintaining those homes to ensure that our guests enjoy a stress-free vacation.

Our daughter, Heather, joined us in 2010 as Property Manager. Heather enjoys chatting with potential guests to assist them in finding the perfect vacation home for their needs.  She is happy to share her knowledge about activities and attractions in these mountain communities. Our staff of meticulous housekeepers and dedicated maintenance personnel helps keep our homes in tip top shape.

Many of our guests have fallen in love with this area and bought a second home here. They quickly saw the benefits of offering their home as a vacation rental and having a professional company manage their rentals for them. They love having a vacation home in the mountains, and love it even more when they receive a monthly rental income check from Distinctive Mountain Lodging.

Please feel free to browse our website and preview our vacation rental homes. Once you have made your choice, you can book online or if you have any questions, give us a call – we’d love to help you reserve the perfect home for your romantic getaway, family vacation or weekend adventure.

Sharon Z. Ryan, Owner/Broker 
Heather Ryan Curtis, Broker/Property Manager 
Distinctive Mountain Lodging