The Radical Asheville, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

The Radical is the River Arts District's own hotel and Asheville's most art-forward stay: a 1920s industrial warehouse (once a cereal factory) converted into 70 rooms and suites, opened in October 2023 and quickly named one of the best new hotels in the country. Each guest room carries original murals by local artists, so no two feel the same, and the building keeps its brick, steel and big factory windows. The food and drink program, from Asheville chef Jacob Sessoms, is a destination in itself: Golden Hour, a wood-fire restaurant; The Roof, a rooftop bar with views over the French Broad River and the mountains; and after/glow, a café and bar. The location puts you a short walk from working studios and galleries, New Belgium's riverside brewery and the RAD's breweries and restaurants, with downtown about a mile away. The Helene story deserves honesty. The district below the hotel was devastated by the flood; the hotel itself recovered, served first responders and the neighborhood as a supply hub during the crisis, and reopened to guests in early 2025, later joining Hilton's Tapestry Collection. The surrounding district is still rebuilding — some studios and businesses have returned, others are in temporary spaces or gone — so expect active construction and a neighborhood in transition rather than the full pre-storm scene. Practical notes: on-site self-parking for a daily fee, pet-friendly rooms for a fee, free Wi-Fi, a fitness center. Fit: art lovers who want to sleep inside the scene, couples who like design hotels, and beer travelers who want breweries within walking distance.

The building's conversion kept the industrial bones visible — exposed brick, original floors and huge windows — and layered in art at every turn, which is why the hotel won national design attention in its first year. Booking through Hilton now brings Honors points and the brand's digital key while the hotel keeps its independent personality.