FALL IN ASHEVILLE, HALF A MILE FROM THE BILTMORE GATE
October mornings here at Biltmore Hideaway start slow. You open the French doors by the bed, carry your coffee out to the screened porch, and sit up in the trees while the hillside turns gold and orange.
That is the whole idea of this place.
The Biltmore Hideaway is a private two bedroom apartment on the lower level of a craftsman house in historic Kenilworth. You get your own entrance and your own space. The Biltmore Estate gate is half a mile away. Biltmore Village is a short walk. Downtown Asheville is five minutes.
It sleeps four, in two real bedrooms, with one bathroom. About 800 square feet.
379 guests have reviewed this place. The rating is 4.98, with a 5.0 for cleanliness, accuracy, check in, and communication. It is an Airbnb Guest Favorite.
THE SHORT VERSION
• Sleeps 4. A king bedroom and a queen bedroom, both with high end mattresses
• Screened porch up in the treetops. This is the room guests write about most
• Gas fireplace you start with a remote
• Full kitchen: induction range and oven, full size fridge, dishwasher, microwave, Keurig with stocked k-cups, tea kettle
• Your own full size washer and dryer
• Keypad entry, so you arrive on your own schedule
• One off street parking spot, plus free street parking
• Dogs are welcome
• Pack n play and high chair for the little ones
• Smart TVs, so you can sign in to your own streaming apps
• Fast wifi, and outlets by every bed
WHY OCTOBER IS THE BEST MONTH HERE
Asheville fall color does not arrive all at once. It walks down the mountain through October, and that works in your favor.
The high peaks turn first, in late September. Think Mount Mitchell and Craggy Gardens. Around the middle of the month the Blue Ridge Parkway lights up between 4,000 and 5,000 feet. That is the classic drive, and you are fifteen minutes from it.
Then, in the last week or so of October, the color reaches town. We sit at about 2,150 feet. That is this hillside, the Biltmore grounds, and the French Broad valley.
So chase the color uphill early in the month, drive the Parkway in the middle, or come at the end and watch it happen from a chair.
Then the sun drops, it gets cold fast, and you come inside and press the button on the fireplace. From October through March it is the most used thing in the apartment.
One more thing worth planning around. Christmas at Biltmore opens November 3, with the house decorated floor to ceiling and candlelight evenings worth seeing. You are half a mile from the gate. Go at dusk, and be back in a warm room by nine.
THE PORCH
This is the part people write about in their reviews. One guest put it simply: "the porch was our favorite spot."
It runs along the back of the house, screened on three sides, so you sit right up in the leaves. Wicker seating at one end, a table at the other.
The best part is the doorway. The king bedroom opens straight onto the porch through French doors. You can wake up, push them open, and be outside before you find your shoes.
In October the view is gold and orange. In summer it is deep green shade. In winter, once the leaves are down, you can see further than any other time of year.
WHAT IS CLOSE BY
Kenilworth is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Asheville, and one of the easiest to walk: old craftsman cottages, big trees, sidewalks, and hills.
• Biltmore Estate entrance: half a mile
• Biltmore Village shops and restaurants: a short walk
• Downtown Asheville: 1.7 miles, about 5 minutes
• Mission Hospital: under a mile
• Blue Ridge Parkway: 15 minutes
• Asheville Regional Airport: 15 to 20 minutes
• River Arts District: about 10 minutes
Six breweries and cider houses sit close by, and Casablanca Cigar Bar is down the road.
Craggy Gardens, Graveyard Fields, Max Patch, Chimney Rock, and Lake Lure all make easy day trips, with no hour of switchbacks just to reach the highway.
WHO STAYS HERE
Couples who want the Parkway by day and a fire at night. Friends doing Biltmore and the breweries. Families of four, which is why we keep a pack n play and a high chair here. People visiting someone at Mission Hospital, under a mile away. And people traveling with a dog.
MORE DETAIL, IF YOU WANT IT
THE ROOMS
The living room is built around the fireplace: stacked stone, a reclaimed timber mantel, and a smart TV above it. Sign in to your own streaming apps and pick up where you left off at home.
The king bedroom is the main bedroom. High end mattress, a walk in closet, built in shelves, and the French doors onto the porch.
The queen bedroom has its own wardrobe, a second high end mattress, and a big window into the trees with blinds for anyone who wants to sleep in.
THE KITCHEN
This is a full kitchen, not a kitchenette. Granite counters, and all the pots, pans, dishes, wine glasses, and baking sheets you need to cook a real dinner. We leave out organic K cups and tea, plus a reusable pod if you would rather grind something local.
Dining is at a custom live edge table with four counter height stools, out in the open between the kitchen and the living room. Nobody cooks alone.
THE BATHROOM
This one surprises people. For an 800 square foot apartment you would expect fine. Instead you get a large walk in shower tiled floor to ceiling in travertine, with a rainfall head, a granite vanity, a towel warmer, and a stained glass window that throws color across the wall in the afternoon. The water heater is tankless, so hot water keeps coming even for the second shower.
LAUNDRY
Your own washer and dryer, with an iron, board, and detergent. It earns its keep on any stay longer than a couple of nights.
ARRIVING AND PARKING
Your entrance is on the left of the front porch, down a lit walkway and twelve stairs. Check in is by keypad, so you show up when you show up. Check in starts at 4:00 PM, check out is 11:00 AM.
One off street parking spot is yours, and street parking is free if you bring a second car.
You have the whole lower level to yourself, except one locked owner closet where we keep supplies.
BRINGING YOUR DOG
Dogs are welcome here, and we are glad to host them. We keep waste bags on hand for you.
We ask that dogs stay off the sofa and off the beds, and out of the landscaping. If your dog will be alone in the apartment at any point, please crate them.
If you are wondering whether a dog friendly place smells like dogs, here is a guest from last September: "For anyone nervous that they allow pets, don't be! A member of our party who is very sensitive to all smells and dander was shocked when I told her it was pet friendly, because best of all, the place is CLEAN."
THINGS WE WANT YOU TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BOOK
We would rather tell you now than have you find out at 11 PM.
There is a separate apartment upstairs with long term residents. You will hear footsteps, some movement, and occasional piano music above you. Quiet hours run 10 PM to 8 AM, and everyone in the building keeps them.
This is a real neighborhood, not a remote hillside. Houses sit close together on this street, and you will see them from the porch. That closeness is part of why you can walk to Biltmore Village.
You are also inside the city limits. Along with the crickets, you will hear traffic, trains, and sometimes an ambulance. This is not a silent cabin in the woods, and we will not describe it as one. What it is: a quiet, wooded spot two minutes from the Biltmore gate and five from downtown. For most people coming to Asheville, that trade is worth making.
IF YOU NEED ANYTHING
Message us any time. Our team responds quickly, and we will tell you what is happening and when.
Come for the color in October. Come for Christmas at Biltmore in November. Come for a wall of green in July. The porch is enjoyable all twelve months, and we would love to host you.
Cancellation Policy: We follow the cancellation policy in place at the time you booked, as shown in your confirmation. If there is any chance you may need to cancel, we recommend travel insurance at checkout. Refunds are not provided outside the booked policy for weather, illness, or travel disruptions.
Pets: Dogs are welcome, and we are glad to host you and your dog. We keep waste bags on hand for you.
Quiet Hours: Quiet hours run 10 PM to 8 AM.
No Smoking: There is a strict no smoking policy, inside and out, for the benefit of all guests with allergies. Any known abuse of this policy may result in a fine.
Damage: Guests are responsible for any damage that occurs during their stay, whether accidental or otherwise. Please tell us right away if something gets damaged or broken. We would much rather sort it out with you openly than find it after you have gone, and honest accidents are handled reasonably.
Rental Agreement: A link to our rental agreement will be sent to you to sign before you check in. You may also be asked to verify your identity through a third party using two factor authentication. We do not store any of your personal data.