The Foundry Hotel, Asheville, NC

In the heart of downtown Asheville, a stone’s throw away from an exciting restaurant scene, boutiques, art galleries, and wellness centers, The Foundry Hotel offers guests a curated luxury experience. Once a bustling steel factory, this 87-room boutique hotel is all about the delicate balance of maintaining history while adding industrial-chic design elements and on-call concierge services. A Tesla parked outside, waiting to chauffeur guests to anywhere they want to go, and the sound of a live jazz band flowing from the lounge captures the extravagance and glamour reminiscent of the Roaring Twenties.  If you’re looking for luxury accommodations in a small mountain town The Foundry won’t disappoint.

Ambience

When it comes to ambience, the design team didn’t miss a beat, melding history and aesthetics into one.  Pulling up to the hotel, the first thing I noticed was the original hand painted sign on the exterior masonry reading Asheville Supply and Foundry, kept in place to showcase the factory’s importance in Asheville’s development.

Inside, soaring ceilings, massive industrial windows, velvet furnishings, and 100-year old wood floors in the lobby dramatically contrast with a minimalist approach to create a feeling of refinement. Combined with cascading amber-hued vintage lighting and exposed ductwork, the overall feel from the moment you walk in the door stays true to both the history of the building and the neighborhood.

The Rooms

Waterfall showers, marble finishes, and Nespresso machines combined with original brick and wood beams create a seamless transition from the public areas to the private. It’s no secret that The Foundry prides itself on its attention to luxury. Nightly turndown features locally made cookies and sleepy time tea, and for those looking for uber-relaxation and a sound night’s sleep, the on-call concierge will bring you a Dream Bar, made with “sleep inducing ingredients”.

The Workshop Lounge

Having heard the Workshop Lounge had become a destination for locals, I skipped the sleepy time tea and opted for a cocktail instead.  A few sips later and I could see why all the locals choose to mingle here. With its open, airy, organic design, plenty of lounge seating, a fireplace, live jazz and big band music, there’s no doubt this is one of the liveliest spots in town, where you can enjoy hand-crafted cocktails and small plates before or after dinner.

Wellness Programs

Asheville is a town that prides itself on its wellness footprint. From day spas to alternative therapies, along with a variety of outdoor adventures, people come from near and far to have a chill getaway. And while you can certainly book your own massage, there’s something about having a wellness experience planned out for you.

One of the biggest draws at The Foundry are the curated programs that include walking tours, yoga retreats, tarot card readings, spiritual sound healings, essential oil blending classes, and luxury fly fishing excursions (as a non-fisherman I was intrigued that they found a way to combine luxury and fishing, ha ha). What I like most about these programs is no experience is required and both private and group appointments are available.

Asheville is all about balance. A little grit and grunge blends with art deco architecture, a handcrafted chocolate lounge and European inspired cafes, hipster tea and smoke shops, communal drum circles, antique and salvage shops where you can find just about anything, breweries, music halls, tucked away courtyards, and of course the famed Biltmore House, one of the best-preserved Gilded Age mansions and a must do when in town.