The Omni Grove Park Inn - Hotel in Asheville - 290 Macon Ave, USA

We go every year around the holidays to share a nice meal in an overwhelmingly beautiful facility unlike any structure I have experienced. Two gigantic stone fireplaces facing each other from opposite ends of the massive lobby which is always filled with happy holiday visitors this time of year. And these are not necessarily folks who are spending the night. No most of this crowd is here to view the incredible intricate entries in the annual national gingerbread house competition. These are not your typical gingerbread houses. These astounding and and mind-blowing structures come from around the world and age groups including child, teen, and adult. The edible art is scattered throughout the main level of the hotel and is on display from the first week of December through the first week of January. Best of all there is no charge to enjoy the world class entries and the hotel which is a transcendent romantic experience by itself. You do have to pay for parking (around $20) and on the weekends and evenings if you are not a guest of the hotel you will have to have reservations at one of the onsite restaurants. Call ahead to see if there are any restrictions on the day you plan to attend. The grounds also include an automobile museum, a large local art shop, and working art studios.

My family and I spent the day there and had Sunday brunch at the Blue Ridge. It was amazing - the food and service were fantastic! For me, it was definitely worth the price. All the staff we came in contact with were friendly and helpful. We got the hot chocolate and viewed the gingerbread entries. The building itself is breathtaking. I can't imagine how beautiful the scenery was a few weeks ago with the changing colors. The fireplaces and Christmas decorations were very welcoming and created such a nice, relaxing atmosphere. It would be a perfect spot to celebrate an anniversary.

My husband and I eloped/honeymooned at the Park Grove Inn in early October, and absolutely loved our stay!! We ended up splurging on the club level rooms which was absolutely worth it. The spa was amazing, views were to die for, and the food/drinks were delicious. The historical side of the resort was really neat, too! The only reason I gave 4 stars for service was the issues we had with reservations and the front desk. The first person we talked to in reservations was absolutely wonderful. However, the next two were rude and made it hard to book anything. Once we got to the hotel, though, the service was amazing! The club butlers were absolutely wonderful, along with the servers we had. We truly enjoyed our stay and can’t wait to celebrate our anniversary there for years to come!

It is an experience well worth the price. Staff is very knowledgeable, accommodating and pleasant. The great hall during Christmas is the place to be. There is bar service, great snacks, the fireplaces and the life size gingerbread house; it all makes for a wonderful gathering place. I can't wait to get back in warmer weather to enjoy all the grounds

My husband surprised me with a 30th anniversary trip to the Grove Park Inn. This was a very special location since we visited on our honeymoon. We were looking forward to an intimate couple's getaway. That was absolutely NOT what we got. First, the pros. The location is still breathtaking - if you can see past all of the people. The staff is very accommodating, helpful, and nice. Now for the negatives. The room was just a standard hotel room at a very elevated price. The biggest issue that we encountered was that the resort seems to cater to the day trippers there to see the gingerbread houses and diners in the restaurants. There was utter chaos in the Great Hall all day, every day. Don't even try to find a seat in front of the fireplace to just relax. There were people everywhere. These people, again, were not guests of the inn, but just people there for the day. There did not seem to be any benefit or perk to actually staying as a guest of the resort. People were able to pay $25 to park and experience the Inn without limit to their activities. The food on the night we got into a restaurant on site was pricey and mediocre. One night, we weren't even able to get into any restaurant on the property due to the crowds. This was not the intimate couples getaway that my husband wanted to surprise me with. We did let management know that we were disappointed in the atmosphere, and they were very gracious, but that didn't change the negative experience. For the price we paid for this resort, we expected much more. In this case, our memories of the resort on our honeymoon far outshine the reality of what the resort has become. If you are looking for a couple's getaway, keep looking. This is not the place for you.

Fantastic place to visit for the holidays. Huge lobby with massive fireplaces are sight to see. We were lucky enough to see the National Gingerbread house competition displays. Wow are they fantastic - see some of the pictures I posted. We watched the sunset from the back decks with a cocktail in our hands - pretty special. Cocktails were delicious, but pretty pricey at $20 a pop. I'll write a separate review of our restaurant visit. Grove Park Inn is a must see even if you don't stay here.

I absolutely loved it. Drinking hot cocoa in front of the fire. We stayed in the old wing so the rooms We're full of character. More relaxed than the Builtmore inn. The staff were kind and helpful. They went out of their way to be helpful. The breakfast buffet was heaven. I can't wait to try the spa.

Went for a day trip. Absolutely beautiful and steeped in history. The self parking lot, which I used, was $25. Valet was $35. Would definitely use valet next time as it's a decent walk. The drinks were great, nice shopping on site, and the gingerbread houses were very interesting. Looking forward to staying there my next visit.