The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa
Asheville, North Carolina
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By Roger Cox, Editor |
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Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Grove Park Inn dates to 1913. It stands at 2,500 feet in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The original stone wing endures, with massive fireplaces in the public spaces and Arts & Crafts furnishings in its rooms. A newer more contemporary wing brings the total number of rooms to 510. 
Recreation abounds, including 6 indoor and outdoor tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course, a sports center with indoor swimming pool, racquetball court, and fitness equipment, and a $40 million spa.
For tennis players the lure is both the setting and those indoor courts (three of them). Stewart Atkins, who started there as assistant pro in 1992, is now the tennis director. Out of his long experience there he has carpentered together a multi-pronged program intended to have something for everyone. That includes singles, doubles, and strategy clinics and programs for families. "We try to get parents and their kids to come together and then show them what they can do to maximize their time on court when a pro isn't around," says Atkins. There's also a small round robin. Staff helps find opponents, first by looking for other hotel guests and then drawing on local members when that fails. "We hardly ever have a hotel guest go away unsatisfied," notes Atkins. "We're proud of that."
Tennis Features
Pro Shop: 828-252-2711
See Also
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Rates and Reservations
There are two general options for guest rooms: the Main Inn, whose rooms though smaller have Arts & Crafts era antique furnishings, CD players, refrigerators, coffeemakers; and the Contemporary Wing, whose rooms are larger and furnished with reproduction Arts & Crafts pieces. Rates below do not include tax, which is currently 11%. Two-bedroom suites are also available.
290 Macon Ave.
Asheville, NC 28804
Travel Essentials
Seasons. Year-round.
General Tourist Information. For general information about travel within North Carolina, visit the North Carolina Division of Tourism website. For specific information about the Asheville region, visit the Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau.