Located in Western North Carolina at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Engadine is a 12-acre retreat comprised of the historic Candler, NC bed and breakfast inn, six spacious cabins and two beautiful outdoor wedding and event venues. We offer luxury Blue Ridge Mountain accommodations in a country setting away from the world’s hustle and bustle. We are conveniently located 15 minutes west of the urban center of Asheville, NC and near the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Here, nature abounds and yet the area’s top amenities and attractions are just a short drive away.
Historic Property & Event Venue Near Asheville
Candler, NC Bed and Breakfast & Mountain Cabins
Meet Your Hosts
Alex Jarbo
Alex is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served with the Honor Guard in Washington, D.C. He moved to Asheville in 2017 and has been hosting guests in the area ever since. At Engadine, he looks after the inn, the cabins, and the details that make a stay feel easy.
Ward Henderson
Ward is your guide to getting married at Engadine. From the first tour to the final timeline, he answers your questions, walks you through the venues and packages, and helps you shape the day you’ve been picturing. If you’re dreaming up a wedding in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ward is the person to call.
About the Inn
The Inn, originally named Engadine by its builder, Civil War Captain John Keais Hoyt, is an 1885 Queen Anne-style Victorian home. Engadine is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been restored and decorated to maintain its Victorian character and charm. It was converted to an inn in 1994 and has operated as one ever since. The inn’s awards and media coverage, including our Tripadvisor ranking and the Hurricane Helene press kit, are collected on our press page.
The six guest rooms at our bed and breakfast near Asheville are spacious, comfortable and provide the elegance of a Victorian home along with such modern conveniences such as central heat and air conditioning, ceiling fans, free wi-fi and flat screen televisions with cable TV. All rooms have sitting areas, private baths, and gas fireplaces (operated seasonally). The Engadine Suite on the third floor features a separate sitting area and a large bathroom with a whirlpool tub for two. All rooms in the Inn are reserved for adult guests.
After arriving, feel free to relax in our spacious living room or on one of the Inn’s two wrap-around porches. Both are comfortable places to meet other guests or spend time with your travel companions. And if you enjoy the out-of-doors, feel free to stroll the grounds or to enjoy the view from “Honey Hill,” our west-facing outdoor event venue. Honey Hill is a great place to enjoy sunset each afternoon (we suggest that you arrive no later than one hour prior to actual sunset for the best sunset experience).
History of Engadine in Candler, NC
Engadine was built by Captain John Keais Hoyt, a former Confederate Officer in Company K, 3rd Alabama Infantry in Stonewall Jackson’s Brigade. When the Civil War ended, Captain Hoyt made his way to western North Carolina just outside of Asheville with his wife Mary Bensel Hoyt, and their four daughters. They lived in a cabin on the property while the mansion on the hill was being built. The house was completed in 1885, and the Captain named it Engadine because the area reminded him of the Engadine Valley in Switzerland. The family moved into the house in 1895. Engadine is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Engadine, also known as the Captain John K. Hoyt House, reference number 01001027, which carries the 1885 construction date.
Engadine was built incorporating the most modern technology of its time. Although the house had fireplaces in every room, central heat was provided by a coal furnace in the basement. Electricity was supplied to the house by a water-powered generator built on the property. Running water was provided by servants, who pumped it to a storage tank in the attic. From there, the gravity-supplied system provided water to sinks contained in closets between each of the bedrooms on the second floor. One of these water closets are still in use today.
Captain Hoyt planted grapevines behind and next to the mansion and became a successful vintner. His winery, where he made his famous Engadine wine, originally stood in the location where the barn is currently located. Engadine Vineyards sold wine to the Vanderbilts (Biltmore Estate), the Battery Park Hotel in downtown Asheville, and other local customers. Engadine wine was also shipped by rail to customers all over the country. Early Prohibition brought a swift end to the Captain’s beloved wine business, but one of the his original grape vines still grows on the grounds.
After the Captain’s death in 1910, the house was sold to E. J. Willingham who was a land speculator from Georgia. He sold the house to Alden Betts who was from New Jersey and used Engadine as a summer home. In 1944, Glenn and Stella Howell bought the house and raised their family at Engadine. In the process of restoring the house, the Howells tore down the three-room addition that housed the original kitchen, and the kitchen was moved into what is now the Inn’s office.
Engadine began its transition to an Inn in 1988 when Bill Maddox and Linda Crawford purchased Engadine and restored and modernized the house. The plumbing, electrical and heating systems were replaced; central air conditioning and a new kitchen was added. In 1994 Linda Crawford converted the house to a bed and breakfast. In the years since then with several changes in ownership, Engadine has hosted visitors from around the world.
Photos
We are fortunate to have copies of photos taken of Engadine and the property from the late 1800s. The historic photos were taken by Captain and Mrs. Hoyt’s daughter Mary Brickell Hoyt Reese.
Howell Suite
A bedroom belonging to one of Captain and Mrs. Hoyt’s daughters, circa 1900. The room today is now known as the Howell Suite.
Mary Hoyt Suite
Mary Hoyt’s girlhood bedroom provides evidence that the alcove and closet are original to the house. We now have the Mary Hoyt Suite named, of course, for the Captain and Mrs. Hoyt’s youngest daughter, Mary.
Dining Room/Library
Engadine once had a wing that housed the kitchen and dining room. What we use today as a dining room was originally the library, shown in the photo on left taken by Mary Hoyt.
Engadine Property Map
Explore the historic inn, six cabins, Honey Hill and Vineyard Overlook. Use the driving directions below to reach Engadine and your reservation instructions for arrival details.
Explore the inn suites and cabins or plan a wedding at Engadine.
Directions
Engadine Inn and Cabins is conveniently located 15 minutes west of the urban center of Asheville and just one-half mile from Exit 37 (Wiggins Road) on Interstate 40 (NOT Interstate 26!).
If driving and using GPS, we suggest you to use the service until you Exit I-40 and then use these directions for the last half-mile of your journey (since many GPS services will take you past our driveway):
If traveling from the east (Asheville), take Exit 37. At the bottom of the ramp, turn left. Proceed to the traffic light.
If traveling from the west (Knoxville), take Exit 37. At the bottom of the ramp, turn right. Proceed to the traffic light.
At the traffic light, turn right onto Smoky Park Highways (also known as US 19 South and US 23 South). Proceed approximately one-half mile. Our driveway, marked with our “Engadine” sign will be on the left (across from Buck Haven Road). Turn in and come up the driveway to the left. Come up to the Inn, park on either side and come to the front door to check in.
Transportation
If you are not driving, options are available for getting around Asheville and Western North Carolina
Car Service – Harry’s Car Service
Taxi – Asheville Taxi Company
Uber – See the Uber app for more information.
NOTE: If you are staying in one of our cabins and planning to use Harry’s Car Service, Asheville Taxi or Uber, we suggest meeting your driver at the front of the Inn.
A Note About Our Location
Our proximity to I-40 offers us the advantage of quick proximity (15 minutes) to downtown Asheville and such amenities as the Biltmore Estate, the North Carolina Arboretum, the Blue Ridge Parkway. It also provides quick access to the nearby mountain towns of Waynesville, Brevard, Hendersonville, Weaverville and Woodfin.
But, that same proximity comes one disadvantage for guests who have a sensitivity to road noise. In situations where this is the case, we suggest that prospective guests consider booking either one of the rooms on the back side of the inn (where the views are anyway!) or one of the cabins at the rear of the property (behind and below the ridge line) where the noise is somewhat mitigated. If one of these options will not satisfy your needs, however, please allow us the privilege of referring you to one of the fellow member inns of the Asheville Bed and Breakfast Association, where we are confident you’ll find a great place to stay and a good night’s sleep!!!