need romantic b& b quick!
 

Hi
I need help.. and quick. I want to take my wife on a surprise night at a Bed and Breakfast or Inn that would be romantic for our anniversary. Somewhere between Lexington and Asheville. (Along I-75 or I-40 east of Knoxville is where we are traveling). Please send me suggestions!

Thanks

A KY girl here- several suggestions. In Lexington,The Brand House at Rose Hill gets rave reviews. It's a federal style home with 5 rooms and has boasted an array of guests from Einstein to Roosevelt. Also, the George Clark house is lovely. I haven't stayed there, but have friends who did and loved it. Another fun suggestion is Shaker Village. It's 25 miles sw of Lexington near Harrodsburg, but it is so cool. The rooms are quaint, it's quiet and the food is great. This place is very romantic, IMO, with not much to do at night except what the Shaker's did NOT do, LOL.http://www.shakervillageky.org/
Another plavce I love in the heart of Lexington is the Gratz Park INN.http://www.gratzparkinn.com/
My husband took me for a surprise anniversary trip there last year. It's VERY romantic, great staff wonderful restaurant.GREAT dinners.We returned this year, in fact. Have fun- think romantic- my hubby does and it's a real treat for a wife!

You might try either The Swag,located high (elevation 5000 feet) on a mountaintop just outside Waynesville, NC (about 30 minutes west of Asheville off I-40, or 90 minutes east of Knoxville), at www.theswag.com. Or, another choice is Christopher Place in Newport, TN, halfway between Knoxville and Asheville. (Knoxville and Asheville are two hours' driving time apart.) Check it out at www.christopherplace.com.

What about someplace in Sevierville, TN (20-30 minutes east of Knoxville)? I recently stayed at Blue Mountain Mist Inn, a beautiful bed and breakfast just outside of Sevierville and away from most of the tourist traffic. The rooms were lovely, some more romantically decorated than others. The included breakfasts were delicious, the views of the Smokies were breathtaking, and the hosts/owners could not have been more gracious. Their website is www.bluemountainmist.com.

The Inn at Winter Sun (www.innatwintersun.com) has a very romantic suite. The rest of their rooms are lovely; but the main suite is well worth the money. You may need to book well in advance. Happy anniversary!

If you're going as far as Ashville, the Biltmore now has an Inn on the grounds. I recently checked out the website and it looks very romantic. Some of the package prices include tours of the mansion, the winery, etc.

The Swag is wonderful, but very pricey ($500+ a night, but that does include meals.) A couple of inns that are similar to The Swag but less expensive are Snowbird and Blue Boar, both near Lake Santeelah at the edge of the Smokies. Very remote, but beautiful. The Blue Boar is nicer, with luxe rooms, A/C, TVs etc. Snowbird is more of a traditional mountain lodge, though they have new cottages also.

There are tons of romantic B&Bs in Asheville. Albemarle Inn, Beaufort House, Lion & Rose, and Cedar Crest to name a few.

The Grove Park Inn is big, but the setting up on a mountain overlooking Asheville is amazing, and there's plenty to do there -- great spa, fine golf. And all the big names have stayed here over the years since it opened in 1913, from Scott Fitzgerald to Dwight Eisenhower to Michael Jordon.

The Richmond Hill Inn doesn't have the location of the Grove Park Inn, though the grounds are beautiful, but it is fabulous, with arguably the best restaurant (Gabrielle's) in WNC. That would be my vote for a romantic inn getaway.

The Inn at Biltmore is nice, though perhaps not as deluxe as you'd think given where it is. The rooms are pretty much standard four-star hotel rooms, which ain't bad, of course. But the setting is fabulous.

--Lan Sluder

Another place that is really romantic is Innisfree Victorian Inn near Cashiers. It has rooms in the main house, but the best choices are the suites in the cottage house. They have fireplaces with glass so you can see the fire from the bedroom or bathroom, plus balconies with lake views. All in all, very nice! i was just there a few days ago.

--Lan Sluder

I love The Richmond Hill Inn in Asheville. I went there for my honeymoon in 1995. We stayed in a cottage and it was very, very nice. Afternoon tea in the main house was the coolest thing and breakfast everyday was wonderful! It was so quiet and peaceful. My vote is for the Richmond Hill Inn! Lipstick.

The Red Rocker Inn in Black Mountain, NC, is fantastic, and the food is to die for. Eight Gables Inn in Gatlinburg, TN is also an incredible find. It can be pricey, but if you're looking for romantic ambience, you can't beat it.

Have stayed at the Biltmore Inn. It is a very nice hotel on the grounds of the Biltmore. The Biltmore could be seen in the far distance form our room. The winery is a short walk from the hotel. Otherwise there is farmland and hills all around you. There is an outdoor heated pool with a jacuzzi . the rooms were decorated in a subdues Victorian theme. Very nice linens on the bed (down comfortable/mattress, etc.)