ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Hatteras Sky, a commercial real estate development firm, has announced plans for Zelda Dearest, an adaptive reuse boutique hotel development with 20 guestrooms in Asheville’s South Slope neighborhood. The Zelda Dearest hotel will debut the company’s Fitzgerald Estate hotel portfolio and pay homage to the author, artist, and icon Zelda Fitzgerald and her husband, author F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Fitzgeralds, particularly Zelda, had a special relationship with Asheville, having vacationed, lived, and—in Zelda’s case—died there. The Zelda Dearest project is located within walking distance of a variety of the city’s culinary and entertainment venues, as well as local wine and spirits destinations. Zelda Dearest is expected to open its doors in the spring of 2022.
“The Hatteras Sky team is excited to add to the city’s storied relationship with the Fitzgeralds through our first Fitzgerald hotel, Zelda Dearest,” said Jason Cordon, founding partner and CEO of Hatteras Sky. “As Asheville’s official hotelier of the Fitzgerald estate, we are working closely with the estate to facilitate an authentic connection to Zelda and Scott for guests and Ashevillians alike.”
Located on Biltmore Avenue, the independently branded and operated hotel will preserve three of Asheville’s historic downtown homes. Plans for Zelda Dearest include construction of outdoor spaces such as a wedding/event patio, a game lawn, gardens, fire pits, and onsite visitor parking. The boutique hotel’s interior will be inspired by the Fitzgeralds’ lives and literary works.
Chef and Asheville local Jacob Sessoms will oversee the hotel’s onsite catering and food and beverage operations. “I’m excited to work with Hatteras Sky on this adaptive re-development project,” said Jacob Sessoms, director of operations, food and beverage for Hatteras Sky’s Asheville portfolio. “The team wants to see Asheville move in a way that caters to our culture and our present but also the history here. The Zelda Dearest project brings a boutique hotel option to our city that reflects why this place is so important, and why our history deserves to be recognized for generations to come.”
Zelda Dearest is the first of Hatteras Sky’s planned historic redevelopments in Asheville, with additional projects planned for the Downtown and River Arts District neighborhoods.
