Posted on November 27, 2012

Edible architecture is again on display at the Grove Park Inn, which is exhibiting its annual gingerbread competition entries through Jan. 2.

As in years past, those who aren’t guests of the Asheville inn are allowed to visit on weekdays only. Staff there looked the other way, though, when guests of Inn on Main Street bed and breakfast went over on a Saturday or Sunday. This year, however, the inn said it was enforcing its guests-only policy on weekends. I’m not sure how they tell a guest from a non-guest, so you might wear a bathrobe so you appear to be heading from your room to the spa. Just kidding!

Another development that has locals upset is that the Grove Park Inn will charge non-guests $10-15 for parking this year. All the more reason to take the Asheville Trolley and jump off for an hour to take in the sights.

While you’re here to see the gingerbread, why not visit the Biltmore Estate for Candlelight Christmas tours? Adding the mystical reservation-only tour costs $20 on top of our two-day $55 pass, for a total of $75 per person. We have lots of openings here in Weaverville between now and New Year. You can book online if you like.

Our downtown Weaverville is only two blocks away, and features five fun and unique cafes, three of which offer live music. All offer a nice selection of craft beers and good wines. Why would anyone want to walk a half mile or more from their Montford B&B to find a place to eat?

If you plan to drive anyway, we are only 10 minutes from downtown Asheville, or maybe five more than it will take you to drive from your Montford B&B and park. Even then, parking is free and plentiful in downtown Weaverville, and only a mile away from us is the Stoney Knob Cafe, one of the most popular destinations for diners from – you guessed it – Asheville.

We love the Montford and Chestnut Hill B&Bs for their architecture and styles of service, but surely can’t understand the perception that they are more conveniently located. Here at Inn on Main Street, you can enjoy views of the mountains, a quiet and safe stroll to cafes and our famous craft galleries, plus all the charm and personal attention that comes natural in a small town.

If you don’t believe us, check out what our guests say on TripAdvisor, where we are ranked first among Weaverville bed and breakfasts.

It’s officially Christmas at the Biltmore Estate, now that even the big trees are in place and decorated. We’ve been busy booking Candlelight Christmas tours for our guests arriving on Nov. 9 or later, but there are still a lot of openings at Inn on Main Street, and plenty of spots for evening tours at the Biltmore.

Our Candlelight Christmas Tour packages are a particularly good deal. The cost for the reservation-only evening tour is only $20 extra on top of the cost of our regular discounted two-day ticket, which is $55. At $75 total, that means two days of visits, plus the mystical evening tour, for less than the gate cost of the evening tour alone.

And there’s still a lot happening in Weaverville and Asheville during the holiday season, not least of which is fantastic gift shopping for unique arts and crafts.

Another reason to think of Inn on Main Street at Christmas is that we offer gift certificates with no markup. It’s easy to buy an entire package for Mom and Dad, and let them pick the date. Or buy a certificate for a certain amount and let them choose the package as well as the dates. Best of all, if they use it from January through March (except Valentine’s weekend), they will get the third night free or half off the cost of their second night. That’s a great way to leverage your Christmas budget.