Where to stay · Asheville · United States
Where to stay in Asheville
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Pictured: Asheville Art Museum, Asheville · Photo: Davidhuffcreative, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Downtown Asheville. Art Deco streets of galleries, bookshops, restaurants and rooftop bars. Best alternatives — families: Biltmore Village; budget: West Asheville.
Key facts
- First visit
- Downtown Asheville
- Families
- Biltmore Village
- Budget
- West Asheville
- Nightlife
- Downtown Asheville
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Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Downtown Asheville | Art Deco streets of galleries, bookshops, restaurants and rooftop bars |
| Families | Biltmore Village | Shops and inns in the planned village outside the Biltmore Estate gates |
| Couples | Downtown Asheville | Art Deco streets of galleries, bookshops, restaurants and rooftop bars |
| Budget | West Asheville | Haywood Road's cafés, bars and thrift shops across the French Broad |
| Luxury | North Asheville and Grove Park | Leafy residential hills around the historic Omni Grove Park Inn |
| Nightlife | Downtown Asheville | Art Deco streets of galleries, bookshops, restaurants and rooftop bars |
| Food lovers | Downtown Asheville | Art Deco streets of galleries, bookshops, restaurants and rooftop bars |
| Solo travellers | South Slope | The brewery district, a few blocks south of Pack Square |
| Shopping | River Arts District | Artists' studios in old industrial buildings along the French Broad River |
| Quiet stays | Montford | Victorian houses and B&Bs in a historic district just north of downtown |
Asheville neighbourhoods in detail
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$$$ · Best for first-timers, food lovers, couples and nightlife
Downtown Asheville
Downtown's walkable grid around Pack Square, Biltmore Avenue and Lexington Avenue holds most of the city's restaurants, independent shops, galleries and boutique hotels, with Art Deco landmarks such as City Hall and the Grove Arcade. The Friday drum circle in Pritchard Park and street buskers add life in summer.
- Good
- Walk to restaurants, bars and shops; Most boutique hotels are here; Lively in the evening
- Watch out
- Hotels are expensive, especially in October; Parking is limited and paid
- Nearby
- Pack Square, Grove Arcade, Basilica of St. Lawrence, Pritchard Park
$$$ · Best for nightlife, food lovers and solo travellers
South Slope
On the slope south of downtown, former warehouses and car dealerships along Coxe Avenue, Banks Avenue and Hilliard Avenue now hold a dense cluster of breweries and taprooms, along with restaurants and a few hotels. It is walkable from downtown, so you can hop between taprooms without driving.
- Good
- Walk between many breweries; Close to downtown; Lively in the evening
- Watch out
- Can be loud at night; More bars than sights
- Nearby
- Downtown Asheville, Coxe Avenue, Pack Square
$$ · Best for budget, food lovers and nightlife
West Asheville
West of the river, Haywood Road is a long main street of cafés, bakeries, dive bars, tattoo parlours and independent restaurants with a strong local following. Accommodation is mostly holiday rentals in bungalow-lined streets, about 10 minutes' drive from downtown.
- Good
- Local, laid-back feel; Good-value food and bars; Rentals cheaper than downtown
- Watch out
- You will need a car or rideshare; Few hotels
- Nearby
- Haywood Road, River Arts District, French Broad River
$$ · Best for culture, shopping and couples
River Arts District
The River Arts District grew in former warehouses and factories along the French Broad, with studios where you can watch potters, glassblowers and painters at work. Flooding from Hurricane Helene in 2024 badly damaged many riverside buildings; a number of studios and galleries have reopened, while others have relocated or are rebuilding.
- Good
- Meet working artists; Buy directly from studios; Short drive to downtown
- Watch out
- Still recovering from flood damage; Few places to stay
- Nearby
- French Broad River, West Asheville, Downtown Asheville
$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays and culture
Montford
Montford's tree-lined streets are full of late-19th and early-20th-century houses in Queen Anne, Arts and Crafts and Colonial Revival styles, many now B&Bs. The Riverside Cemetery, where Thomas Wolfe and O. Henry are buried, is here, and downtown is a 15-minute walk away.
- Good
- Characterful B&Bs; Peaceful streets; Walk to downtown
- Watch out
- Few restaurants in the area; Hilly walk back from downtown
- Nearby
- Riverside Cemetery, Downtown Asheville, Montford Park
$$ · Best for families, first-timers and shopping
Biltmore Village
George Vanderbilt built this village at the estate entrance in the 1890s, with pebbledash cottages, the Cathedral of All Souls and a former railway depot. Today it has shops, restaurants and many chain hotels on nearby roads, with the estate gate a short walk away and downtown about 10 minutes by car.
- Good
- Next to the Biltmore Estate; More hotel choice and parking; Easy access to the interstate
- Watch out
- Less nightlife; Busy roads around the hotels
- Nearby
- Biltmore Estate, Cathedral of All Souls, Downtown Asheville
$$$$ · Best for luxury, couples and quiet stays
North Asheville and Grove Park
On the slopes of Sunset Mountain, North Asheville and Grove Park are quiet residential neighbourhoods of early-20th-century houses. The 1913 Omni Grove Park Inn dominates the hillside, with a spa and long views from its terrace, and the University of North Carolina Asheville campus is nearby.
- Good
- Quiet and green; Historic resort with mountain views; Short drive to downtown
- Watch out
- Need a car; Few restaurants within walking distance
- Nearby
- Omni Grove Park Inn, UNC Asheville, Downtown Asheville
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Asheville | $$$ | Pack Square, Grove Arcade, Basilica of St. Lawrence, Pritchard Park |
| South Slope | $$$ | Downtown Asheville, Coxe Avenue, Pack Square |
| West Asheville | $$ | Haywood Road, River Arts District, French Broad River |
| River Arts District | $$ | French Broad River, West Asheville, Downtown Asheville |
| Montford | $$$ | Riverside Cemetery, Downtown Asheville, Montford Park |
| Biltmore Village | $$ | Biltmore Estate, Cathedral of All Souls, Downtown Asheville |
| North Asheville and Grove Park | $$$$ | Omni Grove Park Inn, UNC Asheville, Downtown Asheville |
Getting to your hotel
Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) is about 25 km south of downtown, around 20–25 minutes by car. Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) is about 100 km away and Charlotte (CLT) about 200 km, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes and 2 hours by car.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Asheville for first-time visitors?
Downtown Asheville. Downtown's walkable grid around Pack Square, Biltmore Avenue and Lexington Avenue holds most of the city's restaurants, independent shops, galleries and boutique hotels, with Art Deco landmarks such as City Hall and the Grove Arcade.
+Where should families stay in Asheville?
Biltmore Village: Next to the Biltmore Estate.
+Which area of Asheville is best for a budget stay?
West Asheville ($$): Haywood Road's cafés, bars and thrift shops across the French Broad.