Where to stay in Asheville

September 4, 2023 1:02 PM

My extended family ( wife, 2 teens, teens uncle, and grandparents ) would like to spend some time in the Asheville area over Thanksgiving. Would love a good mix of food, hiking, and local things to do. What area should we stay in? If you suggest spending some time in Asheville proper and then moving to a place in mountains, not averse to that. We will have about 5 days.
posted by jasondigitized to Travel & Transportation around Asheville, NC (6 answers total)

I would stay in Asheville proper because it has a good mix of things for every member of your party if you want to split up (ie if someone wants to go on a hike but someone else wants to go to Biltmore or whatever). There are a ton of great hikes within an hour from Asheville, lots of food and things to do in town. Downtown is the usual place for tourists and where there are a concentration of hotels and it's very walkable. Please consider not booking an airbnb since it contributes to unaffordable housing in the area.

You may also want to consider Brevard or Blowing Rock--both are smaller more low-key places to hang out in the mountains that have some fine food and local interest stuff.
posted by greta simone at 2:06 PM on September 4, 2023

I posted this question a bit ago, and got some very helpful tips and places to see.

We stayed in Banner Elk, Beech Mountain, up in the mountain area. Absolutely gorgeous. Crazy hairpin turns. Perhaps some of the tips I was given will help you, too!
posted by annieb at 5:21 PM on September 4, 2023

Other small towns close by are Black Mountain, Waynesville, and Hendersonville. Downtown Asheville has gotten VERY touristy and much less quaint than it was 5-10 years ago. A lot of the restaurants have gotten famous (and thus mobbed). There's still a lot to do, but if you want a quiet-ish mountain town, one of the outlying area towns might be better than Asheville itself.

One thing I would suggest NOT doing is going to the Biltmore Estate. It's ridiculously expensive to just see a rich person's fake Downton Abbey-style manor. The grounds are lovely, but not worth the price. If you want lovely gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the NC Arboretum is just as beautiful and an order of magnitude less expensive.
posted by rikschell at 6:16 PM on September 4, 2023 [2 favorites]

Disagree. As an Asheville native, I think the Biltmore House is one of the more magical places around. It’s also a good starting point for learning about the history of Asheville. Agreed it’s pricey but if your budget can support it, I think it’s worth it.
posted by greta simone at 6:38 PM on September 4, 2023 [2 favorites]

Worth looking at Jonathan Creek Inn and Villas in Maggie Valley, about 40 minutes from Asheville. There is a kinda insane bookstore there. We stayed there for an eclipse, and spent a couple of days in the city of Asheville.
posted by Sophont at 10:03 PM on September 4, 2023

There are many hotels on Tunnel Road. Be aware that they are not in what I consider to be downtown Asheville. I consider "downtown" to be walking distance to Early Girl Eatery, just to pick a business name. So if you want to be able to walk from your lodgings and explore, please bear this in mind. Enjoy Asheville!
posted by rachelpapers at 12:14 PM on September 5, 2023