the grove park inn: worth the splurge? a comprehensive guide and review

A 1913 stone inn on the side of a mountain, a spa built into the rock, and a sunset view that deserves its reputation. This gorgeous back drop of the award-winning Omni Grove Park Inn sets the tone for a relaxing and romantic weekend getaway for couples, or an excellent spot for a girls’ trip. This Omni Grove Park Inn review comes from two very tired parents celebrating ten years of marriage, and covers what was worth the splurge, what I’d do differently, and how to plan the perfect couples weekend in Asheville.

the grove park inn: an honest review for couples and families

Asheville NC wasn’t going to be our honeymoon. (We were supposed to get married at the Outer Banks and then stay for a week after). However, Hurricane Matthew showed up and had other ideas. So we got married in Charlotte, and pivoted our honeymoon to the mountains. And took few days to soak up some rest and relaxation (and drink some good craft beer) as newlyweds. Ten years and two kids later, Asheville is still where we go when we need a weekend away. Fall is our favorite, but we’ve never regretted a trip there in any season.

The Grove Park Inn has been a character during of a lot of our visits to one of our favorite North Carolina mountain escapes. I stayed one night with a friend about 13 years ago, back when I was new to Charlotte. AJ and I enjoyed an evening of cocktails and conversation at the Inn’s Sunset Terrace, watching the sun sink over the mountains on our honeymoon.  Since then, Asheville has become a special place for us to show off to our friends;  It’s just two hours up the road, so it’s easy to sell as a quick weekend escape from Charlotte, and drinks on the Sunset Terrace are always part of the plan. But somehow, AJ and I had never actually stayed the night there together.

So for our tenth anniversary, we booked a room with a view, left the kids at home, and checked in for a two night romantic getaway with one goal: park the car and not leave. No itinerary, no car seats, and nobody asking for a snack. We wanted a nice hotel with great service that could give us an escape. And the Grove Park was at the top of the list. 

Why we love it

When the Grove Park Inn opened in 1913, William Jennings Bryan said it was built for the ages. More than a century later, it still feels that way the second you walk in. Stepping foot into the Great Hall there is so much to take in, the soaring ceilings, the crackle of the granite fireplaces that you could stand in (not recommended), and the hustle and bussle of visitors enjoying their mountain escape. It’s like you’ve stepped back in time to a grand mountain lodge that makes very good cocktails.  As you walk to the back of the Great Hall and onto the Sunset Terrace, the panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains rolling out toward downtown, make you understand why people have been making the trip for over a hundred years.

The customer service at The Grove Park matched the setting. Our car was whisked away as soon as we drove up, we got an early check-in, and we got to soak in the views from our room while sipping on champagne the hotel sent up to our room for our anniversary. These are the touches you hope for when you’re paying a lot for a hotel room, and it set the tone for the whole weekend.

While we were visiting without our kids, the Grove Park is extremely family and pet friendly. We saw kids everywhere, and I’d happily bring ours someday. But this trip was about us, and the Grove Park Inn turned out to be a perfect place for a grown-up getaway. 

We spent two full days exploring every corner of the property, so here it is: everything we ate, drank, soaked in, and learned, from a friend who’s already done the research so you don’t have to.

What and where is the Omni Grove Park Inn?

The Omni Grove Park Inn sits on the side of Sunset Mountain, about 10 minutes north of downtown Asheville, looking out over the city skyline and layer after layer of Blue Ridge Mountains. The address is 290 Macon Avenue, but you’ll know you’ve arrived when you turn the corner up a winding mountain road and a goregous stone building with a distinct red roof when comes into view.

It’s a full-service resort with more than 500 rooms, a 43,000-square-foot subterranean spa, a Donald Ross-designed golf course, a handful of restaurants and bars, and some of the best views in Asheville. It’s also a member of Historic Hotels of America and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973.

A little history (because this place has a lot)

The inn was the vision of Edwin Wiley Grove, a pharmacist from St. Louis who made his fortune selling Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic. Around the turn of the century, Asheville was booming as a mountain retreat where people came for the fresh air, in fact, Grove first came to Asheville on his doctor’s orders. He fell in love with the area, bought a huge tract of land on Sunset Mountain, and started dreaming up a grand resort.

There was just one problem: Grove couldn’t find an architect who shared his vision. So with the help of his son-in-law, Fred Seely, they build the inn in about a year. Seely modeled the inn after the grand rustic lodges of the West, like the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone. The Grove Park Inn opened on July 12, 1913, with 156 guest rooms.

famous guests

The guest list since then is a interesting mix of celebrities, politicians, artists and more. Ten U.S. presidents have stayed here, along with Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. William Howard Taft resigned as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court n the Great Hall in 1930. During World War II, the federal government leased the inn and used it to house Axis diplomats and their families.

Fun fact: The inn even has a resident ghost. Known as the Pink Lady, she roams the halls of the original building. Lucky for us, we did not meet her during our stay, but several guests have stories of their ghost encounters.

growing the grove park

Over the decades the property has grown. Adding the Sammons Wing in 1984, the Vanderbilt Wing in 1988, and the spa in 2001. Omni Hotels bought it in 2013, just in time for its 100th birthday.

When you visit, take some time to wander the hallways. Lined with old photographs, letters, and stories from famous guests, the history is half the fun of staying here.

How it was built

Building the Grove Park was a massive undertaking. Around 400 workers, many of them Italian stonemasons, came from across the South, earning a dollar a day. They lived in tents on the job site while they worked.

The walls of the inn are made of granite boulders mined from Sunset Mountain itself. Some weighing as much as 10,000 pounds. With no modern machinery beyond a single steam shovel, workers hauled them up the mountainside with mules, wagons, ropes, and pulleys, then set them into a reinforced concrete frame. Seely insisted the boulders be left uncut. With the moss and lichen still on them, the building would look like it had grown right out of the mountain.

Construction started in July 1912, and the inn opened on July 12, 1913, with 156 guest rooms. The inn rooms were furnished in the Arts and Crafts style. You’ll still spot original Roycroft furniture and light fixtures around the Main Inn today.

The signature red roof

If there’s one thing that makes the Grove Park Inn instantly recognizable, it’s the red roof. It rolls and dips over the building like a blanket, which was the intention of the design.

Grove and Seely wanted the roof to look like an English thatched cottage, but they also needed it to be fireproof. So underneath the tiles is a thick base of cement, steel rods, and asphalt, covered with red clay tiles shipped in from Tennessee. The tiles were laid in a wavy pattern that follows the curves of the roof, so it echoes the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains around it. Even the dormer windows are tucked into the roof like little eyelids instead of sticking out.

The Great Hall

The first time you walk into the Great Hall, you will stop and look up. Everyone does. The room stretches 120 feet, the ceilings soar 24 feet overhead, and at each end sits a granite fireplace so big, they’re taller than me (and I’m 5′ 4″). Each fireplace is 36 feet wide, built from the same mountain boulders as the outside of the inn, and big enough to burn 12-foot logs. 

The Great Hall is the center of everything at the inn. It’s not just where you check in and out. You’ll pass through it a dozen times a day without ever getting tired of it. The Great Hall Bar is tucked into the far corner, and most evenings there’s live music drifting through the room. Grab a cocktail, sink into one of the big leather chairs or a rocking chair in front of the fire, and watch the crowd: couples dressed up for dinner, families back from the pool, and a few people just staring at the ceiling (to be fair to them its a gorgeous ceiling).

Walk straight through from the front doors and you’ll land on the Sunset Terrace. The whole Blue Ridge Mountains appear in waves like a vast ocean before your eyes. The transition from the cozy Great Hall to the terrace is one of my favorite moments at the inn. It’s just breathtaking.

Fun fact: Those massive stone columns beside each fireplace aren’t just decorative. Each one hides a small elevator inside.

Come in the fall if you can. The fireplaces are roaring, the air outside has a chill, and the whole room smells a little like woodsmoke. It feels like the inn was built for exactly that season.

Getting There

The Grove Park Inn is about two hours from Charlotte, which is why it’s so perfect for a weekend away. Leave after work on Friday (or after school drop-off, if you’re like us and need to hand off the kids first) and you can be sipping a cocktail on the Sunset Terrace by sunset.

The inn sits just 1.5 miles from downtown Asheville. So it feels like a mountain retreat without being out in the middle of nowhere. If you’re flying in, Asheville Regional Airport is about 17 miles away.

During this trip, we pent the night before our stay in downtown Asheville at Hotel Indigo. It was a fun way to get a little city time in before checking in (we went to a few of our favorite breweries and had a delicious dinner at Luminosa). On Friday morning, we drove 10 minutes up the hill, handed over the keys, and didn’t touch the car again until we left.

Parking

Parking isn’t cheap (but honestly neither is anything else about this stay, so just plan to splurge on every aspect). Valet parking is $45 a night, and self-parking is $35 a night. We did valet, and honestly, after a long week of carpool lines, having someone else deal with the car was worth every penny.

If you’re just visiting for drinks or dinner and not staying overnight, the first hour of day parking is free. After that, it’s tiered based on how long you stay.

Travel Tip: Speaking of expenses, there’s also a $45 dollar daily resort fee. It covers Wi-Fi, access to the Sports Complex and fitness classes, the Sunset Trail, the audio history tour, and the resort shuttle. Factor it into your budget so it’s not a surprise at checkout. Make sure you use that audio history tour, too. You’re already paying for it!

Do you need a car?

Not really, once you’re there. If you’re planning to stay on property the whole time like we did, you won’t need it at all. If you want to head into downtown for dinner or shopping, it’s a quick Uber ride. You’ll avoid the hassle of downtown parking, too.

The Rooms

The Grove Park Inn has 513 rooms spread across three buildings.

The Main Inn (about 142 rooms). This is the original 1913 building and the historic heart of the property. Stay here and the Great Hall, the Sunset Terrace, and the historic charm are right outside your door.

The Sammons Wing (about 204 rooms). Built in 1984, this wing sits on the southeast side of the Main Inn. It’s home to Edison, Vue 1913, and the Presidents Lounge.

The Vanderbilt Wing (about 167 rooms). Built in 1988, this wing sits on the opposite side, to the northwest. Here you’ll find the Marketplace, the Blue Ridge restaurant, and Elaine’s Dueling Piano Bar.

Within those buildings, you’ll choose from a few room types:

• Classic Rooms are in the Main Inn, look out over the resort grounds, and tend to be the most budget-friendly option.
• Resort View Rooms look out over the spa gardens or the courtyard in front of the Main Inn.
• Mountain View Rooms have views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the golf course.
• Heritage Suites are named for people who shaped the inn’s history, like the E.W. Grove Penthouse Suite and the Fred Seely Suite. They also come with access to the adults-only Club Floor, which includes a quieter breakfast every morning and evening cocktails

Where we stayed

For our anniversary, we splurged on a Premium Mountain View room, which was in the Vanderbilt Wing. It was around $500 to $600 a night, so not a casual weekend expense, but this was a ten-year celebration, and we decided to go for it.

The room was spacious, which felt like a luxury after years of family travel in a single hotel room with a pack-and-play wedged between the beds. We had room to spread out and lounge, and the view over the mountains and the golf course was gorgeous, especially in the evenings during sunset.

History nerd note: I didn’t realize until after we booked that our room was in one of the newer wings, because they also have mountain view rooms in the original inn building, but those are deluxe, not premium. 

Our pros for staying in the Vanderbilt Wing:

• Bigger windows, bigger views. Our windows were huge, and the mountain views filled the whole room. Waking up to that never got old. We had two cozy chairs set up facing the windows and so sitting and talking, having a drink or reading by the window was perfect. 
• Nothing in the way. There was no other building blocking our view, just mountains and golf course as far as you could see.
• More space. The room was roomier than what you’ll typically find in the original inn, so we could actually spread out.
• Easier to get around. We never had to wait on the historic elevators, which can get slow and busy at peak times.
• Quieter and more private. Our wing felt calm and tucked away from the buzz of the Great Hall, which was exactly what two tired parents needed.

What you give up:

• The history. The Main Inn is where the 1913 magic lives: the stone, the original Arts and Crafts details, the wooden windows you can open and the feeling of sleeping somewhere Edison and Fitzgerald once stayed. A newer wing is lovely, but it feels more like a beautiful modern hotel than a historic one.
• Being in the middle of it all. Stay in the Main Inn and the Great Hall and the Sunset Terrace are steps away. For us, we enjoyed the quiet of our sleeping quarters, and were able to get to the Great Hall and Sunset Terrace a short elevator ride and walk away.

Travel Tip: Decide what matters most to you before you book. If it’s history and charm, request the Main Inn and double-check your reservation to confirm which building your room is in. If it’s space, quiet, and big mountain views, the newer wings are a great choice. Next time, I think we’ll try the Main Inn just to experience it. But I won’t complain about that view.

Dining

One of the best parts of staying at the Grove Park Inn is that there are tons of dining options, you don’t have to leave to eat well (sometimes at hotels, the food is just meh). We stayed on property all weekend and never once felt like we were missing out on Asheville’s food scene. Here’s where we ate and drank, plus a rundown of everything else on property.

Sunset Terrace

If you only do one dinner at the Grove Park Inn, make it this one (heads up, its a splurge, but the splurge is worth it). Sunset Terrace is the inn’s signature restaurant, set right on the famous terrace overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains and downtown Asheville. The menu leans steakhouse, with hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood, and a big wine list.

We had a later dinner reservation, and since we are now early bird dinner eaters because we have little kids, a late reservation allowed us to plan our evening perfectly. A trip down early to the Sunset Cocktail Terrace, the more casual spot just below the restaurant, is how we kicked off the evening. We were able to snag a patio table with a perfect view of the sunset (and nature put on a show for us!) We ordered old fashioneds, a soft pretzel with Lusty Monk mustard (made in Asheville) and beer cheese, and watched the sun go down over the mountains. Then we moved inside for martinis by the fireplace in the Great Hall until our table was ready. It was the kind of slow, unhurried evening we haven’t had in about four years.

Dining Tip: Book your Sunset Terrace reservation for after sunset, then show up early for drinks and a snack on the Sunset Cocktail Terrace. You get the sunset view without having to rush through dinner to catch it. If you’re visiting in the cooler months, bring a layer. Sunset Terrace is open seasonally, with winter dining depending on the weather.

Blue Ridge

Our second night, we did the prime rib buffet at Blue Ridge, and we loved it. While it’s a buffet, it was very high quality and they had a lot of appetizer, main and dessert options.

Blue Ridge is also the inn’s main breakfast spot, with a breakfast buffet every morning and a Sunday brunch that people rave about. We skipped it this time in favor of breakfast in our room (more on that below), but I’d love to try it on a future trip.

Dining Tip: The buffet theme depends on the night, so check before you book. Blue Ridge is known for its seafood buffet on Fridays and the prime rib buffet on Saturdays. Ask for a window seat if you can, because the views from this dining room are some of the best in the inn.

Elaine’s Dueling Piano Bar

Elaine’s is a dueling piano bar tucked into the Vanderbilt Wing, where two pianists trade off taking requests, play off each other, and get the whole room singing along. It was so much fun, we went both nights. Without kids, we stayed up later than we have in years, belting out Journey with a room full of strangers.

The Great Hall Bar

Tucked into the corner of the Great Hall, this bar has a great cocktail menu, those enormous stone fireplaces on either side, and live music on weekend evenings. Grab a martini, find a seat near the fire, and watch the whole inn go by. This is where we spent the time before our Sunset Terrace dinner, and it’s a perfect spot for a nightcap, too.

The Marketplace

In the lobby of the Vanderbilt Wing, the Marketplace is your go-to for coffee, grab-and-go snacks, sandwiches, and ice cream. We grabbed breakfast sandwiches here both mornings and ate them in our room with that mountain view, which was the best for lazy weekend mornings.

The Spa Café

Right by the spa entrance, the Spa Café serves fresh juices, smoothies, salads, sandwiches, and wraps. We had lunch here during our spa day on Saturday. You don’t need a spa reservation to eat here, and spa guests can even get lunch delivered out to the pool deck when the weather is nice. (More on the spa below!)

There are so many restaurants and bars on the property that we weren’t able to eat at all of them! Here are the details on the spots we weren’t able to make it to.

Edison, craft ales + kitchen

A more casual spot in the Sammons Wing with regional cooking, cheeseburgers, local beer, and big mountain views.  Think sports bar but at a luxury resort. It’s a great choice for a laid-back lunch or dinner.

Vue 1913

An Art Deco–style American brasserie in the Sammons Wing, with French-influenced dishes, seasonal menus, and a strong wine list. A good pick for a dressier night out.

Presidents Lounge

A cozy lounge just past the Heritage Ballroom in the Sammons Wing, with wine by the glass, cocktails, small plates, and views over downtown Asheville. It’s a nice spot for a drink before or after dinner.

Cabana Grill & Bar

A seasonal outdoor grill by the golf pro shop and outdoor pool, with sandwiches, salads, and a full bar. It’s perfect for a poolside lunch in warmer months.

The Spa

If there’s one thing I’d tell every couple (or person!) to book at the Grove Park Inn, it’s the spa. We spent an entire day there, and it was the highlight of our weekend.

The Spa at the Omni Grove Park Inn is built underground, tucked into the mountain beneath the inn. It covers 43,000 square feet, with stone walls, waterfalls, and dim, candlelit pools that make you feel like you’ve wandered into a secret cave. It’s consistently ranked among the top resort spas in the country.

Day pass vs. treatment

You don’t have to book a massage or other treatment to experience the spa. You can buy a Spa Day Pass, which gets you access to all of the pools and amenities for the entire day (the spa day pass is only open to Grove Park Inn overnight guets). 

Because we weren’t looking for an hour on a massage table so much as a full day of quality time and relaxation together we booked a day pass which was perfect.

If you do book a treatment, all-day access to the pools and amenities is included at no extra cost.

What’s included

A day pass to the subterranean spa gets you access to:

• The grotto pools. These are warm mineral pools set in a stone cavern under the inn, lit by soft lights, with music playing underwater. Dip your head under and you’ll hear it. One of these pools has a ceiling of stars above it, which was magical.
• The waterfall pools. These are therapeutic tubs with powerful waterfalls you can sit under to pound out the knots in your shoulders. I loved these.
• Saunas, steam rooms, and cold plunges. I bounced between the sauna, the steam room, and the cold plunge all day, and I left feeling like a new person.
• The outdoor whirlpool. It was a highlight even in the rain. There’s something so relaxing about sitting in hot water with cool mountain air on your face.
• The outdoor pool and patio. This area includes lounge chairs, with food and drink service from the Spa Café when the weather’s nice.
• The fireside lounges. These are cozy spots to curl up in a robe and blanket with tea, infused water, and snacks between soaks.

Our spa day

We checked in around 10 a.m. and didn’t head back to our room until about 4:30 or 5. That’s six-plus hours without a phone, a kid, or a single thing on our to-do list. The spa is completely electronics-free, which is reason enough to go, and we both loved the mandatory unplugging.

It rained all day, which made for a cozy spa day, but we did get to miss out on lounging on the outdoor patio. Since everyone was crowded into the indoor spaces, it felt a bit busy in the morning, but it thinned out as the day went on. We took a break for lunch at the Spa Café, then went right back to soaking.

Tips for your spa day

• Book early. Like, really early. Day passes are limited, and overnight guests get priority. I booked ours in March for an October trip, and the process was easy. Reservations are made by phone through the hotel’s reservations line.
• Budget for the service charge. A 22% service charge is automatically added to day passes and treatments. 
• Know that couples get split up for part of it. The saunas, steam rooms, and cold plunges are in separate men’s and women’s areas. The grotto pools, waterfall pools, and outdoor spaces are co-ed, so plan to meet up there.
• Check the weather. If rain is in the forecast, expect the indoor spaces to be busier, especially in the morning. 
• Plan to stay all day. Check-in for day passes starts in the morning, and you’ll want every minute. Don’t book a spa day and then try to cram in anything else.
• Eat at the Spa Café. You don’t have to leave the spa area for lunch, and the healthy, fresh options are exactly what you want between soaks.
• Bring nothing. Robes, sandals, towels, lockers, and toiletries are all provided. Just bring your swimsuit and a good book!
• Leave your phone in the locker. The spa is completely electronics-free, so no phones, no smartwatches, and no checking in on the kids every 20 minutes. It sounds stressful to completely be unplugged in this day and age, but it’s the best part.

Things to Do on Property

Even if you never leave the Grove Park Inn, you won’t run out of things to do. We spent a lot of our weekend just wandering, and every time we turned a corner there was something new: a hidden staircase, a cozy reading nook, a display case full of 100-year-old artifacts, or another view of the mountains that made us stop and stare.

Explore the history

The inn is basically a museum you get to sleep in. Hallways throughout the Main Inn are lined with photographs, letters, and memorabilia from famous guests and the inn’s early days, so take your time and read as you go.

My one regret? We didn’t do the audio history tour. It’s a self-guided tour of the inn’s history, and it’s included in your resort fee, so you’re already paying for it. Next time, it’s at the top of my list. If you love history and old buildings as much as I do, don’t skip it like we did.

Walk the grounds and the Sunset Trail

The inn sits on more than 150 acres on the side of Sunset Mountain, and the grounds are beautiful to explore on foot. Wander through the gardens, find a rocking chair on one of the porches, or walk the Sunset Trail for a little fresh air between meals. (We needed it after that prime rib buffet.)

Golf

The Grove Park Inn golf course was designed by legendary golf architect Donald Ross and sits right below the inn, with the mountains as a backdrop. It’s a par-70 course, and big names like Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan, plus President Obama, have all played it. Even if you don’t golf, the view of the course from the inn is a big part of what makes the scenery so pretty.

The Sports Complex

Overnight guests get access to the Sports Complex, a 50,000-square-foot facility a short walk or shuttle ride from the Main Inn. Inside, you’ll find an indoor pool, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, cardio and weight rooms, and fitness classes like yoga. There’s also a seasonal outdoor pool near the Cabana Grill, for warmer months.

Shopping

We didn’t do any shopping this trip, but there’s plenty on property if you want a souvenir or forgot something at home:

• The Marketplace and gift shop in the Vanderbilt Wing, for coffee, snacks, Grove Park Inn apparel, and gifts.
• Gallery of the Mountains, featuring work from Southern Appalachian artists and craftspeople. It’s a great spot for a meaningful souvenir.
• Nantahala Outdoor Center, for outdoor gear and booking mountain adventures if you want to get out and explore.

Bonus: Right next door to the inn, you’ll find Grovewood Village, home to Grovewood Gallery and working artist studios. It’s the former site of Biltmore Industries, a woodworking and weaving business that Fred Seely bought from Edith Vanderbilt in 1917. It’s an easy walk from the inn and a great way to see local crafts and a little more history.

The National Gingerbread House Competition

If you’re visiting in late fall or around the holidays, this is a can’t-miss. Every November, the Grove Park Inn hosts the National Gingerbread House Competition, and the entries are displayed throughout the inn during the holiday season. They’re elaborate, detailed, and impressive, and it’s become a beloved Asheville tradition.

Bringing the Kids (and the Dog)

This was a kid-free trip for us, but the Grove Park Inn is very family friendly. We saw kids everywhere all weekend, splashing at the pool, running around the grounds, and dressed up for dinner.

We actually brought our son, Dylan, here when he was a baby, and spent an afternoon out on the Sunset Terrace with him and friends. He was happy as could be, taking in the mountain air, and it remains one of my favorite memories from his first year. 

If you’re bringing the kids, the inn offers a range of resort activities for families, and the Sports Complex pool is a great rainy-day option. Casual spots like Edison, the Marketplace, and the Blue Ridge buffet are all easy with little ones.

The inn is dog friendly, too. Up to two dogs (under 60 pounds) are allowed per room with a cleaning fee, so check the current pet policy before you book.

A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

Book early

The spa, Sunset Terrace, and the best rooms all fill up fast, especially in the fall. Spa day passes are limited, and overnight guests get priority, so call to book as soon as you have your dates. I booked our hotel room and spa passes in March for an October trip. Make your Sunset Terrace reservation early, too, especially for a weekend. If your travel dates are flexible, look on their websites to see if you can take advantage of any of their special packages or special offers.

Know which building you’re booking

If you want the 1913 history and charm, request a room in the Main Inn and double-check your reservation before you go (for mountain view rooms, these . If you’d rather have more space, bigger windows, and quieter mountain views, the Vanderbilt and Sammons Wings are a great choice (these are listed as premium mountain view rooms). Just make sure you’re getting the one you want.

Tell them if you’re celebrating

Mention your anniversary, birthday, or special occasion when you book. The hotel sent champagne to our room for our tenth anniversary, and that little touch made the whole weekend feel extra special. 

Budget for the extras

The Grove Park Inn is a splurge, and the add-ons add up. Plan for:

• Rooms: We paid around $500 to $600 a night for a Mountain View room in the Vanderbilt Wing.
• Parking: Valet is $45 a night, and self-parking is $35 a night.
• The resort fee: $44 a night, which covers Wi-Fi, the Sports Complex, the audio history tour, and more.
• The spa: A 22% service charge is automatically added to day passes and treatments.
• Dining:Sunset Terrace is pricey, so treat it as your one big dinner. 

It’s not a cheap weekend, but for a special occasion, it was worth every penny.

Time your sunset

Book your Sunset Terrace dinner for after the sun goes down, then arrive early for drinks and a snack on the Sunset Cocktail Terrace. You get the view without rushing your meal. 

Use what your resort fee covers

You’re already paying for the audio history tour, the Sports Complex, the fitness classes, and the Sunset Trail, so take advantage of them. 

Have a rainy-day plan

Mountain weather is unpredictable. If it does rain, the Great Hall fireplaces, Elaine’s, and a long dinner are all great consolation prizes.

Pack layers

Even in the warmer months, evenings on the side of the mountain get chilly, especially out on the Sunset Terrace. Bring a jacket or sweater for dinner and drinks outside.

Park the car and stay put

Once you arrive, you really don’t need to leave. Between the restaurants, bars, spa, and grounds, there’s more than enough to fill a weekend. If you do want to go downtown, it’s a quick Uber ride and saves you from dealing with parking. We added a night in downtown Asheville before checking in, and that combination was the perfect balance of city and getaway.

So, Would We Go Back?

Absolutely. Without question.

The Grove Park Inn has been part of our Asheville story for years: a quick drink with friends, a stop on our honeymoon, a sunny afternoon on the terrace with baby Dylan. Finally staying the night together for our tenth anniversary felt like coming full circle.

For a special occasion, or just because, there’s nothing else like it in North Carolina. There’s the history, the views, the spa, the food, and service that makes you feel taken care of from the moment you pull up. We left feeling rested, reconnected, and already planning our next visit.

Here’s to the next ten years. And maybe a Heritage Suite next time.

groveparkinn.com / 290 macon ave., asheville, nc
spa opn daily 8am-9pm
the sunset terrace open seasonally 11am-230pm, 5pm-10pm