You can visit Newport for a weekend or a week and stay in a luxury inn with a hint of scandal in its past.
It's called Christopher Place.
"The view is stunning. We see almost all the way to North Carolina. We look directly out on the Smoky Mountains and it's really unparalleled," Christopher Place Owner Marston Price said.
He said the mansion that enjoys the beautiful view was built for about $2,000,000 back in the 1970s.
"They had columns that were brought up here that you see outside that run three floors high were brought up by helicopter," Marston said.
Here's what happened.
"Originally it was a private home built in 1976 but went bankrupt unfortunately in the savings and loans scandals in the 1980s. It was repossessed by the federal government and then turned in to an Inn," Price said.
He's owned the inn seven years and is proud to note Christopher Place has earned a AAA Four Diamond Award for 17 years.
"We have a full bar here now. We have formal dining, casual dining. So it's completely transformed inside. I would say that pretty much 90% of the facility is different from what it looked like when it was originally a private home," he said.
When you walk in the door you see a marble floor at your feet.
"We have a Tiffany's chandelier up above us and a spiral staircase that goes all three floors up. Wonderful for romantic getaways but especially for brides coming down the stairs in their white dresses," he said.
A library pub features books, art, and a full bar. The staff serves a four course dinner five nights a week in a formal dining room.
"It's a prix fixe set meal but our chef she's absolutely amazing. She takes time to shop the local stores, fresh market, all that sort of thing to get the best freshest foods that are available that day," he said.
Upstairs, most of the ten bedrooms have Smoky Mountain views.
"Some of them are over 30 feet wide. Cable television, whirlpool tubs, canopy beds, in room dining if you desire," he said.
The private 200 acre estate hosts weddings and events and couples looking for a relaxing and romantic setting.
"They really come here for peace and solitude. And one of the best comments we get is we needed to reconnect. This is a romantic getaway," he said. "I looked all over the country for what I thought the right facility would be. Never did I know it would be in the hills of Eastern Tennessee."
You can see those hills from atop English Mountain at Christopher Place.
You don't have to stay at the inn to enjoy a four course candlelight dinner. Just make a reservation.