Our Stay at the Beaufort House Victorian Inn in Asheville, North Carolina

My husband Bill and I just celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary. In our eight years together, we've discovered a mutual love of travel, gourmet food, good wine, and memorable company. With that in mind, Bill and I decided to take a short trip to celebrate our anniversary. I immediately started looking for the right place when I suddenly remembered Asheville, North Carolina.

I had once gone to Asheville to sing at a wedding and was left with very positive impressions of this city in the western part of the state. Bill had never been to Asheville, but heard it was an interesting town. We decided it was the perfect destination for our anniversary celebration. Asheville has natural beauty, a thriving culinary culture, friendly people, and plenty of talented artists. Asheville also has a lot of interesting places to stay-- everything from grand hotels to chain motels to charming bed and breakfasts. Because we were celebrating a special occasion, I went looking for the perfect place to stay and found it in the Beaufort House Victorian Inn.

The Beaufort House, once home to the late actor Charlton Heston and his wife, Lydia, is now a beautiful historic inn that has gotten excellent reviews on TripAdvisor.com. Nevertheless, I considered a few other places before I settled on choosing the Beaufort House. I think what really helped me make up my mind was the video current proprietors, Jim and Christina Muth, had put on their Web site. The couple, who bought the Beaufort House in 2007 as a retirement venture, seemed like very warm and genuine people. And while they are understandably very proud of their inn, they're also proud of Asheville as a community. I was struck by the Muths' enthusiasm about Asheville and their sincere desire that visitors enjoy their stay, whether or not it's at the Beaufort House. That sincere enthusiasm is what ultimately made me decide to book three nights at their inn.

The Beaufort House through the years

Construction on the Beaufort House, originally known as Beaufort Lodge, was begun in 1894 and completed in 1895. It is one of Asheville's landmarks and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed by architect A.L. Melton, the house was originally owned by attorney Theodore Fuller Davidson, who once served as the Attorney General of North Carolina and Asheville's Mayor. Davidson died in 1931 and the home remained owned by his family until 1942.

In 1947, actor Charlton Heston and his wife moved to Asheville, where he was Director of the Asheville Community Theater. Heston and his wife lived at Beaufort House for six months, renting a room from Laura Schnorrenberg, who owned the house at the time. In 1947, Schnorrenberg sold the house to Hubert Haseltine and his wife and they turned Beaufort House into the Haseltine School. Beaufort House served in that capacity until 1949, when the Haseltine School merged with other local private schools and became what is now Carolina Day School.

In 1977, the house was purchased by Dr. and Mrs. Lon McAnally, who spent their time at Beaufort House restoring it to its original glory. In 1985, the house became home to Lemac and Marjorie Hopkins, who purchased the house after Hopkins retired from his post as Vice President of Chevron Oil Company. The Hopkins got Beaufort House added to the National Register of Historic Places before passing Beaufort House on to Robert and Jaqueline Glasgow, who bought Beaufort House in 1993 and turned it into a bed and breakfast. The Glasgows upgraded the house and turned the original Carriage House into three rentable cottages before they sold the house to Jim and Christina Muth in 2007.

Our first impressions

We arrived at the Inn on the evening of November 15th, tired and a bit stressed after a rainy drive to Asheville from the Atlanta area. I was gratified to see the inn all lit up as we approached. The Muths had already begun decorating for Christmas and the house looked very festive as we pulled into the ample parking area.

When we entered the house, we were greeted by Erica, manager of the inn. Erica quickly took care of some administrative stuff, then got us a glass of wine as she gave us a quick tour of the house and told us a bit about its history. I was very impressed by the unique fireplace in the corner of the foyer. Erica showed us how that fireplace actually opens into three rooms. I took a look at the beautiful staircase that leads to the six rooms in the main house and marveled at the stained glass window halfway up the stairs. The woodworking in the house is very impressive.

Beaufort House is in an enviable location very close to downtown Asheville. When the weather's nice, it's an easy walk from the inn's quiet neighborhood to Asheville's center.

Our room

Bill and I booked three nights in the Oak Terrace room, one of eleven rooms available at Beaufort House. The Oak Terrace room is one of two rooms located at the rear of the house; it shares a small terrace area with the Ivy Terrace room located next door. Because it was our anniversary, we also added the Romance Package to our stay, which included a bottle of sparkling wine, small box of Godiva chocolates, and fresh flowers.

The Oak Terrace room features a king sized bed and a very large bathroom which is separated from the room by French doors. There's a small flatscreen television on a handsome dresser as well as a DVD player. The Muths maintain a collection of DVDs and books available to borrow if there's nothing on TV. The room also has a small gas log fireplace. The house also has free wireless internet access.

The bathroom in the Oak Terrace room features a 110 gallon jacuzzi tub and a shower. The Muths have stocked the bathroom with Aveda toiletries. A small glass blocked window over the tub offers a little bit of natural light. Though I didn't try the jetted tub, I was impressed by the shower, which offered excellent water pressure and temperature control.

The Oak Terrace room is nice because it offers a private entrance and doesn't require going up and down stairs with heavy luggage. My only minor issue with the room is that there is a lamp outside that turns on at night and allows light to stream into the room. But, for a future stay, we would choose a different room anyway because we would like to see more of the house.

Breakfast

An elegant, candlelit two-course breakfast is served every day at the Beaufort House. Bill and I were delighted with the offerings. When we booked our stay, Bill was asked if we had any food issues or allergies. I happen to dislike mushrooms, so I was very pleased when we were told that Beaufort House never serves them. I also think it's a very thoughtful touch to be asked about food issues and allergies, since asking beforehand helps everyone avoid disappointment and embarrassing situations.

On the first morning, we were presented with creamy pumpkin spice yogurt with toasted pecans and apple crepes. The second morning, there was a savory offering of cheese zucchini souffle and scrambled eggs with cheese served in a cup made of phyllo pastry and a side of apricot syrup drizzled sweet potatoes. The third morning, we enjoyed my favorite breakfast, a lemon and strawberry cake and Belgian waffles with blueberry sauce and whipped cream. Coffee, tea, orange juice, and water were offered all three mornings.

Plenty to do

There's plenty to do in Asheville and the folks at the Beaufort House are ready to help you plan whatever activity your heart desires. Bill and I visited the Biltmore Estate on our first day and purchased our tickets at the Beaufort House. Beaufort House offers special tickets to the Biltmore Estate that allow guests to visit two days for the price of one. It's easy to spend two days at the Biltmore Estate.

If you like art, Asheville is a great town to visit. The downtown area alone has over twenty art galleries with pieces ranging from paintings to sculptures to unique furniture. Bill and enjoyed a particularly successful stop at Woolworth Walk, where we purchased several affordable pieces of art.

Asheville has a very exciting food, wine, and beer culture. There are plenty of good restaurants and places to get interesting locally made brews. The Biltmore Estate also runs a busy winery where guests can enjoy a tour and free wine tastings.

If you like the outdoors, you won't be disappointed in Asheville. There are places to hike, kayak, bike, and go horsebackriding. The staff at the Beaufort House can help you arrange just about any kind of outdoor adventure that interests you.

Warm hospitality

I think my favorite aspect of our stay at Beaufort House was the incredible hospitality offered by the Muths and their staff. Bill and I really felt like we were staying with old friends. Coffee and tea and snacks are available at all times and during the evening, wine flows freely along with conversation. Over the course of three nights, Bill and I got to know everyone and were always made to feel very welcome. The staff at Beaufort House genuinely seemed interested in seeing that we had a good time and pointing out the best places to see and go out to eat.

On our third night, Bill and I decided we wanted to stay in. Bill walked to a nearby Whole Foods and picked up some takeout food and locally brewed beer. He brought it back and the staff heated it up for us and gave us silverware, glasses, and plates so we could enjoy dinner in our room.

Tough to say goodbye

Bill and I were sad to say goodbye on our last morning. We really felt like we had made new friends in Asheville. As a matter of fact, I think we both would put Asheville on the short list of places we wouldn't mind living. The town has everything we like in a city-- plenty of good restaurants, culture, and natural beauty-- yet very little of what we don't like-- crime, traffic, and pollution.

In any case, I knew we'd found a new favorite inn when Christina Muth gave us a big hug and welcomed us back for another stay sometime soon. You can't put a pricetag on that kind of hospitality. Somehow, I have a feeling we'll be back for yet another unforgettable stay, hopefully sooner rather than later.

If you're looking for the perfect celebration venue in Asheville, I would encourage you to look into staying at the Beaufort House for a travel experience you won't forget.

Source

www.beauforthouse.com