The Flat Iron Hotel in the heart of historic downtown Asheville, North Carolina, isn’t just a renovation, it is a reinvention of one of the city’s most iconic buildings. Constructed in 1926, The Flat Iron Building was one of Asheville’s first high-rises — a true pillar of business during the explosive growth of the city. Designed with classical elegance and Beaux Arts motifs, it housed Asheville’s first radio station, WWNC, which broadcast from the upper floor. Today, the building is a local icon that’s on the National Register of Historic Places.
ART DECO WITH A MODERN TOUCH
The project was a collaborative effort of Indigo Road Hospitality Group, interior architecture and design firm Mey & Co, and Asheville architecture firm Rowhouse Architects. The complete renovation of the historic property strikes a delicate balance of celebrating the ornate nature of the building’s Art Deco past while infusing a modern, approachable charm that resonates with Asheville’s eclectic culture.
Designed by Mey & Co’s Principal Carrie Dessertine and Studio Director Dana Jaasund, each of the property’s 71 guest rooms and suites celebrates the notion that beauty is in the details. Many of the design elements are true to the Flat Iron building’s original spirit, including the doors and preserved transom windows and classic prewar bathrooms, which are paired with colorful, custom furniture and hand-drawn wallcoverings that reflect the opulence of the building’s original era.
Locally commissioned art and handmade details juxtapose Appalachian craftsmanship with Art Deco elegance — from murals of bluegrass bands to paintings of clouds to a cowhide mosaic honoring WWNC.
And to honor the building’s storied past, the hotel includes the Flat Iron Folks exhibit — a historical preservation project that shares and amplifies the stories of the many tenants and businesses that have called the bustling office building home. The exhibit, which spans the entire property, features hand-painted window signs and biographical sketches of dozens of characters who did business in the Flat Iron Building, including detectives, doctors, tailors and even Jimmie Rodgers, who is widely regarded as “The Father of Country Music.”
APPALACHIA MEETS ITALIAN CLASSICS
Adjacent to the lobby is Luminosa, an Italian-inspired eatery that brings a hyperlocal lens to Appalachian cuisine by using ingredients and produce from nearby farms and purveyors to shape and curate an ever-evolving, seasonally driven menu. The focal point and soul of Luminosa’s kitchen is a wood-burning oven and grill that adds an unparalleled smoky flavor profile to handmade pizzas, whole roasted fish and locally sourced proteins.
Paying homage to the city’s acclaimed brewery scene, the beverage menu features an exclusive collaboration beer, the Flat Iron Italian Pilsner, with beloved neighborhood brewery Wedge Brewing Company, as well as a diverse cocktail program and Italian-focused wine list. The thoughtfully designed space evokes a cozy tavern atmosphere, with warm, wood-and-leather elements that complement the rustic Italian menu.
The Flat Iron was spared from any major damage from Hurricane Helene, and thus its team was able to make and serve free lunches to people in the surrounding community in the weeks after the disaster.
“This hotel has been many years in the making, and I couldn’t be more grateful to the teams who brought the historic Flat Iron landmark to life again, right in the heart of this extraordinary mountain town,” says Steve Palmer, founder and chief vision officer of the Indigo Road Hospitality Group. “The Flat Iron Hotel shines a light on the vibrancy and creativity of Asheville’s culture as well as the historic preservation of the building itself.”
