Asheville, N.C.– McKibbon Hospitality has opened the AC Hotel Asheville Downtown at the corner of Broadway and College streets in Asheville, N.C. The 132-room upscale lifestyle hotel sits atop a publicly-accessible four-story, 336-space parking deck and includes an array of public spaces. McKibbon Hospitality collaborated with Doug Stratton of Stratton Design Group in Asheville on the interior design and Brian Bunce of BB+M Architecture on the project’s exterior. McKibbon Hospitality also worked with Winford Lindsay Architects on the project.
“The AC Hotel Asheville Downtown delivers an exciting new option for Asheville visitors to enjoy and simultaneously offers great amenities for locals, which include the hotel’s public spaces, art collection, and locally-inspired food and beverage offerings,” said John McKibbon. “The hotel strongly aligns with McKibbon Hospitality’s approach to modern hospitality, combining the leading brand elements of AC Hotels with amenities that celebrate the talented culinary and arts communities that make Asheville such an extraordinary destination and place to live.”
The AC Hotel Asheville Downtown includes Capella on 9, a rooftop bar and tapas concept offering daily breakfast and evening cocktails and small plates. McKibbon Hospitality has partnered with local restaurateur Peter Pollay of Mandara Hospitality Group and Posana, who serves as a consultant for Capella on 9 and the AC Hotel’s food and beverage program. The hotel also showcases a collection of custom paintings, sculptures, and hand-blown glass pieces by 10 local and regional artists selected by McKibbon Hospitality Chairman John McKibbon, sourced by Liz L. Barr, owner of Art Resources in Asheville, and purchased as part of the company’s art collection.
The hotel’s spaces include 2,000 square feet of meeting space on the ninth floor that can be divided into two separate meeting rooms as well as indoor and outdoor space that can be rented for wedding ceremonies and receptions with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The lobby has seating for informal meetings and conversations and free Wi-Fi. The AC Library offers reading materials and additional space for collaborating.
“We are pleased to bring this unique concept to Asheville and are confident the hotel will serve as a downtown centerpiece for years to come,” said Michael Hickerson, general manager. “Our team looks forward to welcoming visitors and locals to experience the exciting amenities the AC Hotel Asheville Downtown has to offer.”
The hotel is McKibbon Hospitality’s fourth Asheville hotel in addition to the Aloft Asheville Downtown, Courtyard Asheville, and SpringHill Suites Asheville. McKibbon is also currently developing the Hotel Arras and Arras Residences, which are set to open in late 2018 across from the AC Hotel. In total, McKibbon Hospitality’s portfolio consists of 88 hotels across the U.S.
