Downtown Asheville

 

Once a near urban desert for accommodations, Downtown now offers visitors a number of excellent choices for lodging, though most are Expensive to Very Expensive. Properties of special note for quality or setting are in RED.

 

 

AC Hotel by Marriott Asheville Downtown 10 Broadway St., Downtown Asheville, 828-258-2522, www.marriott.com, Hotel, Expensive to Very Expensive

 

This is one of Asheville’s new crop of Downtown hotels. The AC Hotel has a fine location just north of Pack Square. Besides attractive rooms and the usual Marriott amenities, it boasts what arguably is Asheville’s best rooftop bar, Capella on 9, with amazing views of Downtown and the surrounding mountains. Capella on 9 also has a tapas-style menu with various small plates.

 

Aloft Asheville Downtown 51 Biltmore Ave., Downtown Asheville, 828-232-2838 or 877-462-5638, www.starwoodhotels.com, Hotel, Expensive to Very Expensive

 

This 115-room Starwood property opened in late 2012. The location is excellent, near many of Asheville’s best restaurants on Biltmore Avenue and Pack Square. There’s handy parking in a public garage under the hotel (some spaces are reserved for hotel guests). You usually enter through a “sub-lobby” at the garage level (though you can also take a garage elevator directly to the main lobby). This sub-lobby has a huge blackboard where guests and others scribble their thought of the day. You can then take an elevator or a flight of stairs up to the main lobby, with its colorful decor, a bar and mini-restaurant. The hotel targets a younger, hipper crowd, although we’ve seen many older folks here, too. Rooms are not overly large. The decor leans toward a Scandinavian minimalism. Not a part of the hotel but in the main level retail space is the Blackbird restaurant, and many other top Asheville restaurants, including Cúrate, Limones, Chestnut, Wicked Weed Brewery, Posana and others are within a block or two. Ashe-ville’s largest nightclub and private music venue, The Orange Peel, is close by, so you can rock late if you so desire. There’s an art movie theater across the street and plenty of bars, coffee houses and shops nearby.

 

Cambria Downtown Asheville 15 Page Ave., Downtown Asheville, 828-348-4850, www.cambriadowntownasheville.com, Hotel, Expensive to Very Expensive

 

New in 2019, the Cambria enjoys a desirable location directly across from the Grove Arcade, within an easy stroll of shops and restaurants in most of Downtown. The main hotel entrance is set up for cars going into the garage (valet parking with unlimited in-and-out privileges, fee) but not ideal for pedestrians entering the lobby. Overall the interior design is fairly minimalist, although some of the rooms are striking, with woods floors and a brick-design wall. Hemingway’s, the hotel’s Cuban restaurant, is on the fourth floor with an outdoor patio bar with lovely mountain views. Since it faces west, the sunsets are stunning from the outdoor bar.

 

DoubleTree Asheville 199 Haywood St., Downtown Asheville, 828-505-8500, www.hyatt.com, Hotel, Expensive to Very Expensive

 

This opened as a Hyatt Place but soon change to a Hilton Doubletree flag. It is pretty much what you’d expect in a mid-range property: attractive rooms, good service and a convenient location, with access to the I-240 expressway and by foot to most of the northwest Downtown area including the Grove Arcade and also to the Montford section. Speaking of Montford, one of the hotel’s best features is its Montford Rooftop Bar, with craft cocktails and great views of the mountains.

 

Element Asheville by Westin 62 College Place, Downtown Asheville, 828-575-5881, www.ihg.com, Suites Motel, Moderate

 

This IHG property opened in 2021, set in an area of small business parks east of Downtown, next to I-240. It is a considerable hike from the main part of Downtown, but Element offers good prices. There’s a shuttle from this 100-room motel to Pack Square.

 

Flat Iron Hotel 20 Battery Park Ave., Downtown Asheville, www.ashevilleflatiron.com, Boutique Hotel, Expensive to Very Expensive

 

Opening in spring 2023 in the iconic, wedge-shaped Flat Iron Building, this new 71-room hotel is the latest venture of the Indigo Road group, which operates hotels and restaurants in a number of cities and towns, including Atlanta, Charleston, SC, Char-lotte, Miami Beach and Nashville. Indigo Road has Oak Steakhouses in seven cities. It already runs well-known properties in Western North Carolina, including the Skyline Lodge in Highlands and the Snowbird Mountain Lodge in Robbinsville. The Flat Iron features a basement hideaway with live jazz and a rooftop cocktail bar.

 

The Foundry 21 S. Market St., Downtown Asheville, 828-552-8545, www.foundryasheville.com, Hotel, Very Expensive

 

Opened in late 2018, The Foundry is part of Hilton’s Curio collection. Located in what is called “The Block,” once the center of the African-American business area of Asheville. You’re only a short walk from some of Asheville’s best restaurants and the center of town. The hotel incorporates several buildings from an old steel foundry, along with new construction, around a courtyard. The public spaces retain the brick walls, plank floorings and artifacts from the steel mill. Rooms are modern, if not overly large, with remote-controlled blackout drapes, 49-inch TVs, espresso machines and wet bar. Benne on Eagle is the hotel’s restaurant. The food is an unusual combination of Appalachian and Low Country soul food dishes. The public spaces include a bar area with entertainment on some nights. You’ll likely have to use valet parking here (around $30 a night). The last time we stayed here, our valet-parked car was returned with a used chewing tobacco package on the back seat. We don’t even want to think about it.

 

Four Points by Sheraton 22 Woodfin St., Downtown Asheville, 828-253-1851 or 866-716-8133, www.fourpointsashevilledowntown.com, Hotel, Moderate

 

Across the street from the Renaissance Hotel at the north edge of Downtown, this 150-room Four Points by Sheraton property might be an option for you if you want to be within walking distance of most Downtown attractions. That is, if you are willing accept dated some decor, down-at-the-heels hallways and other spaces and lack of first-class amenities such as an indoor pool. Moderate priced most times of year, a few high-season weekends are in the Expensive range and occasionally weekday rates are in the Inexpensive range.

 

Haywood Park Hotel 1 Battery Park Ave., Downtown Asheville, 828-252-2522, www.haywoodpark.com, Hotel, Expensive to Very Expensive

 

The location of this boutique, 33-suite, four-story hotel, part of the Ascend collec-tion, is hard to beat. It’s central near many restaurants, galleries and the Grove Arcade. Formerly the site of Ivey’s and Bon Marché department stores, the hotel references that with canned elevator announcements like “Third Floor, Children’s Department.” It’s an all-suite property, and the accommodations (from about 400 to 1,200 square feet) have received an upgrade and renovation. There are flat-screen TVs in the main room and also in the bathroom. On arrival in the lobby, you’re saluted with a player piano and receive a glass of complimentary champagne. The hotel’s main dining venue is Isa’s French Bistro. Free valet parking and wi-fi.

 

Hilton Garden Inn 309 College St., Downtown Asheville, 828-255-0001, www.hilton.com, Hotel, Moderate to Expensive

 

The 140-room Hilton Garden Inn, opened in 2016 (the 700th unit in the chain), is at the east edge of Downtown, near Asheville City Building and Buncombe County Courthouse. It’s a fairly short walk along College Street and through Pack Square Park to the main part of Downtown.

 

Hotel Indigo 151 Haywood St., Downtown Asheville, 828-239-0239 or 877-846-3446, www.ihg.com/hotelindigo, Hotel, Moderate to Expensive

 

Indigo is the InterContinental and Holiday Inn group’s attempt to reach a younger, hipper audience. The Asheville edition is right at the north edge of town, overlooking to the north the I-240 Expressway. It is within easy walking distance of the Grove Ar-cade and the restaurants, shops and clubs in the northwest part of Downtown. What were supposed to be condos on the upper floors didn’t sell and have been converted to hotel suites.

 

Kimpton Hotel Arras 7 Patton Ave., Downtown Asheville, 828-255-0303 or 833-221-9044, www.hotelarras.com, Hotel, Very Expensive

 

Developed by the same group that did the AC Marriott Hotel across the street, the Hotel Arras opened in late 2019. The 128-room property is part of what is Asheville’s tallest building, formerly the BB&T Building. The hotel is on the lower floors while the upper floors are luxury condominiums. You couldn’t ask for a better location, right on West Pack Square (though the address is Patton Avenue).

The redevelopment of the 1960s-era skyscraper, patterned on the famed Seagram Building in New York, greatly improved the look of the exterior, and the hotel rooms also turned out beautifully. Rooms feature a mix of wood, brass and marble, accented by art from local artists and with floor to ceiling windows with views of Downtown and the mountains. The hotel’s restaurant, Bargello, has Mediterranean-inspired dishes, including pastas and hearth-fired pizzas. The bar, District 42, offers shareable small plates from the hotel’s main restaurant.

 

Renaissance Asheville Hotel 31 Woodfin St., Downtown Asheville, 828-252-8211 or 800-741-5072, www.marriott.com, Hotel, Expensive

 

This 12-story, 277-room Marriott is one of the older Downtown properties, but a renovation was completed in 2013, making the hotel more appealing. The location, which faces the north edge of Downtown rather than facing into Downtown, is con-venient to many businesses, some restaurants and the Buncombe Courthouse and gov-ernment offices. It’s what you’d expect in a large Marriott property, with decent-size rooms with first-rate beds, bar, restaurant, gift shop, indoor pool and fitness room. Free parking.

 

The Restoration Hotel 68 Patton Ave., Downtown Asheville, 855-568-6800, www.therestorationhotel.com,  Boutique Hotel, Expenive to Very Expensive

 

Located in the former First Union Bank building in the heart of Downtown, Res-toration Hotel is the sister property to the award-winning Restoration Hotel in Charles-ton, SC. The 60-room-and-suite boutique hotel opened in April 2023. It has a chill, upscale vibe, inviting guests to “embrace the adventure of the unknown,” with a roof-top organic bar, a farm-to-table restaurant, a basement beer-forward bar and a bowling alley, a coffee bar and locally roasted coffee and specialty teas in every room.

 

Sweet Peas Hostel 23 Rankin Ave., Downtown Asheville, 828-285-8488, www.sweetpeashotel.com, Hostel, Very Inexpensive to Inexpensive

 

Sweet Peas is a Euro-style hostel with loft-style accommodations with 16 bunk beds, 24 private pods, two small rooms and a studio, priced from $32 to $105, plus tax, a bargain for Downtown Asheville. There's a fully equipped common kitchen, a living room with TV and a coin laundry. The best thing is the handy location in the middle of Downtown. There’s no parking at the hostel, but nearby are two city park-ing garages with a maximum day rate of $20. Free wi-fi. Breakfast not included but many breakfast spots and restaurants are nearby. No smoking, drinking or drug use allowed.

 

TownePlace Suites Asheville by Marriott 39 Elm St., Downtown Asheville, 828-407-4200, www.marriott.com, Suites hotel, Moderate

 

It’s a bit of a stretch to call this a Downtown hotel, as it’s on the east side of Ashe-ville, quite a walk from the main part of town. However, the roomy accommodations and low prices make this a possible buy, especially if you’re in town with your family. Each suite has a fully equipped kitchen.

 

Windsor Boutique Hotel 36 Broadway St., Downtown Asheville, 844-494-6376, www.windsorasheville.com, Small Suites Inn, Expensive to Very Expensive

 

In a beautifully renovated 1907 building, the Windsor is a small, boutique hotel with 14 suites in a primo location Downtown. Suites, which vary in size, feature de-signer furnishings, exposed brick, wood floors, wi-fi and lots of artwork. Each has a kitchen and washer and dryer. You’re only a few steps away from some of Asheville’s best restaurants and bars. On the downside, there’s no pool and no parking lot at the hotel (public parking is about three blocks away), but the great location makes up for it.

 

 

 

 

All content copyright © Lan Sluder except selected photographs used by permission and brief quotations or other fair use text, which are owned by the copyright holder.

We have made every effort to confirm the accuracy of information on this website, and in the Amazing Asheville book and ebooks, but travel information is subject to frequent change, and no warranty is made, express or implied. Please notify us of any errors or omissions, and we will attempt to correct them as soon as possible. All opinions expressed are those of the author, Lan Sluder, unless otherwise noted.