Highlands, North Carolina
Old Edwards Inn & Spa
Blue Ridge spa estate
Highlands, North Carolina
Renovated
2004
Price
$$$$
Rated for
Luxe Heritage WellnessOutside the door
Blue Ridge spa estate
Stone cottages and courtyards spread across several village acres, where guests drift between heated mineral pools, fireside lounges, and European-style hydrotherapy.
What it’s good at
Remarkable
Heated marble bathroom floors, fine Italian bed linens, and fireplaces in the mountain suites.
Remarkable
Highlands' first boarding house from 1878, built from native granite and preserved woodwork.
Remarkable
Fourteen-head Swiss showers and two heated outdoor mineral pools in the Blue Ridge hills.
What they say
Forbes Four-Star
Forbes Travel Guide
2026
Also in Condé Nast Traveler.
Country charm and understated elegance go hand in hand at Old Edwards Inn and Spa, a historic property situated in the sleepy mountain town of Highlands.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
The front doors open directly onto Main Street's shops and bistros, with Blue Ridge mountain trails and waterfalls minutes away.
1 of 4
The rooms
Rooms have period antiques and heated marble bathroom floors. Down the path, wood-and-stone cottages keep their own freestanding fireplaces.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
The heated mineral pool sits within a flagstone terrace with stone walls, lit by string lights at dusk.
The spa
Chaises sit beside stone millstone fountains in the solariums, and treatments use local mountain quartz and botanicals.
The gym
Cardio machines sit on an upper mezzanine overlooking the weight room, and scheduled classes include yoga and guided hikes.
At the table
Madison's cooks with produce from the organic garden, and The Wine Garden serves drinks beside a patio waterfall.
Converted from Highlands’s first boardinghouse, the Historic Inn along Main Street, it mixes something nostalgically English with the woodsy, worn out comfort of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
How it began
The property began in 1878 as the town's first boarding house, and grew in 1935 over the stone foundations of an 1890s granite store.
Highlands
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.