The Omni Grove Park Inn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Grove Park Inn
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | Asheville, North Carolina |
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| Built | 1913 |
| Architect | Fred Loring Seely |
| Architectural style | Arts and Crafts |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001295 |
| Added to NRHP | April 3, 1973 |
The Omni Grove Park Inn is a famous hotel located on Sunset Mountain in Asheville, North Carolina. It sits among the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Many important people, including several United States presidents, have stayed here.
This historic hotel is known for its unique Arts and Crafts style. It also has a large, modern underground spa. The Grove Park Inn is part of the Historic Hotels of America program, which means it's recognized for its special history. The hotel also has an 18-hole golf course designed by Donald Ross.
Building History
The Grove Park Inn was built using rough granite stones. Its lobby is famous for its huge granite fireplaces. The hotel was advertised as having "walls five feet thick of granite boulders." This made it very strong and unique.
During World War II, the hotel was used for different purposes. First, it was a place where diplomats from countries fighting against the United States stayed. They were allowed to go into town to buy things, which helped the local shops. Later, the U.S. Navy used the Inn as a place for sailors to rest and recover. From 1944 to 1945, it was an Army station where soldiers could relax before getting new assignments. The government of the Philippines even operated from a small cottage on the hotel grounds during the war. This was their "government in exile" because their home country was occupied.
The hotel has changed owners a few times over the years. In 1955, it became part of Sammons Enterprises. The Sammons family expanded the resort, making it a popular place for tourists. In 2012, KSL Resorts bought the Inn. Then, in 2013, Omni Hotels bought it and renamed it the Omni Grove Park Inn.
Famous Visitors
Many U.S. presidents have visited the Grove Park Inn. Here are some of them:
- William Howard Taft – 27th President (stayed in 1929 and 1930)
- Woodrow Wilson – 28th President
- Calvin Coolidge – 30th President
- Herbert Hoover – 31st President
- Franklin D. Roosevelt – 32nd President (stayed in 1936)
- Dwight D. Eisenhower – 34th President (stayed in 1947)
- Richard M. Nixon – 37th President (in 1956)
- George H. W. Bush – 41st President (in 1986)
- William J. Clinton – 42nd President (in 1987)
- Barack H. Obama – 44th President (stayed in 2008 and 2010)
In Books
The Omni Grove Park Inn has also appeared in books:
- In Lee Smith's novel Guests on Earth (2013), the main character often talks about the Inn.
- In Cormac McCarthy's novel Suttree (1979), the main character and his girlfriend stay at the Inn.
- The book Even As We Breathe by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle also mentions the Inn.
Images for kids
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Sketch of the exterior of the Grove Park Inn by Fred Seely, 1912
See also
- List of Historic Hotels of America
- In Spanish: Grove Park Inn para niños
