The Red Lantern Inn

We stayed last night in a comfy little inn in Clifton Forge called the Red Lantern Inn. Clifton Forge is a railroad town, and the name fits perfectly. A red lantern once marked the end of the train — a protective light glowing in the night, signaling safety and a place to stop. That’s exactly what this inn feels like: the end of the day’s journey, a warm light waiting in the dark. The inn evokes memories of staying with loved ones in their home. The rooms were clean, the beds comfortable, and the hostess welcoming. It’s decorated in an eclectic, homey fashion — nothing sterile or corporate — but warm and deeply personal. We shared common spaces: the TV room, the kitchen, and several bathrooms. Though one of the rooms we rented had a private bath, my wife and I chose to use one of the ma

We spent two nights in The Red Lantern Inn (my wife and I; my brother and his family, plus a nephew and his family) as we came to the area to visit my 99-year-old mother who is in the Brian Center. Another brother who lives in Allegheny County and his children and grandchildren came to spend the day with us and we brought mom out from the Brian Center. This was a wonderful place for us to gather. ||We have stayed here several times in the past, and each time just seems to get better, I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a reasonable place to stay while enjoying the Allegheny Highlands. The breakfast food and snacks are top notch and it saved us a good bit of money.

Good service and accommodations and friendly staff. We needed to extend our stay and they worked it out for us to keep the same room. Very thankful that Michelle worked with us through phone messages to settle our bill after hours even on Valentine's Day. It's always a joy to catch up with Joann, the owner, and reminisce about the old days and hear about grand children. This was the perfect place for us to stay as we worked on a project near-by. We highly recommend The Red Lantern Inn.

After a trip in Aug 2025 to this town to see the C&O railroad and staying with The Red Lantern Inn, we feel in love with this place. The woman who owns the Inn and a house that her grandparnets owned that you can also stay in, was so amazing and her and her staff just was over the top with kindness and I would say true love for each of their guess. They went out of their way to make sure you had everything you needed in the way of breakfast and snacks and the peacefulness of the home is as you expect your own mom and dad to waalk around the corner any minute. This will be our home away from home.its in a mountain town with greenery everywhere and the town people are just as friendly. If you stay at the Inn you can walk every where in town. By the way we came by Amtrak and they came to pic

This is our 10th stay at the Red Lantern...that says it all! The RL is always welcoming, comfortable and accommodating. It is always exceptionally clean with every convenience at hand. The value is outstanding.