Where to stay

Family fun in Asheville ranges from live music events to natural water slides. Stay in Downtown Asheville to visit the popular Asheville Pinball Museum and join the Drum Circle on Friday nights. Black Mountain accommodations offer good jumping-off points for hiking and zipping down a natural rock slide in the Pisgah National Forest. Hotels in the Woodfin neighborhood are close to The Omni Grove Park Inn, where the national gingerbread house competition is an annual family favorite. Book a hotel in Brevard to enjoy the exciting events of the summer music festival at the Brevard Music Center.

Western North Carolina is known for beautiful gardens and wildflowers. Stay in the Downtown Asheville neighborhood, where short drives lead to the lovely blooms of the Biltmore Estate and the Botanical Gardens at Asheville or the animals of the Western North Carolina Nature Center. Enka is a great spot for visiting the North Carolina Arboretum. Fletcher hotels are close to the wonders of the Nantahala National Forest and Looking Glass Falls. Stay in Arden to access the Blue Ridge Parkway, where colorful wildflowers decorate the landscape from spring through fall. Candler is a good place to stay to access the Great Smoky Mountains, which feature the most wildflowers of any North American national park.

Asheville has an interesting mix of bohemian artistry and luxurious grandeur. Book a hotel in Downtown Asheville to wander around and visit craft breweries, art galleries, vegan restaurants, and one-of-a-kind coffee shops. Stay right in the Downtown Asheville Arts District or River Arts District to watch artists at work or purchase their creations. Just a few miles from downtown, the Biltmore Estate is America's largest home; tour its elegant rooms, which are especially festive during the Christmas holidays. Horseback riding, craft demonstrations, wine tasting, grape stomps, and live music are all available here. Arrange accommodations in Fletcher to tour the sites south of Asheville that have appeared in numerous films, including The Hunger Games and Dirty Dancing.