Deck the Halls: Asheville Bed & Breakfasts Go All Out for the Holidays
By Jason Tarr
When deciding where to stay in Asheville, North Carolina, you'll want to consider the area's unique collection of bed and breakfasts. Known for their personalized experiences, home-cooked meals, historic architecture and warm hospitality, bed and breakfasts provide a home away from home while you're exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains.
While these accommodations are alluring throughout the year, during the holidays bed and breakfasts truly sparkle. Inn keepers go all out with elegant and classic decorations, transforming these cozy homes into a winter wonderland of lights, hand-decorated trees and meaningful heirlooms.
With the help of the Asheville Bed and Breakfast Association, we're giving you an inside look into these stunning decorations and sharing the personal stories behind them. From a Christmas tree that was hand-picked from a neighbor's farm to a mantle that has been decorated for two decades in honor of a personal friend, discover the special touches that make the season bright at Asheville area B&Bs.
After reading their stories and seeing the beautiful photos of their decorations, check out the "Cook Now & Stay Later" offer for 2021. Purchase now a copy of the ABBA's Morning in the Mountains Cookbook for $25, you'll receive a $50 gift certificate for a future stay at any of the member inns in 2022. The cookbook must be purchased by December 31, 2021 to be eligible for this promotion.
Photo Tour of Holiday Decorations at Asheville Bed and Breakfasts
1889 WhiteGate Inn and Cottage
Decorating the fireplace mantel in the parlor has special meaning for the inn keepers at the 1889 WhiteGate Inn and Cottage just blocks north of downtown Asheville. The tradition began in the late 1990s when the current inn keepers purchased the property. As a gift for their first Christmas in the house, their friend Wayne surprised them by decorating the mantle. The results were breathtaking. Wayne passed away not too long after. To keep Wayne's memory alive, the inn keepers have carried on the tradition, decorating the parlor each season exactly as he did years ago.
1899 Wright Inn and Carriage House
The entire staff at the 1899 Wright Inn and Carriage House works together to decorate trees, hang dozens of bows and place something special in every room of the house. As they do, classical Christmas music plays, fireplaces crackle and the aroma of pineneedles and freshly baked pies fills the air. The team also hangs thousands of shimmering outdoor lights to add to the holiday cheer of their lovely Queen Anne Victorian home in Asheville's historic Montford District just north of downtown.
Abbington Green Bed and Breakfast Inn
The new owners of Abbington Green (Dean Whiteford and Cherie Thorn), having moved to town from New York City in May, are celebrating their first holiday season in the Inn (2021). They asked their team members to decorate based on their personal inspiration and creativity -- the beginning of a new tradition. The team members decorated two trees, the mantel and the door with décor they selected as a team. They also decorated the exterior of the house and the gardens with lights, wreaths, lighted angels and stars (it's quite stunning at night!). In the foyer, you'll see a special decoration. Innkeeper Cherie's college roommate gifted the Inn an antique star as a housewarming gift, which now tops the foyer tree. In addition to the decorations in the common areas, all guest rooms are also adorned with holidays trees and décor.
At Cumberland Falls Bed and Breakfast
Picking out the tree is a special experience for the inn keepers at the At Cumberland Falls Bed and Breakfast in the historic Montford District. To find the tree pictured above (photo credit: Carol Spagnuola), the owners drove 1.5 hours to a Christmas tree farm, settling on a live Fraser fir. They then adorned it with more than 2,000 twinkling lights, bows and ornaments. According to the inn keeper's Fitbit, it took more than 25,000 steps to get it all done! You'll also find the beautiful Quilted Maple mantel decorated with Old St. Nick and Rudolph. The inn keepers say they put a little extra effort into their 2020 decorations because they thought "everyone could use a little extra cheer this year.”
Bent Creek Lodge
The centerpiece of the decorations at Bent Creek Lodge, located near the North Carolina Arboretum, is a live Christmas tree. The 9-foot tree in the photo above was among the decorations in 2020 and was from the WNC Farmers Market in Asheville. The tree is adorned with an angel. The red and white theme features tin snow flakes, handmade wooden stars and a vintage rocking horse sitting under the tree. The crimson and white theme touched off a bit of a friendly rivalry between Randy the owner (an Alabama fan) and the assistant manager (an Auburn fan). To help even the score, Randy told the assistant manager he'd hide an Aubie the Tiger mascot replica in the tree rather than the tradition of hiding a dill pickle. The rest of the lodge features white lights and red berries or bows tied in with yards and yards of greenery. If you purchase a gift certificate by December 31, 2021, you'll receive a 13 percent bonus upgrade. These may be purchased on the Bent Creek Lodge website or by calling the lodge directly.
Carolina Bed and Breakfast
Photo by Derek Diluzio
Big "Charlie Brown" Christmas lights brighten the front of the gorgeous Arts and Crafts home of the Carolina Bed and Breakfast in the historic Montford District. The lights are put up by Jess and John Averette of Winter Star Holiday Lighting -- who have become like family to the innkeepers. The Averette's team holds safety paramount, using ropes and harnesses attached to the chimneys so they can reach even the highest roof peaks and windows in this three-story inn to hang the lights. It normally takes two days to bring the lights to life but this year an all-female crew did it in one day. The decorations continue inside where you'll find beautiful sparkling Christmas trees in all the rooms.
Cedar Crest Inn
Each year, Cedar Crest Inn begins decorating its Mansion, Carriage House and Guest Cottage to coincide with the beginning of the Candlelight Christmas Evenings celebration at Biltmore. Cedar Crest was built around the same time as Biltmore. In fact, the original owners of Cedar Crest, William Breese and his wife, even hosted holiday parties and gatherings with the Vanderbilt family. Now, each year, the staff members at Cedar Crest come together at the beginning of November to decorate. Everyone on the team has a hand in decorating the beautiful 9-foot tree (seen above) that resides in the Mansion. The tree features more than 200 ornaments! You'll also see the Christmas villages that have been with the Inn for more than 20 years.
At Engadine Inn and Cabins, located just west of Asheville in Candler, Christmas is the inn keepers' favorite time of the year. You'll experience holiday decor throughout the inn, "garland for days," festive fireplace mantles and a Christmas village. But at the heart of it all is a Christmas tree featuring 1,200 Santa ornaments collected during the inn keepers' 38 years of holiday decor shopping! At 10 feet tall and as wide as six feet, the magnificent Fraser fir is also adorned with 3,000 twinkling lights.
Pinecrest Bed & Breakfast
While red and green are prominent holiday colors, decorations in other colors can be just as festive. The Wible Suite at Pinecrest Bed & Breakfast has a mantle that hosts shades of blue, green, and gold to coordinate with the magnolia print. Innkeepers Dan & Diane were married in 1989 -- that's when they purchased a Christmas angel tree topper. Every year, the angel tops their live Christmas tree in the foyer having survived moves through four states and two rewiring “surgeries” during its more than 30-year history!
Princess Anne Hotel
At the Princess Anne Hotel just blocks from downtown Asheville, the inn keepers have always seen Christmas as a time for family. Years ago, they stopped giving gifts to each other to make sure they put the focus on valuing their time together. Their tree inside the hotel represents loved ones passed, loved ones who are struggling and loved ones who they haven't met yet. Gazing at the tree is almost hypnotic and meditative. By keeping their celebrations simple, they say they put the empahsis on remembering the reason for the season.
Sweet Biscuit Inn
The new inn keepers who now own Sweet Biscuit Inn, which is located near Biltmore Village in east Asheville, are decorating their inn for the holidays for the first time as this is their first season in the house. They welcomed the both fun and daunting challenge with a personal touch -- that's because the inn is also their home. The decorations feature some of their favorite personal Christmas decorations with new Sweet Biscuit Inn ornaments. In this photo, you see their daughter’s beloved childhood nutcrackers -- coincidentally and appropriately named Sir Waffles and Sir Pancakes -- guarding the food-themed tree in the dining room.
Wildberry Lodge
Each year, the owners of Wildberry Lodge, located just northwest of Asheville in the community of Leicester, pick out their fresh, live tree from their neighbors -- The Cole's. The tallest tree they've ever received was 17.5 feet tall and required six people to carry it off the mountain and stand it up. Once the tree is up, it's time for everyone, including their four-legged friends, to relax by the fire.
Photo credit: Top photo of At Cumberland Falls Bed & Breakfast by Carol Spagnuola. Photos provided to Explore Asheville by the Asheville Bed & Breakfast Association (ABBA).
