The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa

Asheville, North Carolina

By Pam Williams

A grand mountain resort, designed at the turn of the century to lure even the most well-traveled. Beckoning them with pure mountain air, an awesome spectacle of architecture, the finest service, cuisine, and amenities. A hotel so unique that it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A hotel that can only be described as "one of America's truly legendary resorts."


There’s something special about the mountains of Western North Carolina – soft and warm, green and hazy – and in Asheville where the Blue Ridge blends into the Great Smokies: there is a sense of being home, regardless of where you’re from. On the banks of the French Broad River at an elevation of nearly 2,500 feet, Asheville is a rare combination of lush peaks, gently rolling hills and rich river valleys. Its temperate, annual climate consists of summers with warm days and cool nights, bountiful and blossom-filled springs, falls bursting with brightly colored foliage and comfortable winters with mild but beautiful snowfall.

For years, "folks" from around the world have come to this "Mecca in the Mountains" to just sit on the porch, breathe the fresh air, relax and be lazy. George Vanderbilt's 250 room Biltmore House, built as a "mountain retreat" on the outskirts of Asheville in the late 1800's, is but one example of how the rich and famous have always paid homage to this low-mountain paradise. And so the tradition continues today in grand style at the Grove Park Inn, Resort & Spa.

Built in 1913 on 140 acres with additions in 1984 and 1988, the Grove Park Inn is carved into Sunset Mountain overlooking the city - a dream come true for original owner E. W. Grove. Consisting of the Main Inn, which was later flanked on each side by the Vanderbilt and Sammons wings, the Inn has enjoyed a magnificent history hosting eight presidents, famous writer F. Scott Fitzgerald and other celebrities like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and the Rockefellers.

With an undulating, poured concrete roof covered with individually cut and placed red tile and a Main Inn building fashioned from granite stones, the Inn was recently renovated over a two year period by the current owner, Elaine D. Sammons, at a cost of $20 million. Renovations included "reinventing" the 142 Main Inn guest rooms (all of which are non-smoking) to 21st century standards while preserving their Arts & Crafts heritage.

Merely entering the Main Inn was a joyful experience. Overwhelmed by its Great Hall lobby with walk-in fireplaces at each end, dark wood floors and columns, Arts & Crafts furniture and a stunning view from the terrace, one moves to the guest rooms, elegantly decorated with Arts & Crafts armoires concealing modern amenities, and tiled baths with oversized, antique tubs and sinks and exquisite towels and other luxuries.

The Grove Park Inn is currently the winner of the AAA’s Four Diamond Award and the Mobile Travel Guide's 4-Star Award, the latter of which is also currently held by the Horizons, the Inn's fine dining restaurant. Amenities at The Inn include a golf course, six tennis courts and a sports complex.

Both comfortable and elegant, The Grove Park Inn is home to a $40 million spa, built over a period of 23 months, opened in February 2001 and soon to become one of the world’s greatest destinations for relaxation, pampering, wellness and health. Thrust deep into the base of the mountain under the Main Inn and using 4,000 tons of native stone, 14,000 yards of poured concrete, and 107,000 concrete blocks (each weighing 29 pounds), the spa-goer descends four levels from the main lobby of the Inn to a cavernous tunnel that bids entry into the 40,000 square foot subterranean labyrinth of waterfalls, pools and 24 treatment rooms.

The architectural theme of the spa is consistent with the Grove Park Inn’s Arts & Crafts heritage and emphasizes Western North Carolina’s natural elements of sky, water, fire and rock. The spa experience is one of being truly at peace amid the sights and sounds of mountain streams, cascading waterfalls and placid pools lit from above by giant skylights - a sensory journey that is indulgent and magical. With a spa concierge for each client, one never feels unattended even when left alone.

Upon entering the spa, one is impressed with the rockwork, the beautiful inlaid carpets and huge windows overhead. The lounge and dressing areas are complemented with dark woods, tile floors and the continued use of stone that is the spa's trademark. Supplied with a plush robe and comfortable slippers, one rests quietly by the fireplace without anticipation, hoping that the wait will never end. The fireside room is furnished with large patterned chairs, ottomans and a sumptuous area rug. A service bar is tastefully supplied with ice, spring and flavored waters, and pottery bowls of nuts, sunflower seeds and fresh and dried fruit.

The Color and Light Therapy Treatment was an intense but wonderful experience. Upon entering the hydrotherapy room one is impressed with the clean look and fragrant smell, the sparkle of the tub, the dark wood cabinets, the tile floors and three-quarter tiled walls, the sconce lighting and the soothing music. The customized treatment consists of a facial massage with cool stones while seated in the tub, engulfed by the aroma of essential oils and a relaxing array of calming colors. Photographic depictions of one’s "aura" attest to the rebalancing of the body and mind.

The Grove Stone Massage was luxurious and relaxing, combined with deep heat therapy. Polished basalt lava stones were heated and incorporated into the massage. Enhanced with lavender aromatherapy, the treatment loosened tight muscles, relieved stress and eased tension.

The visit to the spa also included a Champagne and Pearls Facial. Employing a European technique, this first-class skin treatment uses champagne yeast extracts to stimulate the skin’s metabolism. A pampering glass of champagne is included before and after the treatment.

Each therapist was extremely professional and informative, explaining each step in the treatment, what was happening and why. At the conclusion of each session, one is given robe and slippers and accompanied back to the fireside room.

Directed by Jaime Huffman and an accommodating, well-trained staff of 100 who combine European, old world flair and Southern hospitality, the spa offers skin care, body treatments, massage, nail service and make-up. Signature treatments include the Sanctuary of the Senses Facial, the Waterfall Massage and Color and Light Therapy.

Also enjoyed at the spa were relaxing times in the lap pool, the mineral pool, the contrast plunging pool and the sauna. The spa also features steam rooms and inhalation rooms. There are separate lounges for men and women and five fireplaces. Amenities include a hair salon, retail shop, fitness room, spa café and juice bar.

Driving down from the Main Inn onto Charlotte Street, the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa rises behind you on the slopes of Sunset Mountain. Turning onto the main highway and heading north, one’s memories of a world class adventure are a gentle reminder of a not so distant past when men and women dreamed dreams and dreams became reality – a reality that may well be one of America’s truly legendary resorts.

Pam Williams is Senior Consultant for Spa Business Associates and also consults for Universal Companies, one of the nation's largest suppliers of spa equipment, supplies and other products. She has over 30 years salon and spa experience, and resides in Johnson City, Tennessee with her husband and two grown children.  Pam visited the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in early August 2001.

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