When Your Heart's in the Highlands

By Deborah Petticord

When you’re on top of the mountain and the wind blows the clouds clear down onto the Piedmont, the smell of hemlock and spruce rush in to remind you of why you came.

You’re walking down a broad, charming street that could be in the mountains of the West or the northeastern Alleghenies, but it isn’t. It’s in the heart of the southeastern woodlands, where the diversity of plant life is unmatched in the A mericas. Highlands, North Carolina is only two hours north of Atlanta and just over three hours east of Chattanooga on a route that passes beautiful waterfalls and scrambles around looming boulders, until you find yourself right here on Main Street.

At the corner of Main and 4th Street, is the Old Edwards Inn & Spa. The Central House, an early boarding house built in 1888, was originally located here. The structure’s complex history includes a store and in 1935, Hotel Edwards was built on its foundation. This part of the stone structure has undergone a $40,000 renovation and expansion and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Preservationists and entrepreneurs Art and Angela Williams of Cairo, Georgia, bought the beautiful old building in 2001, determined to find a way to allow it to flourish again. After vacationing with their children each summer in Highlands, the family’s attachment to the town had become the foundation for the investment idea. The vision has grown more elaborate over time and now the intimate resort is evolving into a conference center on multiple properties that will meet the needs and satisfy the whims of any business or family group from 50 to 150 people, in the most incredible style.

'We spent a great deal of time and expense having our staff trained, both on and off site,' says CEO Mario Gomes (pronounced Gomez). Gomes’ wife Cynthia is director of sales and marketing for the facility. The pair came from hotel management positions with Atlanta’s Omni International Hotel a little over a year ago to oversee the transformation of Old Edwards and to hire key staff. The depth of their combined experience has produced an excellent team with a devotion to perfecting the unique hotel properties in their care.

The owners, with the help of the management team have created a village within a village, renovating the inn and purchasing other properties including another of Highlands’ vintage hotels—the Kelsey & Hutcheson Lodge, known for its fabulous fireplace. They are adding a fitness center and several more spa suites. A bakery is being created in the storefront across the street to supply the hotel and Madison’s Restaurant with fresh breads and pastries daily.

A remarkable addition to the complex is a cluster of large upscale cottages located on the side street near the bakeshop. Nothing has been spared in building these beautifully crafted accommodations, some of the finest in the South. Traditional fabrics, authentic antiques and excellent reproductions decorate the rooms. The 3000-square-foot stone and timber cottages have slate roofs, copper gutters and flashings, custom windows and extraordinary fireplaces. They will accommodate two or three couples enjoying a weekend retreat. The inn anchors the entire block at the core of the charming and serene world of Old Edwards. The Wine Garden, a beautifully landscaped terrace off Madison’s restaurant, offers an outdoor dining experience and is shielded from the street by an ancient hemlock hedge. It looks out onto Acorns, a fascinating shop filled with antique clocks and writing desks, handcrafted jewelry, scarves and accessories, candles, stoneware and cutlery. The Lilly Pulitzer store upstairs extends the shopping options for Highlands’ sophisticated and typically Southern guests.

Highlands has long been a summer getaway for people from Atlanta and the coastal South as a place to escape the heat. In fact, the population of the small hamlet ranges from about 3000 in winter, to sharply 30,000 in the summer. However, change is on the wind. The village is quickly becoming a year- round attraction, and that fact isn’t necessarily a happy one for many shopkeepers already satisfied with the way things were. Local historian and author, Randolph Shaffner, owns the popular Cyrano’s bookshop on Main Street. He likes the slower pace and is concerned about the increase in development he is observing. Cyrano’s well-stocked shelves provide a literary pastime for old-timers and newcomers alike, and it is obviously a favorite collection to browse.

Cyrano’s is located alongside Buck’s Coffeehouse, where the mocha’s are sufficiently stout and the lattes are as rich as most of the customers.

Year-round Highlanders agree—the small town’s aura is a powerful magnet to big-city dwellers. The Highlands Chamber sponsors a Halloween bash each year that is rarely seen elsewhere and the annual Christmas parade is uncommonly good. 'Everyone comes up the mountain for a good time,' says Cynthia Gomes. She admits at first she suffered culture shock after being in Atlanta for so many years. Gomes is getting used to the slower pace, though. 'Now I hate to drive down there even for a day.'

Slower pace or not, outdoor recreation opportunities are plentiful for the adventure seeker. In summer, golf and horseback riding are easy to access. Winter skiing at Sapphire Valley is only 15 miles away. Day hiking is a perfect pastime throughout the winter and the scenic beauty of area falls, especially Upper Callausaja, also known as Dry Falls (because you can walk behind them without getting wet), is a must-see during your visit. After an invigorating day of hiking or snow skiing, you may want to enjoy a deeply relaxing treatment at the Old Edwards Spa. Try the Sanctuary Signature Package. It begins in the Rainforest Rejuvenation Room—an elegantly tiled steam chamber where a fountain and soothing lights provide the backdrop for a self-application of 'mud,' alternating with steam and pulsing shower rinses. This is followed by a massage (there are many types) and a collagen facial. Spa services range from $20 to $390 and the spa is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. throughout the year. Spa Director Carol Iovino says, 'We carry unique products, especially for facial rejuvenation and anti-aging in our Spa Apothecary.' Iovino was the lead esthetician at a well-known plastic surgeon’s office in West Palm Beach for many years.

The spa level is so intimate, guests may arrive in robe and slippers from a private second floor terrace, have their spa treatment and get back to their rooms across the terrace without anyone noticing—no long hallways or lengthy elevator rides. Nail and hair salons open directly onto the spa terrace, as well.

Top the luxury spa treatment with dinner at Madison’s, the area’s only fine dining restaurant serving 'High Southern' cuisine by Chef Timothy Wuestneck, formerly with the prestigious Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Later, stroll the streets, see a play at the local community theater, or simply retire to a beautiful room and a cozy robe.

You might ask for room eight—a corner suite, appointed with charming French doors and windows with plantation shutters, that looks out over the Wine Garden to what appears to be a European villa housing Acorn’s, the Old Edwards Inn signature shop. Aside from the charming view, the amenities include touch-screen controls for TV, DVD, music, lighting and temperature settings. The 24-hour butler pantry, just down the hall, can take care of guests’ midnight munchies. Next morning, pop down the hall for an early morning newspaper and coffee, before a day of shopping.

This combination boutique hotel and European-style village is complemented by an extraordinary property just minutes from downtown. Aptly named The Farm, it provides a serene country setting where weddings and other special events may be staged. The all-white flower garden and green lawns are the perfect backdrop. The wedding party has multiple options for beautiful photography and groups of up to 200 move easily from the ceremony to the barn’s large front lawn for lavish receptions.

The tasteful artistry of the Williams’ renovation and expansion of this unusual resort property in Highlands blends seamlessly with a town already accustomed to natural beauty and relaxing pursuits. As Cynthia Gomes is quick to note, 'Most people just love it.'

See www.oldedwardsinn.com