First look: Grand Bohemian Lodge Asheville reopens

Grand Bohemian Lodge Asheville offered TPG with a complimentary one-night keep in order that we may get an inside have a look at the resort and its facilities. The opinions expressed beneath are completely these of the creator and weren’t topic to evaluate by the resort or any exterior entity.

Whether or not you are planning a visit to Asheville, North Carolina, to spend some Marriott factors or to be a part of town’s post-Hurricane Helene restoration story, Grand Bohemian Lodge Asheville provides you the chance to do each whereas celebrating an iconic resort, contemporary off a fantastic renovation.

A landmark within the metropolis’s Biltmore Village because it opened in 2008, the resort — and far of Biltmore Village — has been closed because the catastrophic flooding introduced by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. Now, after greater than seven months of cleanup, restoration and renovation totaling almost $20 million, The Kessler Assortment has reopened this property — previously the Grand Bohemian Lodge — below a brand new title, inclusive of each the founder’s ancestry and the historical past of the close by Biltmore Property.

By the renovations, Grand Bohemian Lodge Asheville has held onto its yesteryear styling and opulence whereas freshening public areas just like the foyer, Crimson Stag Grill, Grand Bohemian Gallery and the visitor rooms.

As a North Carolinian and journey author with an unabashed affinity for the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains, I mourned the non permanent closure of the property, so when an invite got here to attend the early-Could grand reopening, I made my strategy to Asheville. Here is what I discovered.

Associated: Greatest Marriott resorts on the earth

First impressions

It was clear upon arrival that Grand Bohemian Lodge Asheville, one of many seven inaugural Marriott Autograph Assortment properties, had made a full and (almost) full restoration. The truth is, the restoration work was impeccable and my preliminary response was to marvel what modifications the restoration and refresh had introduced.

The design right here has all the time leaned closely right into a luxurious searching lodge vibe, with intricate wooden paneling, taxidermy searching trophies on the wall, heirloom and vintage firearms, and a mixture of classical and up to date artwork — however with a yesteryear really feel. Now, new seating organized across the foyer’s outsized central hearth creates cozy spots for dialog, and a streamlined entrance desk provides the room a greater move. The ground-to-coffered-ceiling wooden paneling, 18th-century columns, and a handful of Bavarian and Austrian antiques really feel extra like focal factors.

Behind the foyer, Grand Bohemian Gallery obtained a refresh, together with a small growth of the gallery’s footprint and the addition of show instances for the jewellery; because of these instances, the gallery is now open 24 hours. As is true throughout The Kessler Assortment’s Grand Bohemian Galleries, the works right here deal with native and regional artists and jewelers, and the resort’s artwork curator plans to function further artists and jewelers with occasions, trunk exhibits and extra all year long.

It was clear to me that no element went unnoticed on the resort, and the searching lodge/outdoor theme carried by every house. Suppose: chandeliers and lighting fixtures created from antlers, door handles that appear to be bark, a shade story filled with vivid forest tones, and different touches that tie the resort to Asheville’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Even minor notions just like the room “keys” — discs of logo-embossed wooden that served as digital keys — drew me deeper into the sense of place, and visitor rooms have been no exception.

The rooms

Grand Bohemian Lodge Asheville has 104 visitor rooms and suites in the primary resort and the Manor Home annex (as of writing this text, restoration work is ongoing however nearing completion on the Manor Home, taking 20 rooms out of the present stock).

My room, a well-lit nook junior suite with home windows aplenty, was spacious and nicely appointed, with dramatic velvet curtains separating the bed room from the adjoining salon, which supplied seating, a piece desk and an extra tv, all set below an intricate stag horn chandelier. I additionally took observe of a small moist bar space, a hidden minifridge and microwave, and a espresso station.

Within the bed room, stag horn wall sconces framed the very comfy king-size mattress, which sat below one other chandelier, and towards a inexperienced leather-based headboard and lighter inexperienced accent wall. A tv sat atop a dresser. There was a sq. window that opened into the moodily lit toilet.

The toilet had each a soaking tub and a separate bathe. Refillable cleaning soap, shampoo, conditioner and physique wash — made completely for Kessler’s Grand Bohemian properties — smelled pleasant and mitigated the resort’s reliance on single-use plastics.

I discovered loads of retailers and USB ports for charging my electronics, and storage was ample because of the nightstands and dresser within the bed room, the closet and drawers all through the house.

These with an attentive eye for element might discover some furnishings — the desk, a bench or an ottoman — have not but been up to date. Common Supervisor Matthew Lehman says that is by design and Grand Bohemian will substitute these items throughout the property as soon as the Manor Home restoration is full.

Eating

Crimson Stag Grill, the resort’s restaurant, underwent essentially the most outstanding transformation. This house had all the time leaned exhausting into the searching lodge theme, feeling very “outdated boys membership” at instances, however as with the foyer, the refresh has modernized the feel and appear of the house. The coffered ceilings, herringbone ground and darkish shiplap partitions are nonetheless there, however the open desk spacing, assortment of intimate tables for 2 and sheer drapes that glow within the night mild, revealing hidden pictures of stags, boars and butterflies, soften the house. Outsized work body the semi-open kitchen, giving diners a peek behind the scenes.

The largest change in Crimson Stag Grill is the alternative of a protracted banquette with cubicles that make a extra pure seating configuration and lend the house a extra trendy really feel.

Behind the eating room, the Black Forest Wine Room, dominated by a backlit agate slab, presents further seating and could be closed for personal dinners and occasions.

The meals at Crimson Stag Grill, notable because the resort’s opening, was very good. The breakfast, lunch and dinner menus emphasize the wealthy native meals scene with farmed and foraged produce and a stunning array of aged steaks and unique meats comparable to elk and bison.

Elk carpaccio and Bison tartare, menu mainstays, have been pretty much as good as ever, and the number of steaks and chops was spectacular. I additionally discovered monumental salads, a number of contemporary seafood and farm-raised trout, and an expansive wine, cocktail and mocktail record on provide. Lunch featured salads, a home burger and lighter choices; breakfast had Southern favorites (shrimp and grits, biscuits and gravy), surprises (a scrumptious breakfast salad and an ice-cream-free breakfast banana cut up) and staples (omelets, pancakes and the like).

Facilities

• In the primary resort, The Spa at Grand Bohemian offers facials and massages in a comfortable house.
• The on-site health middle presents a well-appointed house for a resort exercise.

Location and logistics

Asheville’s an easy-to-navigate city, and most of its visitor-friendly neighborhoods are a brief drive from each other. Grand Bohemian Lodge Asheville sits on the fringe of Biltmore Village, 100 yards or so from the doorway to Biltmore Property and a seven-minute experience from Downtown. Biltmore Village, established within the late 1800s as a depot and settlement for the property’s army-sized development crew, was hit exhausting by Hurricane Helene’s floodwaters and is present process a revival of its personal; as of this writing, lots of the boutiques and eating places listed here are closed whereas they rebuild. That is not the case in Downtown or the South Slope, adjoining to Biltmore Village, although you’ll find restricted openings within the River Arts District as this assortment of warehouses-turned-studios and galleries rebuilds following Helene’s flooding.

The closest airport to the property is Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), about 15 miles or a 30-minute drive away.

Asheville itself sits in western North Carolina, one hour west of Cherokee and the Oconaluftee entrance to Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park. The Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile scenic route by the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia, skirts town and is minutes from the resort.

What it prices to remain at Grand Bohemian Lodge and the best way to guide

Since it is a Marriott resort, you possibly can earn or redeem factors in your keep. If you happen to’re reserving with factors, count on to spend between 65,500 and 95,500 Marriott Bonvoy factors per night time.

Commonplace money room charges vary from $460 to $589, with bigger suites and studios within the $567 to $616 vary.

There’s a $36 nightly valet charge, and for those who’re touring with pets, put together your self for the $150 nonrefundable pet charge ($50 for an extra pet, with a most of two pets per room).

And from now by Sept. 7, the resort is providing a Grand Reopening fee that features a 20% financial savings and breakfast for 2 day by day. Different packages out there embody day by day breakfast and a $100 resort credit score when reserving three nights (good by September 2025) and reductions on stays of 5 or extra nights.

When reserving the Grand Bohemian Lodge Asheville, you will wish to use one of many bank cards that earn essentially the most factors for Marriott stays, or one that provides computerized Marriott Bonvoy elite standing for value-added advantages. These embody:

• Marriott Bonvoy Good® American Categorical® Card: Earn 6 factors per greenback spent on eligible purchases at resorts collaborating within the Marriott Bonvoy program, computerized Platinum Elite standing and 25 elite night time credit per 12 months towards the next tier.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Categorical® Card: Earn 6 factors per greenback spent on eligible purchases at resorts collaborating within the Marriott Bonvoy program, computerized Gold Elite standing and 15 elite night time credit per 12 months towards the next tier.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card: Earn 6 factors per greenback spent on eligible purchases at resorts collaborating within the Marriott Bonvoy program, computerized Gold Elite standing and 15 elite night time credit per 12 months towards the next tier.
• Marriott Bonvoy Enterprise® American Categorical® Card: Earn 6 factors per greenback spent on eligible purchases at resorts collaborating within the Marriott Bonvoy program, computerized Gold Elite standing and 15 elite night time credit per 12 months towards the next tier.
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit score Card: Earn 6 factors per greenback spent on eligible purchases at resorts collaborating within the Marriott Bonvoy program, computerized Silver Elite standing and 15 elite night time credit per 12 months towards the next tier.
• Marriott Bonvoy Daring Credit score Card: Earn 3 factors per greenback spent on eligible purchases at resorts collaborating within the Marriott Bonvoy program, computerized Silver Elite standing and 15 elite night time credit per 12 months towards the next tier.

The knowledge for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.

Accessibility

Grand Bohemian Lodge Asheville presents 4 accessible room sorts: a Primary Constructing room with king mattress, a Primary Constructing room with two queen beds, an Exec Studio Primary Constructing room and a Separate Manor Constructing room.

These rooms provide mobility accessible options like toilet seize bars, bathtub seize bars, roll-in showers and 32-inch-wide doorways. Accessible rooms additionally function visible alarms and notification gadgets for each the door and the in-room phone.

There’s an accessible route from the general public entrance to the accessible visitor rooms. As all the time, for questions on accessibility, we suggest contacting the resort earlier than reserving to make sure it may meet your wants.

Backside line

After my one-night keep at Grand Bohemian Lodge Asheville, I am impressed and desirous to return for an additional keep or at the least one other meal at Crimson Stag Grill.

In case your supreme Asheville getaway places each restaurant and brewery your coronary heart wishes solely a block or two from the resort entrance, this won’t be the spot for you. But when a fast drive downtown sounds OK, Grand Bohemian Lodge Asheville makes for a really perfect spot. Downtown (and different food- and art-filled neighborhoods) is barely 2 miles away and the Biltmore Property could not be nearer. Different regional icons (the Arboretum, Blue Ridge Parkway, Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park and waterfalls discovered an hour south of town) are inside a fast drive’s attain, too.

If you happen to’re searching for polished luxurious, high-concept design and an outstanding in-house restaurant, Grand Bohemian Lodge Asheville is the resort for you.

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