that’s life8 destinations
Mountain Asheville’s Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa Retreat By Roberta Sandler
Is Like A Breath Of Fresh Air
“
In its earlier days, the hotel attracted world-renowned figures such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
”
F. Scott Fitzgerald
46
N
estled at the foothills of the glorious Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, N.C., The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa is an idyllic getaway that resonates with romance, relaxation and family fun. It isn’t just the legendary service and remarkable amenities that beckon vacationers to the property and its 512 cozy guestrooms, including 12 suites and a 28-room Club Floor. It’s the breathtaking views of a color-infused vista and the hotel’s imposing stone exterior constructed long ago of granite boulders from local quarries. And it’s the dependable continuation of entrepreneur E.W. Grove’s idea to provide guests with respite from the rest of the world when, in 1913, he completed the resort. In its earlier days, the hotel’s upscale,
T h e B o c a R at o n Ob s e r v e r
tranquil ambiance attracted worldrenowned figures such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Through the decades, the guest register has listed 10 U.S. presidents and notables including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Anthony Hopkins, Deepak Chopra, Burt Reynolds and Shirley Jones. One guest who supposedly never left is The Pink Lady, the ghost of a woman who fell to her death in the Palm Court atrium in 1920 and is reportedly occasionally sighted in her pink dress (or perhaps former guest Harry Houdini had something to do with her reappearance)! In the 1950s, Dallas businessman Charles Sammons purchased, restored and upgraded the property. Today, with the addition of its luxurious on-site spa, it continues to
garner awards and accolades. Among The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa’s honors, its Horizons Dining Room restaurant boasts an AAA Four Diamond rating; its Donald Ross-designed, 18-hole, par-70 golf course was named No. 77 on Golfweek magazine’s list of America’s Best Resort Courses and its spa was named one of world’s best in Travel + Leisure magazine. The praise is understandable, considering the amenities. First, there’s the decor, which includes the world’s largest collection of Arts and Craftsera furniture. These solid oak pieces, closely identified with the resort, permeate the massive lobby of the romantic and historic Main Inn and the spacious rooms of the contemporary Vanderbilt and Sammons wings.