Asheville, North Carolina

The Flat Iron Hotel

Name: The Flat Iron Hotel
Address: Asheville, North Carolina, United States
Price range: From $170
Rating: 4.8

A nine-story 1926 office building turned 71-room hotel, with an Italian-Appalachian restaurant, a rooftop bar and a basement speakeasy.

Open · May 2024

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The Flat Iron Hotel opened on 15 May 2024 inside the Flat Iron Building, a nine-story Beaux-Arts office tower completed in 1926 in downtown Asheville. It has 71 rooms, the restaurant Luminosa on the ground floor, a rooftop bar facing the Blue Ridge Mountains and an underground speakeasy.

The essentials

Group: Independent (The Indigo Road Hospitality Group)
Opening: May 2024
Rooms & suites: 71 rooms
Segment: Upscale/Boutique
Designer: Rowhouse Architects
Entry rate: From $170

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The place

The building sits at 20 Battery Park Avenue, where the avenue meets Wall Street, about a half-mile from the Grove Arcade. Both belong to the Battery Park Hill redevelopment that Edwin W. Grove started in the 1920s.

The concept

New York architect Albert C. Wirth designed the tower in the Beaux-Arts style, and L. B. Jackson developed it. It was announced in 1925 and took its first tenants in January 1926. For about its first fifty years it housed business professionals, physicians and dentists. It was also home to WWNC, Asheville's oldest radio station, and the country music pioneer Jimmie Rodgers made his first broadcast performance from the studio on the eighth floor.

Later tenants were creatives, therapists and small tech startups. Midtown Development Associates bought the building in 1985 for $440,000. In 2018 it was listed at $16 million with a requirement that the buyer preserve it. GarageCap and JPW Development acquired the project in 2019, and the restoration took about five years, slowed in part by the pandemic.

Rowhouse Architects led the conversion and Mey & Co. designed the interiors, with the Lost Generation of the 1920s as the reference. Terrazzo and marble floors, transom windows and door signs naming 29 former tenants were kept. The Indigo Road Hospitality Group operates the hotel with the owners. The building is a contributing property to the Downtown Asheville Historic District.

Dining & wellness

Luminosa serves Italian-Appalachian cooking built around a wood-burning oven and grill, with a craft cocktail bar on the ground floor. Graham House is executive chef and Sean McMullen chef de cuisine. The restaurant has received a Michelin Bib Gourmand and a Green Star.

The rooftop bar offers a short menu of small bites and cocktails and looks west to the Blue Ridge Mountains. The speakeasy is in the basement, and the hotel also has a co-working space.

News

May 15, 2024: The Flat Iron Hotel and its ground-floor restaurant Luminosa opened in the 1926 Flat Iron Building in downtown Asheville, after a restoration of roughly five years. The hotel has 71 rooms, a rooftop bar and a basement speakeasy, and is operated by The Indigo Road Hospitality Group.

Google guest reviews

4.8/5 · 445 reviews

Overall, excellent art deco new hotel. Bonvoy property but not part of Marriott brand (?). Rooms very comfy (had king room) and shower the best pressure ever. Clean, modern but with historic touches. Loved the fire escape (so cool) and rooftop views. Please keep rooftop open past 9pm. Awesome coffee/water on every floor (coffee tea bags were unusual but very good)! Valet team so nice and helpful. As a side note, Flour opening soon behind hotel for amazing biscuits and breakfast. Highly recommend!
Melissa McLean · 4/5

We had a wonderful stay at the Flat Iron Hotel. The hotel is a beautifully renovated historic commercial building, and it’s clear that great attention was paid to every detail. One of our favorite touches was the faux office doors honoring real past tenants, which added so much character and history to the property. The service was outstanding—everyone we encountered was genuinely friendly, welcoming, and eager to help. We also loved the beverage stations with coffee, still water, and sparkling water available throughout our stay. The rooftop café, which transforms into a bar in the evening, was another highlight. It was the perfect place to relax and enjoy the sunset after a day of exploring. The location couldn’t have been better. Situated right in downtown, we were able to walk everywhere with ease. Overall, the Flat Iron Hotel combines historic charm, thoughtful amenities, and exceptional hospitality, and we would gladly stay here again.
David and Roxanne Fuller · 5/5

I truly wish I could give this hotel a 6. From the second you pull up and the valet tells you to make sure you visit the speakeasy, to the front desk where you are offered a glass of champagne or a local beer, to the amazing operator of the hand cranked elevator to the incredible bartenders in that speakeasy and rooftop bar, to the service in the Michelin recognized restaurant on the first floor, the people really make this an experience. I have not yet mentioned the great rooms or the great location or the small touches. My favorite was the adventure jar in the beverage station. Staff gives you ideas for things to do while you are in this great city.
Kelly Davis · 5/5

What an interesting hotel with fascinating history. Loved the speak easy lounge, and the Luminosa restaurant was AMAZING! Staff was very kind and helpful. Bed and pillows were very comfortable. The room we had was very nice but only downside is that it was a bit on the small side I would say. Still deserves a 5 star. However, we mostly walked around as we were in the center of town. Great location. Enjoyed our stay very much.
Sandi Diehl · 5/5

While this hotel is in a great downtown location, and has loads of charm, there are many gaps in what I come to expect of a 4-5 star hotel. No refrigerator. No microwave. No in room coffee/tea. Smallish rooms, funky angles. Some of the concierge service was outstanding. Some front desk personnel were short and curt, especially with our grandchild. Valet gentlemen were kind and helpful. Initially we were told we could arrange a late checkout and then they called us to say they couldn't. This precluded our sons from showering after their 100 mile bike race; they had to drive/fly home unshowered. Just didn't meet Bonvoy standards.
Julie Rodin · 3/5

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