A Hidden Elevator and More Secrets at Asheville’s Omni Grove Park Inn

As of November 15, 2024, the Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa has reopened after the devastation of Hurricane Helene in the region. Explore Asheville has more information on what’s open and returning to the city.

Overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains, it’s no wonder that the Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa attracts those looking for a tranquil retreat. The historic hotel in Asheville, North Carolina counts many celebrity visitors and fascinating stories in its more than one hundred years of history. Yet one surprise in the hotel is hidden in plain sight right in the lobby. Guests can ride a secret elevator—if they know where to look.

Looking for more things to do around town? Check out my guide on how to spend two days in Asheville, NC.

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History of the Omni Grove Park Inn

The Omni Grove Park Inn is more than one hundred years old. The hotel was opened in 1913 by a pharmacist named Edwin Wiley Grove and his business partner Fred Seely. Grove first visited the area while recuperating from an illness in the mountain air. He and Seely decided that Asheville would be a perfect setting for a grand wellness retreat, and they chose 400 acres of land near Sunset Mountain

Seely drew the architectural plan himself in the Arts and Crafts style to highlight the rugged Blue Ridge Mountains. For the exterior facade, giant granite boulders from Sunset Mountain were hauled up the mountain and placed to show their most weathered surface.

The luxurious retreat is one of the grandest hotels in Asheville and it’s been a hit with visitors for more than a century. The North Carolina resort has hosted famous guests like President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Hellen Keller, Harry Houdini, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Albert Einstein.The hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Historic Hotel of America.

A Historic Elevator Hidden in Plain Sight

The Arts and Crafts design continued in the hotel lobby, known as the Great Hall. The Roycroft Artisan Community, based in New York, created the distinctive light fixtures and handsome pieces of oak furniture that visitors still admire today. One piece that stands out is an eight-foot grandfather clock with a copper face also designed by the Roycrofters. It’s one of only five clocks they made, and it’s valued at $1 million. 

The Great Hall is flanked by two 14-foot-tall fireplaces made from the same granite boulders as the hotel’s exterior. The massive fireplaces once served as the main source of heating the hotel during the winter, and they can burn logs that are 12-feet long. The fireplaces are so big that the giant andirons weigh 500 pounds! The boulders are inscribed with famous quotes chosen by Seely, perhaps meant to ponder as you rock in a rocker made by Earth in Home by the fire.

Yet that’s not all the fireplaces hold. The hotel elevators were installed inside of the stone fireplaces to deaden the sound of their mechanisms. You can walk past the fireplaces throughout your entire stay and not even notice the elevators, until you see someone emerging from a door in the rock!

How to Ride the Secret Elevator

Hotel guests can still ride these secret elevators today. While there are more modern elevators throughout the hotel, I couldn’t resist the thrill of riding in a historic elevator through a fireplace! The Otis elevators run alongside the fireplace chimney shafts. Look for the small elevator door near the front desk in the lobby. Press the “call” button and wait for a friendly elevator operator to appear.

The ride wasn’t long, but I emerged on the third floor into a light-filled atrium surrounded by guest rooms. The Palm Court was one of the country’s first atrium style hotel lobbies. During a recent restoration, more than a dozen paint layers were removed from the balcony walls and its original stencil work was repainted. I imagined elegantly dressed guests past chatting on the wicker furniture or perhaps reading a book, as I did.

Hotel Highlights

I love nothing more than getting lost in a historic building. Here are a few other hotel highlights I discovered while wandering the Omni Grove Park Inn

Medicine and Memorabilia

Hotel history is sprinkled throughout the property through plaques and displays. In the atrium, a case displays medicine bottles and advertisements from Grove’s pharmaceutical companies. One ad promised, “Astonishing quick relief from discomforts of colds.”

Other exhibits display arts and memorabilia from throughout the inn’s history. Trace the Omni Grove Park Inn through photographs, antique vases, a letter from Thomas Edison, books, and more. You’ll also find a smaller version of the Roycroft grandfather clock in the lobby. This one once stood in Seely’s office.

Dining at the Grove Park Inn

I encourage wandering around the hotel, because every vantage has a different view of the mountains and gorgeous surroundings including the restaurants. Being a mountain oasis, the Grove Park Inn is a ten-minute drive to the restaurants and businesses of downtown Asheville. Fortunately, the resort has several restaurants onsite. My favorite spot was watching the sun set behind the mountains with a glass of wine on the outdoor Sunset Terrace.

Most of the other restaurants have sweeping mountain views as well including Vue 1913, Blue Ridge, and Edison, which is a sports bar. I even had a late night singing along in Elaine’s Dueling Piano Bar.

The Grove Park Inn Spa

If you find yourself wandering through a hallway lined with rocks and hearing the sound of rushing water, you’re not lost. If you book a treatment, you can relax in the underground spa’s waterfall and multiple pools. 

Golf at the Grove Park Inn

I am not a golfer, but I did get to experience the golf course by running a 5K on it! The hills were no joke, and now I understand why golfers use a cart to get around. The 18-hole golf course was designed by Donald Ross and has been played by the likes of Jack Nicklaus and President Obama. 

Grovewood Village

Another surprise on the property that I stumbled on was Grovewood Village. This collection of six buildings is a historic site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The buildings were once part of Biltmore Industries, a workshop where people learned crafts like weaving and woodworking and earned a livelihood. 

Today, you can still celebrate arts and crafts by visiting museums and an art gallery on the site. Grovewood Gallery spotlights jewelry, ceramics, sculpture and more from more than 300 artists around the country. Admire rare and classic automobiles at the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum. Learn about the history of the renowned textiles created here at the Biltmore Industries Homespun Museum. I found it incredible that you could take in a whole day of Asheville arts and history without even leaving the hotel property.

As someone who loves history and architecture, I enjoyed roaming the Grove Park Inn and discovering hidden gems around every corner. The hotel was built to be a mountain retreat and after more than a century it remains a beautiful setting to unwind and recharge.

Checking in at the Omni Grove Park Inn

If you’re looking for a mountain retreat with a dose of luxury and a historic pedigree, Asheville’s Omni Grove Park Inn fits the bill. The five-star hotel is located in Asheville, North Carolina ten minutes from downtown.

Here are handy links to check the latest rates for the Omni Grove Park Inn on Hotels.com, Booking.com, and Expedia.

You don’t need to be a guest of the Omni Grove park to visit many of the public spaces. You can visit for the day and dine at a restaurant, ride the hidden elevator, and have a drink on the Sunset Terrace. If you’re visiting Asheville and want to research hotels and vacation rentals, this map can help you compare the other available options.

Getting to the Omni Grove Park Inn

The hotel is located 17 miles (a 30-minute drive) away from Asheville Regional Airport. You can rent a car at the airport or book an taxi or car service. You may self-park for $30 per day or valet park for $40 per day.

The Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa
290 Macon Ave.
Asheville, NC 28804

Sources

• “The Grove Park Inn Story.” History of The Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa, Omni Hotels & Resorts.
• Huler, Scott. “Sparks of Inspiration at the Omni Grove Park Inn.” Our State, Our State Magazine, 28 Dec. 2022.
• “Omni Grove Park Inn.” Historic Hotels of America, National Trust for Historic Preservation.
• Walking History Tour, Omni Grove Park Inn.