Sourwood Inn in Romantic Asheville
Welcome to the Sourwood Inn, located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of romantic Asheville!
The original founders of the Sourwood Inn, the Burkhardt family, had a dream of building a mountain lodge on their 100 acres on Elk Mountain just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. With the help of a local architect, Jim Sansel, and builder Ron Butler, the inn became a reality and opened in 1998. The 19,000 square foot building sits at an elevation of 3,200 feet and is built of cedar and trimmed in stone. Designed in the Arts and Crafts style, the luxurious yet rustic lodge includes a large dining room, commercial kitchen, library, game room, and cozy common areas with fireplaces. All twelve guest rooms boast private balconies with mountain views, wood-burning fireplaces, and luxurious spa baths. A hideaway cottage is also available close by.
The lodge was created to provide a relaxing refuge where guests can experience the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. All the art and sophistication of romantic Asheville is a short half hour drive from the inn.
About your Innkeepers
Current innkeepers/owners, Connie Mields-Perry and Proal Perry purchased the property in October 2019. Concluding a 25+ year career in the food and wine business, they have expanded the farm direct dining at the inn along with offering a curated, well-priced, and carefully chosen wine list. During your stay, they love to help guests with wine recommendations and food pairings. While all the care and hospitality have remained the same, the Perrys have expanded the dining menus, updated the room décor, and added luxurious new amenities including local artisan chocolate from French Broad Chocolate and house-made Lavender and Grapefruit Spritzers as a welcoming gift, 600 thread count sheets, and plush Turkish Towels.
Our namesake- the Sourwood Tree
The Sourwood’s abundance on the property and the exuberant whimsy they present were the main impetus for the naming of the inn.
The Sourwood tree, Oxydendrum Arboretum, is native to eastern North America and most abundant in the chain of Appalachian mountains of which Sourwood Inn is a part. Their trunks, with natural bends, were used as sleigh runners. The sprays of white blooms appearing late in the summer, afford the honey bees the opportunity to create the much desired Sourwood honey.
The Sourwood is aesthetically pleasing and interesting as its branches are notorious for whimsically twisting and curving. The leaves turn a bright crimson in August and stay colorful through out the fall.
