7 Amazing Hotels in Downtown Asheville, NC
Are you ready to visit Asheville and looking for a place to stay? Our city has lodging options for everyone – luxurious boutique hotels like the Omni Grove Park Inn, glamping in vintage campers, domes surrounded by baby goats, and even tree houses. We have incredible Airbnbs, romantic bed and breakfasts, and pet-friendly hotels where your fur babies are treated like royalty.
Downtown Asheville is one of the best places to stay if you want to be within walking distance of award-winning restaurants, cafés, breweries, fun boutiques, and historical landmarks. You won’t have a dull moment downtown! The hotels here reflect the city’s eclectic, laid-back spirit.
Many hotels feature works by regional artists and offer easy access to galleries, theaters, and music venues. Historic hotels exude a timeless elegance, often with stories of famous past guests and preserved architectural details. Meanwhile, contemporary establishments offer cool amenities like rooftop pool parties with live music.
I’ve compiled a list of Downtown Asheville’s best hotels. Have fun choosing one and enjoy your trip!
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase or booking through one of our links we may earn a small commission (don’t worry, it’s at no extra cost to you).
The 7 Best Hotels in Downtown Asheville
1. The Restoration
Inspired “by the free-spirited culture of the local community,” The Restoration opened its doors in the fall of 2023. Situated on Patton Avenue, it offers a prime location across from Pritchard Park, where the Asheville drum circle gathers every Friday at sunset. It’s a lively, fun atmosphere for guests who want to people-watch and mingle with locals and visitors.
This all-suite boutique hotel offers rooms that are a perfect blend of comfort and luxury. Each suite is equipped with Gilchrist & Soames toiletries, plush bathrobes and slippers, a craft spirits bar cart, complimentary in-room beverages, great local coffee, snacks, and late-night cookies! In addition, you’ll get spoiled with personalized concierge and in-room spa services.
Once you step out of your room, you have several enticing options: unwind in a beautifully stocked library filled with vintage and rare items, enjoy a botanical cocktail at The Observatory’s rooftop, hang out with locals at the basement bar The Draftsman, or indulge in coffee and exquisite pastries at the European-inspired café, The Rise.
Even though there are great places to eat within walking distance from the hotel, you should have at least one meal at the onsite restaurant, The Exchange, which offers a seasonal-based, farm-to-table menu.
The hotel is pet-friendly (maximum two pets), and 20% of the pet fee is donated to the Asheville Humane Society. Valet Parking is limited, and spaces are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Tip: Keep an eye on the packages to pair your stay with the best local wellness and outdoor experiences.
2. Kimpton-Hotel Harras
Kimpton-Hotel Arras is one of the best luxury hotels in Asheville, and the great news is that its pet-friendly label includes all pets. Yes, all pets are welcome, including your “furry, feathery or scaly family member – no matter their size, weight, or breed, all at no extra charge.”
So, bring your parrot, geckos, hamsters, cats, and dogs and rest assured they’ll be treated like royalty with stylish beds, treats, and other fun surprises. The hotel also offers complimentary access to Wag!, a service that connects dog parents with professional caregivers for pet walking, boarding, or sitting.
Located across the street from Central Pack Square, Kimpton-Hotel Arras offers 128 rooms, each adorned with local art (available for purchase!). You’ll love the spa-like baths and the breathtaking city and mountain views.
The top-notch amenities include a fully equipped fitness center, massage treatments from Urban Exhale Massage Spa (one of the best in town), a breast milk storage service, complimentary public bicycles, and a program that allows you to borrow chic accessories hand-selected by Anthropologie stylists during your stay.
There are two restaurants onsite: Bargello serves excellent Mediterranean food, while District 42 is perfect for drinks, tapas, breakfast, and lunch. And Arras Wine Cellar is the perfect intimate venue for a private event.
3. Panoramic Pack Square
Located on the 10th floor of the Arras Building and on top of the Hotel Arras, the Panoramic Pack Square Luxury Condo at Arras Vacation Rentals offers breathtaking unobstructed 120-degree views of Pack Square Park and the surrounding mountains. If you are looking for the best place to stay in Downtown Asheville, this is it!
Since 1965, the Arras has been Asheville’s tallest building, soaring 228 feet high with 19 stories and 201,000 square feet of space. The hotel occupies the first nine floors, while Arras Vacation Rentals are nestled on floors 10-19, offering unparalleled views.
The one-bedroom, one-bathroom Panoramic Pack Square condo is designed to accommodate four people comfortably. It’s fully equipped with modern amenities, including a washer and dryer, making it an ideal choice for extended stays. As a guest, you’ll have access to all the hotel’s amenities, like the gym and in-room spa treatments, while enjoying the privacy and comfort of a home away from home.
The services include a fully equipped kitchen where you can cook (remember to check Asheville’s amazing farmer markets!) and valet parking for one car, which is included in your booking. There is also access to electric car charging stations.
One of the highlights of your stay will be opening the living room’s sliding glass window to let in the fresh air and the bustle of downtown from high above. Then head downstairs and you’re just steps away from the best places to eat and shop in Asheville!
4. Zelda Dearest
If you want a unique place to stay in Downtown Asheville, Zelda Dearest might be your best bet! This boutique hotel opened in the fall of 2023 and aims to capture Zelda Fitzgerald’s rebellious, free spirit. “Just as Zelda enchanted the world, we will enchant you with graceful hospitality, indulgent surroundings, and an irresistible charm.”
The artist, socialite, and icon of the Jazz Era adored Asheville, where she died in 1948 in a tragic fire while hospitalized in a mental health facility. Every March Asheville celebrates Zelda Fitzgerald Week with public readings and artistic exhibitions.
The hotel features 20 designer rooms in three buildings with lovely private patios and porches. It’s in the South Slope, an area of downtown known as “Asheville Beer District.” You’ll be within walking distance to cool businesses like the Sauna House, great places to eat (and drink beer!), and plenty of awesome street art.
Each room is individually designed, always with the Roaring Twenties in mind, with bold colors and names like Magnolia, Verbena, Wisteria, and Sundrop. You’ll love the gorgeous bathrooms, the waffle kimono robes, and the showcase of Zelda’s books and portraits throughout the hotel.
Wine and Roses is the cozy on-site bar where you can let your worries go for a moment and live like Zelda – “all I want to be is very young always and very irresponsible and to feel that my life is my own, to live and be happy and die in my way to please myself.”
Follow the hotel’s Instagram page to check out their fun events.
5. The Foundry Hotel
The Foundry Hotel, a high-end luxury hotel, is a gem nestled in a repurposed steel factory in the historic neighborhood of The Block. This area, just a stone’s throw from Pack Square, has a quiet neighborhood vibe and is home to cool, mostly Black-owned shops.
The heart of this little area is Triangle Park, across the street from the hotel’s entrance. The park features a mural honoring the past and present of African Americans in Asheville. The park and other historical landmarks in The Block are part of the self-guided Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail, a must-do for visitors who love history.
The Foundry boasts contemporary decor with vintage and industrial elements commemorating the area’s history. The rooms offer vistas of the mountains and city or courtyard, along with expansive bathrooms equipped with illuminated vanity mirrors and individual Nespresso coffee machines. Some rooms also have exposed brick walls and wet bars.
Benne on Eagle is an on-site restaurant that also happens to be one of Asheville’s top brunch destinations. The restaurant’s concept highlights the culinary traditions of the local African American community. The visual focal point of Benne on Eagle is a mural by renowned Asheville artist Joseph Pearson that pays tribute to the historically significant Black businesses and buildings of The Block.
You’ll love hanging out in the quiet courtyard with comfy seating and firepits. The urban garden neighbors the back of the Noir Collective Art Gallery, one of the best places to shop in Downtown Asheville.
The Foundry also offers cool packages for humans and dogs!
6. The Flat Iron Hotel
Located in the iconic Art Deco Flat Iron Building from 1926, The Flat Iron Hotel opened in May 2024, becoming the newest hotel in Downtown Asheville. Designed by Albert C. Wirthand, this historical landmark was built in the same golden era as the Grove Arcade and the S&W Cafeteria (all are part of the Asheville Urban Trail).
You’ll love stepping into history at The Flat Iron Building, once home to the first radio broadcasting station, WWNC. The eight-story edification, modeled after the iconic Flatiron Building in New York City, was considered a skyscraper (ha!) and is now a part of the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, the fully restored building is home to 71 luxury rooms, a co-working space, a café, a rooftop bar with incredible views, and Luminosa, a “hyper-local Italian-meets-Appalachian” restaurant.
While several decades have passed, the hotel’s concept is to bring the charm of the 1920s back with its artist-inspired rooms, each dedicated to a luminary of the era, such as Zelda Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe, Amelia Earhart, and architect Douglas Ellington.
The Flat Iron Folks is a hotel-wide exhibit commemorating the building’s historical tenants through art. “In nearly a century as an office building, the Flat Iron hosted hundreds of amazing individuals. From country stars to scheming detectives, humble doctors to dance teachers, each had dreams, failures, losses, and triumphs.”
Finally, you’ll adore the 1920s-styled front desk with a concierge in near-period dress and the restored elevator!
7. Aloft Asheville Downtown
Aloft Asheville Downtown is a super cool hotel on Biltmore Ave, a few blocks from The Orange Peel and Wicked Weed Brewing. It’s fun, colorful, laid back, and has the only rooftop pool downtown. The cocktails, bar bites, and live music on the weekends are the perfect set for your summer vacation. You can even enjoy a poolside cabana!
Add board games and a giant Connect 4 board, pop-up markets by local artists, and you’ll have the perfect Asheville pool party overlooking the mountains! Are you a local or planning a longer stay at a rental house? Their SPLASH seasonal pool passes go on sale in early June.
On top of all that, Aloft is one of the most dog-friendly hotels in Asheville, fostering an adoption program in partnership with local organizations. You’ll love meeting the featured puppy in the lobby! Who knows? You might be going back home with an extra family member! The best part? Pets stay for free and are welcome everywhere in the hotel.
You’ll love the urban chic atmosphere and the cheerful rooms with fantastic city and mountain views. There is a convenience store on-site where you can get made-to-order meals and have them delivered to your room, Starbucks drinks, or buy gourmet eats and snacks. And the fitness center is open 24/7.
That’s it – our picks for the top hotels in Downtown Asheville! Did we miss any?
SHARE THIS ON PINTEREST
Laura Bernhein
Born in Argentina, Laura is a journalist who's lived in Asheville for 10 years. She loves all things Asheville, from the vast business scene to the beautiful nonprofits, magical people, and marvelous nature. She loves being involved in projects that are the change she wants to see in the world.