Chestnut Street Inn is located near downtown Asheville, North Carolina. The property comprises the main building with seven units and a cottage serving as an eighth. Chestnut Street Inn offers classes for making salsa and margaritas or for "natural wine" tasting at an additional cost to its patrons. The bed and breakfast is near several common attractions, such as the River Arts District, which hosts various art galleries and studios. It additionally contains places where tourists can find furniture, blow glass, or make porcelain pottery. Asheville offers local city tours, music and theater venues, and over 50 breweries. Asheville is also next to the Blue Ridge Mountains, where visitors can participate in kayaking, hiking, biking, horseback riding, paddle boarding, and rafting.
Chestnut Street Inn is located in Asheville, North Carolina, a few blocks from Interstate 240. The bed and breakfast—described by one of the owners as "eclectic"—is in the northern district of the town in a suburb with other similar properties. White pillars and a matching porch accent the three-story red-brick building. Eight guestrooms are spread throughout different floors of the building, as well as inside a nearby cottage, the latter being a private two-room suite. All units have ensuite bathrooms and toiletries such as shampoo, soap, conditioner, and towels. They are installed with hardwood floors and rugs that match their color schemes. Some of the rooms have fireplaces, showers, or ozone tubs. The units are split evenly between king or queen-sized beds. Hideaway Suite, the suite in the cottage, is the largest room and comes with a queen bed. Each room varies in name and theme. For example, Chestnut Hill Room is decorated with soft blues and dark wood furnishings, and Magnolia Room is adorned with white and soft violet or salmon colors. Main areas throughout the bed and breakfast include a living room, dining room, and porches. Flowers and trees characterize the lawn, in addition to a swing in the yard that visitors can use.
Breakfast at Chestnut Street Inn is served from 8:30 to 9:30 AM. Typical breakfast items include baked goods, breakfast enchiladas, blueberry brioche, egg pudding, eggs in purgatory, stuffed French toast, frittatas, or quiches. Guests with food allergies or dietary restrictions can be accommodated as long as they inform the staff at least 24 hours in advance.
Chestnut Street Inn is near the Blue Ridge Mountains, which Emilie, one of the property owners, says is a region that draws many visitors. People can hike, raft, kayak, bike, horseback ride, or paddleboard in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Asheville is known as a historic location, and many other guests are drawn to its breweries and art. Chestnut Street Inn's website deems Asheville as a "beer lover's paradise" as it has more than 50 local breweries. The River Arts District is another common attraction for people to visit. It is comprised of over 200 working artists that host a range of art, from porcelain pottery, galleries, and studios to furniture and glass blowing. Guests may engage in antiquing, local tours, music and theater venues, and farmers markets. According to Emilie, several festivals are held almost every week of the year.
Regarding places to dine, Emilie recommends Cucina 24, which serves farm-to-table meals such as cured meats and homemade pasta. She also suggests Limones Restaurant and its Californian and Mexican cooking. Finally, she names Table Asheville, which provides a routinely changing menu that typically offers traditional American dishes.
Emilie, one of the business owners, says she wants her guests to feel "at home and very well taken care of" while staying at Chestnut Street Inn. She explains they should feel "pampered" and enjoy the amenities offered along with the property's cleanliness, which she says many patrons have reflected on in their reviews. Furthermore, concierge services are offered, and Emilie often plans trips for people who request them, calling them "preplanned adventures." Another strategy to help visitors feel "at home" is the complimentary cookies offered at the bed and breakfast throughout their stay. One particular guest said, "Emilie and Arturo are great hosts. Everything Arturo made was from scratch, even the yogurt was made from fresh milk. Emile's knowledge of the local foodie scene is amazing. Everywhere she recommended was great!" Another visitor wrote, "The innkeepers, Emilie and Arturo, are a warm, happy, and charming young couple. Everything they do feels special–from the two-course breakfasts and afternoon cookies to the personalized recommendations, the local milk, and homemade yogurt. We felt cared for and thought of the entire length of our stay."
A few on-site events are hosted at Chestnut Street Inn. For an additional fee, visitors can make salsa and margaritas with Arturo, the other business owner. The activity has limited capacity, and guests are encouraged to sign up ahead of time. Once the margaritas are made, Arturo teaches them how to make their own unique salsa, which they may take home with them. Kapp Uncorked, a sister business, features wine tastings for visitors at an additional cost. Here, people can learn about what Emilie calls "natural wines." Finally, Chestnut Street Inn hosts elopements and artist workshops in partnership with local artists.
Among Chestnut Street Inn's policies, the most notable are the prohibition of pets and indoor smoking or vaping. A cleaning fee is applied to people who violate either of these policies. Emilie also notes that the bed and breakfast is unsuitable for children under 12 years old. Furthermore, guests are not allowed to bring any open flame to any of the guestrooms, and they are asked to "be mindful" of massage oils or essential oils that may damage bedding.
Chestnut Street Inn is open year-round. Emilie mentions that October is the best season to visit because of autumn in the mountains; she says the colors draw many people to Asheville.
Chestnut Street Inn has been operating since the early 1980s. Currently, Emilie Kapp and Arturo Leal are the owners of the property. They decided to try running a bed and breakfast in 2011 out of an apartment to see how it would go. In the words of Emilie, the "test run" ended up being an enjoyable and successful experience for both of them. They later acquired Chestnut Street Inn and have operated it since 2015. They perform a yearly renovation on the property to ensure it is in working condition. The upgrades, in question, vary yearly, although all of the rooms have been recently updated.
176 E. Chestnut Street
Asheville, North Carolina 28801
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Emilie Kapp and Arturo Leal
