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Four Asheville boutique hotels praised in a Travel & Leisure article. What made the list?

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It’s no secret to locals and tourists alike that boutique hotels are a big deal for the city. A May 5 article from Travel + Leisure highlights the booming business.

Travel + Leisure first praised Asheville’s overall hospitality, which includes critically acclaimed restaurants, independent boutiques, over 50 craft breweries, and live music venues.

According to the Travel + Leisure article, Asheville’s growing boutique hotel scene matches the unique industries thriving in the area.

More: Asheville’s rare beer bar to expand with a new location

What is a boutique hotel?

Boutique hotels are defined by their smaller guest capacity and personal, quaint feel. Each hotel in the Travel + Lifestyle article features less than 100 rooms.

The Radical

The Radical, located in Asheville’s River Arts District, was the first hotel mentioned in the Travel + Lifestyle piece. The hotel website calls it a perfect home base for artists and adventurers, food lovers, outdoorsy types and families.

The Radical features boutique amenities, including an onsite coffee shop, Afterglow, a restaurant, Golden Hour, and a rooftop bar, The Roof.

Located near New Belgium Brewing, the Bull and Beggar, and Hi-Wire Brewing, as well as the countless art studios the district is famous for, this riverfront hotel was a solid opening choice for Travel + Lifestyle.

More: Espresso martinis, croissants offered at new café, bar in RAD

Zelda Dearest

A newer option that has already received plenty of attention, Zelda Dearest is a unique boutique hotel inspired by Zelda Fitzgerald, who spent the last several years of her life in Asheville. The location offers 20 rooms spread across three historic Victorian-style mansions.

Located near its Lark Hotels sister, Blind Tiger, Zelda Dearest is close to plenty of favorite locations for Asheville visitors and residents alike. It also features Wine & Roses, an attached parlor bar.

More: New Asheville hotel focusing on Zelda Fitzgerald selected as national award finalist

Blind Tiger

Blind Tiger aims to evoke the feeling of staying with a friend who knows all the best Asheville locations. The hotel has only 14 rooms and is located in a former 1889 private home with eclectic vintage and contemporary decor.

Located in the heart of downtown Asheville, Blind Tiger is within walking distance of many popular locations, including the Orange Peel, Tupelo Honey, the Asheville Art Museum, and more.

More: 5 reasons why there’s no better time to become a Biltmore Passholder

The Flat Iron Hotel

The Flat Iron Hotel, the final location mentioned by Travel + Leisure, is another hotel rich in history. The Flatiron building, where the aptly-named hotel is housed, is one of the first skyscrapers built in the now lively town of Asheville.

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and purchased in 2019 by developers who renovated it into a boutique hotel. The hotel’s website says that the developers hope to “fulfill the building’s historic purpose of signaling to the world that Asheville is—and always has been—a place of consequence.”

Another downtown option located directly adjacent to locations like the Grove Arcade, Jack of the Wood and Red Ginger Dimsum & Tapas, the hotel offers a rooftop bar, café, co-working spaces and event spaces along with their 71 rooms.

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.

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