Barnsley Resort

Overall we had a very enjoyable stay! This is probably the most luxurious accommodation in the area (although very price compared to nearyby hotels). We were visiting family near by in Cartersville and it was a quick drive to and fro. The grounds are beautiful, and the rooms are spacious. We stayed from Saturday through Tuesday the third week of March and the resort was very quiet and not busy (Saturday was the busiest we saw). The rooms were quiet and we had a decent sleep, although our mattresses were a bit soft. We had young kids and they enjoyed the resort too. The smore offering with a bonfire in the evenings were a nice touch, and scones with tea/coffee at the Inn were enjoyed by us all. We did not get to enjoy any restaurants or amenities, but stopped in the gift shop and golf shop which were nice. Resort does have bikes to enjoy on the property, although we didn't have time to use them! All staff we encountered were kind and accommodating!

We drove an hour for the holiday lights, only to be disappointed that the house ruins was lit but not the gardens. We called the reservation line and they said that the garden lights were on a timer and they should come on. Based on that, we went to dinner at the Woodland Grill, in hopes that the lights would be on by the time we were done eating. We went back and there were still no lights. We walked over to the inn, and they said that apparently some animal ate the lights sometime the day before and they were trying to fix it. We didn’t see anyone trying to fix it earlier. Also, we called the reservation line hours before and no one said anything about half of the lights not working. We were supposed to receive a call today from the manager regarding the issue and still nothing. $50 for two adults to see only half of the lights is a rip off. They should have called those who bought tickets for that evening to let them know about the lights not working. Most of the employees seem to downplay the whole issue. So, if you go to see the holiday lights, you may want to call beforehand to see if they are working! It’s also geared for adults. You won’t see many holiday light displays for children. They also said we needed no reservation for the Woodland Grill, that there was plenty of room for the evening. This was the reservation line that said this and the Outpost confirmed no reservations were needed. We were surprised when we went to the restaurant around 6pm and was told that they were booked until 8:30 and that we could find a seat at the bar, if available. Luckily, we found a table. The restaurant tried to make it right by buying our second round of drinks, which was nice (they previously offered a dessert on the house but we said no thank you for a dessert). The food and service were good, but being told no reservations were needed and insisted this, it was a bit disappointing to find out otherwise. Also, for the past two weekends, their reservation system has not worked on their website. For a resort, they need to fix their website and make it easier for customers to navigate and reserve.

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend Barnsley Resort following a deeply troubling experience involving a security guard who falsely claimed to be law enforcement to my 7-year-old son and others. Despite informing local management and the Davidson Group’s executive team, leadership failed to take meaningful action. Instead of addressing the serious issue of an individual exhibiting potentially predatory behavior, they focused solely on his attire—directing him to stop wearing clothing with law enforcement insignia and to use Barnsley-branded apparel instead. The core problem—this individual verbally impersonating law enforcement to children, staff, and guests—was ignored. It was treated as a minor inconvenience rather than a serious breach of trust and safety. Families expect security, integrity, and accountability—not evasive leadership, deflection, and security guards deceiving children.