Unlike Asheville and Buncombe County governments, which ended the practice of live remote comment after their return to in-person meetings, the BCTDA will continue to allow members of the public to call into live meetings to comment — an option that was not offered before the pandemic.
Nearly all of the members of the public who commented on the issue expressed concern over the amount of money being spent to draw more tourists to the area and asked that the funds allocated for advertising instead be spent on city infrastructure, schools and reparations for Asheville’s Black residents.
While overall hotel revenue was down more than 27% year-over-year in September, the latest month for which data is available, overall vacation rental sales that month increased by about 55% year-over-year, according to Explore Asheville interim CEO Chris Cavanaugh.
“I believe that if you saw more nonwhites working in the high-end tourist business, especially downtown and in West Asheville, this would not have happened.”
Luxury hotels in many metropolitan tourist destinations are known for restaurant concepts that bank on high-profile celebrity chefs. But Asheville hotels, while pushing the parameters of standard hotel dining, are taking a different approach.
Hotelier John McKibbon predicts the massive 18-story project, which is filling the empty shell of the former BB&T building on Pack Square, will be complete by the end of March next year.
Thanks to Asheville’s reputation as a food destination, many area hotels have stepped up their restaurant game in recent years with models that bring in the talents of well-known Western North Carolina chefs and highlight locally grown ingredients. And these hot spots aren’t just trying to woo tourists — there’s also a move toward catering to a local customer base. […]
On Friday, Aug. 11, McKibbon Hospitality’s AC Hotel Asheville Downtown will open to guests. Located at the intersection of Broadway and College Street, the hotel boasts 132 guest rooms, along with 336 parking spaces in a four-story parking deck.
Wrap up of key City Council decisions from Jan. 12 meeting, including renovation of the former BB&T building, preliminary utility fee waiver for Lee Walker Heights redevelopment for purposes of securing financing, Givens Estates Creekside redevelopment approval and the apparent end of the line for the effort to save the Collier Street Wood on Asheville’s South Slope.
At an Aug. 7 informational meeting at the U.S. Cellular Center, the McKibbon Hotel Group laid out its plans for a hotel and plaza on city-owned property across from the St. Lawrence Basilica in downtown Asheville. The city is considering McKibbon’s proposal, but hasn’t endorsed or committed to any project yet.
