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I am planning on taking my wife away for the weekend in Nov to Asheville. She loves Christmas, so I am taking her to see the Biltmore decorated for Christmas.
Where do you guys stay when you go there? I have read suggestions on Grove Park Inn, but that is out of my budget.
I am looking for 2 nights for under $200 a night. Hopefully this can be done w/o having to stay at Comfort Inn!
I do not mind staying outside of Asheville and driving up to an hour to get back to the Biltmore. I would like something secluded (cabin?) if possible.
In Asheville we've really liked the Richmond Hill Inn. Bryson City is a possibility if you're willing to have a bit of a commute to see Biltmore, plus Bryson City is a neat place with lots of outdoor stuff to do. I'm not sure how much there is to do there in the winter. You'll have to check that out.
In Bryson City we stayed at a neat place called Fryemont Inn.
We did the candlelight tour of Biltmore last year and it really is beautiful but very crowded! We also bought a year-long pass and have enjoyed seeing the Biltmore during each season. It was money well-spent for us!
They have rooms under and way over 200 a night. I stayed in Oak Cottage which is under 200 a night. It was very nice and breakfast was good. I wasn't there for xmas, or for ashville. I went for the Blue Ridge BBQ festival.
Asheville has a ton of great bed & breakfast houses - stay in Asheville at a B&B, spend an afternoon down town, if the weather is decent, you can go horseback riding in the mountains one day. As for Biltmore, its a zoo at Christmas, but go early to explore the grounds while its light out (and avoid the crush of traffic going for the candle light tour once it gets dark), for a reservation dinner at the Biltmore hotel's main dining room, then go to a wine tasting at the winery, then do the Christmas tour at the house at night.
Hands down 1889 Whitegate INN. It is a modernized bed and breakfast meaning your room and bathroom are up to todays standards and are very beautiful. They have some rooms for under $200 a night and they often have specials, so I would call and see if they are having any specials in Nov. They probably do, and it never hurts to ask. It has beautiful gardens on the property. Also, you are close enough to walk into downtown Asheville and browse around which is free. Also, make sure to eat at Tupelo Honey Cafe. The great thing about the Whitegate INN is that they provide free breakfast which is huge and will probably fill you up for breakfast and lunch. They also have sodas and cake (free) available in the parlor at all times, so you can save a lot in these areas. You would probably be only eating out for supper when you stay there.
I wouldn't recommed staying at the Grove Park Inn. The rooms remind me of Hampton Inn. The food is not included and expensive. You are paying for the rest of the hotel experience and the ambiance. They welcome non hotel guests to park and walk around the grounds, order coffee or drinks in the lobby and hang out on the terrace. I would recommend staying somewhere else with a top notch room and visiting the Grove Park Inn. They should have the gingerbread house display up in November.
Tupelo Honey Cafe is delicious! We ate there twice during our trip there last year and will definitely be going back. We also enjoyed The Lobster Trap. Both the food and atmosphere were great and included live music.
I can't recommend anywhere to stay since we camped in nearby Swannanoa, but the Biltmore was a great visit and takes the whole day. We did the regular tour and also the rooftop tour which was awesome. And of course walked through the gardens. We spent our time at the Biltmore, a trolley tour of Asheville, walking downtown, Black Mountain and Black Mountain Bistro (which is also good), Lake Lure boat tour, and Chimney Rock. We had a great trip!
We used the 3 day Go Blue Ridge card which was a great deal. Go BlueRidgeCard - Multi-day Discount Attraction Pass This will keep you busy though if you were looking for a more low key stay. Have fun!
Last edited by DanielleNC; 09-21-2009 at 10:38 AM..
I almost hate to post this, b/c it's already hard to get a room, but Sourwood Inn is my favorite place to stay. They have a website. October is booked a year in advance, but you might find a room there at Christmas, and they do have a small cabin you can rent as well.
Thank you all for the advise. I am checking all of them out. Hopefully I can find what I'm looking for in our budget.
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