Asheville Bed & Breakfast: Cedar Crest Inn

Asheville is a beautiful mountain town in North Carolina, and it’s the perfect place to stay if you’re looking to explore the area. The Cedar Crest Inn is a historic inn near downtown and is a great place to relax after a long day of hiking or sightseeing.

The Queen Anne-style mansion serves as a bed and breakfast, so you can enjoy a delicious breakfast like royalty each morning before heading out to explore Asheville. The rooms are cozy and comfortable, and the staff is friendly and helpful.

The History of Cedar Crest Inn

Cedar Crest Inn was built in 1891 at the direction of William E. Breese. Breese was a banker and Confederate Army veteran from Charleston who moved to Asheville in 1895 for the sake of his son’s health. (His son had tuberculosis and the fresh mountain air was thought to be beneficial.)

The Victorian mansion was built by contractor Charles B. Leonard. The house was built with 20 rooms on a hill overlooking the Swannanoa River. The price? $10,000 at the time. (With an average inflation rate of 2.68%, that means that the house would cost approximately $321,204.40 in today’s dollars to build.)

Table for two set in front of a wooden fireplace.

The story doesn’t end so well for Mr. Breese. Around 1897, the tobacco industry was failing and Mr. Breese’s bank closed. Breese was arrested and charged with conspiracy, embezzlement, abstraction, and misapplication. (In 1911, he was acquitted of all charges.)

Meanwhile, the mansion was sold in 1902 for $7,500 to Arthur F. Reese who named it Kenilworth Lodge. Reese was a socialite and was known to enjoy the company of George Vanderbilt. Reese died in 1926 and the house became the property of banks and insurance companies.

Sofa and chairs around a brick fireplace.

The house changed hands a few more times and from 1927 until 1932 was “Sherwood Sanitarium” where it was a place for people seeking healthy mountain air (for their tuberculosis).

In 1936 the mansion was used as a boarding house and the following year it was purchased as a home by John and Minnie Page. When Mr. Page died in 1939, Minnie converted the home back into a boarding house. Minnie preserved the house during the 40 years that it was hers.

Fast forward to 2018 and the house was purchased by GBX Group LLC. The company preserves historic properties around the country. The home is now Cedar Crest Inn and is a popular bed and breakfast in Asheville.

Rooms at Cedar Crest Inn

There are three properties at Cedar Crest Inn with 10 guest rooms in the main house, two options available at their 1915 bungalow, and four rooms/suites in the carriage house. Each room is unique and has its own personality.

The tower bedroom with a king bed and a twin bed. — Our room was the Tower Room on the top floor.

The rooms in the main house have been decorated with antique furniture and each room has a private bathroom.

While you won’t find coffee makers in the room, you do have access to coffee throughout the day in the dining room.

Guest Cottages

There are two guest cottages on the property for those who need a little more room. Guest Cottage Room 1 had a queen bed with a private bathroom along with a separate sitting room that has coffee service, a mini-fridge, and a microwave oven. Guest Cottage Room 2 is even bigger with 2 bedrooms that share a Jack-and-Jill bathroom. Cottage #2 also has a butler’s kitchen with a sink, full-size refrigerator, coffee service, microwave oven, and a toaster.

Plate of carrot cake pancake and two sausage links. — Carrot Cake Pancake

Dining at the Inn

A stay at the inn includes a two-course breakfast which is served from 8:30 AM until 9:30 AM daily (seating times are 8:30 AM and 9:00 AM), complimentary evening wine, and chocolate chip cookies.

Red and white bottles of wine on a table by a window.

Coffee is available throughout the day in the dining room via a Keurig coffeemaker.

Pet Policy

People traveling with pets in tow will be happy to know that Cedar Crest Inn has pet-friendly cottage rooms. (There is a one-time pet fee of $50 per dog and no more than two pets are allowed.)