Our Asheville Life: Staycation at The Windsor Hotel
Last Sunday we moved in to The Windsor Hotel for a night while I took over their Instagram account! When I moved back to town and heard The Windsor had been renovated into a boutique hotel I was flabbergasted! In the mid-90's, I would always pass it when going to Ananda to get my hair done and at that time it was not a place I would want to be. But now....NOW it's a place I want to be allll the time!
Here's why I love it so much and what makes The Windsor such a perfect place to stay while visiting Asheville...
The decor...
The space...
Our room was so big and beautiful! Every room is more like a one-bedroom apartment than a hotel room which makes the overall experience feel very "homey." Some of the appliances were the same ones we have in our house haha! I loved waking up in the morning, making a pot of coffee just like I would at home, and relaxing in the living room while Harlow played.
ESCAPE CANVAS BAG // AVL AVIATE HAT // SANDALS // BAG (vintage)
The family-friendliness...
Traveling with little ones takes a ton of planning, strategizing, and over-packing. The Windsor took a LOT of that off my plate with some of their amenities like complimentary play yards and in-room washers and dryers. When we checked in, Harlow's pack-and-play was already set up for us -- major time saver!
They also have Directv including the Sprout channel which Harlow L-O-V-E-S! With all the space for her to play in and with her favorite, familiar shows on TV, Harlow was happy as a clam which allowed me to get some work done in the morning.
Prime location close to shops, bars, and restaurants...
The Windsor's central downtown location made it super quick and easy for us to stroll straight out the front door to our favorite shops and restaurants without tackling lots of steep hills or trekking all the way to the other side of the downtown district.
Whenever I'm downtown, there are a handful of stores I always try to pop into. We started at Minx Boutique where I always love shopping the colorful racks of dresses.
Honeypot Vintage is always a good time, even if it's just to ogle the sequin ball caps and racks of old-school clothes and accessories. I found this gorgeous embroidered dress that I can't wait to wear! And methinks I have a forever dress to wear on Cinco de Mayo...
I love to lose track of time in Duncan & York -- they have so many fun things to look at! Knickknacks and novelties, slogan t-shirts, greeting cards, decor, glassware, kids clothing and books...and confetti cannons!
Harlow fell in love with a kids book and actually ran out of the store with it -- tiny shoplifter! We're currently harboring a criminal haha! No no no, we caught her and put the book back but it was hilarious.
Connected to the hotel is one of the prettiest local boutiques, Desirant. It's actually shaped like a horseshoe and hugs The Windsor in the middle. They carry some of my favorite lines: Lizzie Fortunato jewelry, SleepSwag sleep masks, and Brackish bow ties. I just love to go in there and browse all the pretty things for your home and closet.
Asheville is increasingly known for it's amazing food scene BUT did you know that among all the new hot spots there are some longtime staples that are still churning out some of the best food in town?
Salsa's is one of them. It's been here since 1994, serving up the most delicious Mexican and Caribbean flavors you'll find anywhere. I always tell friends and guests to eat there and every time they tell me how incredible their meal was. One even said his food was a "revelation!"
Somebody thought she was big time sitting at the table without a high chair or booster seat.
You have to start with the salsa trio. They have a list of daily dips and salsas and you choose three. We got guacamole, smoky tomato salsa, and pineapple-chipotle-jalapeño salsa.
Another thing: their margaritas are amaaaazzzzzing!
If you want to keep the cocktails flowing, head back towards the hotel and just around the corner is Sovereign Remedies. Not only are the design and decor very stately, the drinks are ON POINT! Mike got a couple bourbon drinks -- including an Old Fashioned he said was incredible -- while I ordered The Rosa Calienté, a spicy watermelon concoction that was as delicious as it was pretty to look at!
The cozy details and chocolate treats...
With Harlow's bedtime on the earlier side, Mike and I got to relax in The Windsor's famous plush robes and slippers. Seriously, I've heard about how good the robes are from other people and was dying to try them out! They did not disappoint.
We curled up in bed in our comfy loungewear, ate the crazy-good chocolates waiting for us by our pillows, and zoned out to a James Bond movie. (Again, Directv and all the channels is really awesome when you've got kids and you can't stay out eating and drinking all night!)
Because I was still running The Windsor Instagram account, I filmed a few funny Insta stories with the facial filters on. Mike always freezes when I put him on camera with me and says like one-word responses to anything I ask him LOL! You can see how relaxed he is on camera in his robe looking like a puppy dog hahahahaha!
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I can't say enough about The Windsor and what a great place it is to stay! Anyone and everyone will enjoy the beautiful boutique aesthetic, the spacious rooms, and the hospitable staff. Thanks again to The Windsor for our Asheville staycation!
We're ready to do it all over again :D
xxBrooke