Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Here’s the first Grove Park Inn press release, which is pretty good news considering the way the economy has been going. (Psst – I’ve heard the recession is over):
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA (September 9, 2009) — The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa announced today that it had a full house for all three of the big summer holiday weekends, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day. Thanks in part to the addition of multiple value packages, Grove Park Inn officials say reservations are also very strong for the remainder of the year, especially around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Let’s not forget this bit of news, re: the economy:
The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa is currently hiring for both management and hourly positions in several departments including food and beverage, guest services, housekeeping, membership services, spa and telecommunications. For more information on job openings, please contact The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa at 800.438.0050 or 828.252.2711 or visit http://www.groveparkinn.com.
And then there’s this. I’m not sure what to make of it. But hey, why not just put your cards on the table, right? In this economy, every little bit helps:
The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa is offering prospective parents the perfect opportunity to get away from the stress of every day life, and into the mood for baby-making at the historically romantic resort. The procreation vacation package, appropriately called the “Little Package of Joy”, is the perfect opportunity for would-be parents to melt away stress, light the fire of romance and celebrate the decision to add to your family.
The Little Package of Joy includes just the right ingredients to help relax and fan the flames of love! Guests will enjoy accommodations, daily breakfast, a gift card for use in Grove Park Inn’s world class Spa, dinner at either the Four Diamond restaurant Horizons or the romantic Sunset Terrace and chocolate-covered strawberries delivered to your room. It’s the perfect opportunity for would-be parents to recharge, reconnect and reproduce.
Plus, couples whose vacation results in the pitter-patter of little feet will become a part of the history of The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa! The names of parents and their little ones will be inscribed on a plaque to be included in the resort’s 100th Anniversary Time Capsule, which will be dedicated in 2013.
The Package of Joy includes:
-Two nights of accommodations
– Breakfast daily per adult, your choice of the Blue Ridge Dining Room’s lavish buffet or In Room Dining
– $250 Grove Park Inn gift card
– Dinner for two at Horizons or the Sunset Terrace
– Tuxberries delivered to your room
For more information or reservations, call 800-438-5800 to speak to a reservations specialist.
or visit http://www.groveparkinn.com.
Unconfirmed word has been around for years that GPI was never a big money maker for Sammons Enterprises but that it was held onto because SE’s charwoman (and widow of SE founder) had a sentimental attachment to it. Since her death last year I would suspect that SE would like to sell but who would buy such an overdeveloped white elephant in this economy?
Whatever happened to the Ellington?
I know for sure that the Sammons Corp. would love to sell the Grove Park Inn. Trouble is, no corporation will touch it.
Greed kills all deals. Is it possible that all of this discounting is even more relevent with regard to their past business model than in response to the economy of today? Either way, there is a lot going on here…
The GPI seems to be doing just about everything possible to gain revenue through deep discounting, all kinds of package, specials, etc. to draw visitors. I have my doubts as to how successful this will be, but since the hotel is on the Sammons Corp. watch-list, they need to try every trick in the book. The hotel has lost so much of its charm since it is so big and mostly caters to impersonal convention business for the most part. We had out of town visitors who stayed there this summer and they thought it was terribly overpriced and looking a bit tattered in places.
I heard that they were looking to sell.
that "procreation vacation package" is creepy.