Reynolds Mansion Bed & Breakfast Inn

There are only a handful of pre-Civil War brick homes left in western North Carolina; Reynolds Mansion is one of them. Built in 1847, the Colonial Revival house can be found on the National Registry of Historic Places and appears much as it was 170 years ago, save for the addition of a few bathrooms and other modern conveniences. Most of the eight guestrooms—which retain original 16-foot ceilings—and three carriage-house suites feature fireplaces and Jacuzzi or claw-foot tubs. While the original estate was 1,500 acres, the mansion now sits on the last remaining four acres, surrounded by Reynolds Village and other developments, but is still a tranquil respite with a spring-fed pool and gorgeously maintained gardens and grounds just a few miles from downtown Asheville. The hotel takes the “breakfast” in its name seriously: There’s one seating, at 9 a.m. in the formal dining room or, weather permitting, on one of the porches; expect a seasonally rotating menu of hearty main dishes often made with eggs that the owners collect from their hens.