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Review: The Inn on Biltmore Estate Candlelight Christmas
Last year I had the opportunity to go to the Biltmore Estate with my family the week after Thanksgiving. Seeing it done up for Christmas is a real treat, and if you haven’t been, I would highly recommend going during this time. The grounds of the estate are breathtaking and their beauty is amplified during this time. On top of visiting the estate, having dinner in the stables, and taking a night tour, we were very lucky to stay and enjoy The Inn on Biltmore Estate Candlelight Christmas. If you’re looking for a beautiful, intimate, and luxuriously private place within the grounds, this is it.
AHHHH Christmas Time at The Inn on Biltmore Estate.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Biltmore Estate it’s located in Asheville, North Carolina and it’s America’s largest home. It’s a remnant of a bygone era that has been magically maintained and exemplifies the insane wealth that was created during the Industrial revolution. America is young and unlike the castles of Europe we basically have two: The Hearst Castle and The Biltmore Estate. If you’re looking to capture the closest experience to what past guests of the Biltmore may have experienced…it’s staying at The Inn on Biltmore Estate.
The Deets:
- When: November 2015
- Where: The Biltmore Estate Asheville, North Carolina
- Package: Candlelight Christmas Evenings Package
Here is the current version of the package we booked.
We were checked in swiftly.
Our room was on the fourth floor and overlooked the grounds.
As you can see the view was fantastic and overlooked the village.
The grounds of the Biltmore Estate are incredible
The Inn sits overlooking the entirety of the property. As you can see below, the estate has built a Village with a winery, shops, and dining options that the hotel overlooks.
The Village and Estate Map
A courtesy shuttle will take you down to the village. There is another hotel that was having its soft opening while we were there called the Village hotel on Biltmore Estate. It looked very nice and was considerably cheaper so that looks to be a great option as well. The Inn, however, is a special place to stay if it’s within budget.
And an Estate Map
The Winery is located next to the Village.
We also grabbed afternoon tea back at the hotel
I have to say that the high tea wasn’t exactly worth it. While the ambience, setting, and view was incredible, I wouldn’t say that it was the best high tea I’ve ever had. Was I happy we did it and got to share all in the experience? Yes. But, if I were to go back, I’m not so sure I wouldn’t just grab drinks near the fireplace and enjoy the view and ambience that way.
The view from High Tea.
Our package also included breakfast which was a floor below the main floor.
As you can see below, the hotel really spared no expense in decorating the hotel for the holidays. In the background of the photo you can see people enjoying the fireplace and common areas of the Inn on Biltmore Estate. Just off to the left of the fireplace is where we were seated for our high tea and why I think you could replicate a similar experience without the tea.
The omelette bar at the buffet is incredible.
I wouldn’t ordinarily advocate getting a breakfast package, but this isn’t an ordinary hotel. Guests come here to have an experience, and in this instance, getting the buffet breakfast and enjoying the views and ambience is worth it.
More pics of the grounds and exterior
The one downside of touring the estate in the winter is the temperature. We were lucky and it was pretty mild and hit the mid 50s while were there, but I can imagine this would be spectacular to visit in the summer. Imagine touring the winery, grabbing some sippy sips, and coming back to the hotel to relax on the veranda with some wine and cheese. B to the YAH!
Touring the Biltmore Estate in all of its magnificence is very special.
Overall
It’s been a year since we stayed at the Inn on the Biltmore Estate and I can remember it like yesterday. Not many places have the ability to make a lasting impression and truly create an experience. The Biltmore does just that.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
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