6 Top places to stay in Asheville, NC (all Budgets and styles)

Tucked in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains is one of our favorite getaway destinations: Asheville. Asheville has this amazing atmosphere where craft meets comfort – it’s where artists and adventurers rub shoulders and share pints together in one of the many breweries around town. 

You can spend your days wandering in the mountains or relaxing in cafes, but whatever you choose to do, you will want to find somewhere to crash at night and wake up refreshed to explore it all.

When it comes to choosing a place to stay in Asheville, you have a lot of choices. We prefer to stay in the downtown area, as you can easily drive out from there and explore the surrounding areas, and also stay close to the action.

In this guide, we’ve hand-picked our top places to stay in Asheville, from affordable accommodation offering posh pads with mountain views, and budget places to stay for families, helping everyone can check into the perfect place to R&R on their vacation.

Best overall place to stay – Hotel Indigo Asheville Downtown, an IHG Hotel

Whenever we stay in Asheville, we stay at Hotel Indigo Asheville Downtown because it’s right in the heart of the city but also has easy access to Interstate 240, so it’s the perfect location to use as a base to explore. We love the vibrancy of this hotel, which is decorated with local artwork and has huge floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

Rooms are spacious and decorated with colorful and bold touches. There’s also an onsite restaurant and bar, oneFIFTYone Boutique Bar & Kitchen, which serves dishes made with locally sourced ingredients, a 24-hour gym, and a snack bar and deli. See prices and availability here.

Read our complete review of the Hotel Indigo Asheville Downtown here.

Best budget place to stay – Aloft Asheville Downtown

The Aloft Hotel is a 3-star boutique hotel in downtown Asheville that has a bright and bold design, with polished concrete floors, exposed ductwork, floor-to-ceiling windows, and bright blue and purple accents. Rooms are compact, but appropriately appointed, with signature plush mattresses, walk-in tile showers (tubs only in suites), a mini fridge, and a coffeemaker.

Our favorite area in the hotel is the rooftop outdoor pool and cabanas, which are open spring–fall, and are backed by scenic mountain and downtown views and surrounded by fire-pit areas.

There’s also a grab‑&‑go café, a trendy bar and lounge with handcrafted cocktails and small plate offerings, as well as a 24-hour fitness center. It’s also one of the most pet-friendly hotels as there are no surcharges for pets, and they also have dog beds and bowls on hand. See prices and availability here.

Best affordable place to stay for families – Renaissance Asheville Downtown Hotel

The Renaissance Asheville Downtown Hotel is a vibrant, modern-marinated hotel with comfortable rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and marble bathrooms. Choose a high-floor room for views of the mountains!

Despite being on the lower end of the budget scale, it offers a lot for your buck. It has an onsite restaurant, Writer’s Bistro, which is casual and chic, and where you can indulge in a farm-to-table breakfast, as well as a lobby bar that has small dishes until 10:00pm. There’s also an indoor pool and whirlpool, a 24-hour fitness center, and a lovely patio terrace with mountain views. See prices and availability here.

Best mid-range place to stay – The Foundry Hotel Asheville, Curio Collection by Hilton

When you want to turn the luxury level up a notch, The Foundry Hotel is a Hilton hotel with an industrial chic vibe, but with high-end touches. It’s nestled in a beautifully restored early-20th-century steel foundry, and has just 87 rooms that have been individually styled to resemble a modern foundry – think pulley-lift relics, industrial windows, exposed brick walls, and hardwood floors.

Onsite, there’s a Southern soul-food restaurant, Benne on Eagle, as well as a Workshop Lounge, where you can enjoy craft cocktails and the occasional live music act. There’s also a fitness center, a 24-hour snack market, and it’s just a 5-minute walk from the shops, breweries, and galleries of downtown. See prices and availability here.

Best high-end place to stay – The Inn on Biltmore Estate

When you want top-notch luxury, of course, you would want to stay on the grounds of the opulent Biltmore Estate, America’s largest home. This four-star retreat isn’t in the home itself but nestled on the historic 8,000-acre grounds. It opened in 2001 and emulates the Loire Valley–style château grandeur that the main house is known for.

Each room has been individually appointed with architectural and interior motifs that resemble the Biltmore House, such as William Morris–style wallpapers, carved wood detailing on four-poster beds, brass accents, and bespoke furnishings.

There’s also a formal dining room, a library lounge, and a lobby bar. It also has a spa offering facials and massages, as well as a seasonally heated outdoor pool and hot tub. You can’t look past the welcome champagne on arrival either (I hope they still do that!)

We stayed here with my parents visiting from Australia, it was the perfect way to show off why we love North Carolina so much. They loved it and years later still talk about their stay at Biltmore. See prices and availability here.

Read our review on the Inn on Biltmore Estate.

Best vacation rental – Nordic Cabin in the Woods

When you’re staying in the foothills of the Smokies, why not opt for a unique cabin rental instead? This elegantly designed cabin in the woods has been either woven, shaped or whittled by hand by local makers, and made with local materials. Named The Nook, this vacation rental was named the Most Unique Airbnb in NC by Travel and Leisure Magazine and was featured in the TV series, Cabin Chronicles on Magnolia Network and HBO.

It’s located just a 15 minute drive from downtown Asheville and features a cute breakfast alcove, a tea loft, an entertainment loft, an airy living space, an outdoor bath, and a cozy sleeping area. See prices and availability here.