Old Edwards Inn and Spa

Character and identity

Set in the sleepy Blue Ridge town of Highlands, about 90 minutes southwest of Asheville, Old Edwards Inn occupies the town's first boardinghouse along Main Street and spreads across 93 rooms, suites and cottages. The architecture leans English country meets Appalachian stone, with shutters, flower boxes and oaky sitting rooms layered in oriental rugs. Madison's Restaurant pulls produce from on-site gardens and a greenhouse, while the 25,000-square-foot spa uses local herbs and Mountain Quartz in its signature treatments. Period antiques, Italian linens and a champagne welcome set the service register: gracious, Southern, deliberately unhurried.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The pull here is the combination of a genuinely historic Main Street setting, a kitchen sourcing from its own gardens, and a spa with real depth, all wrapped in unfussy Southern hospitality. Couples should spend up for a Falls Cottage with a freestanding fireplace, or one of the Satulah Suites with heated marble bathroom floors. Request a private patio or rooftop terrace, and aim for shoulder seasons when Highlands quiets down.