After a long road to recovery following Hurricane Helene, The Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa has commenced the final phase of its reopening with the Sammons Wing available for overnight stays starting December 2. The resort is excited to welcome guests back to Asheville in time to experience the magic of the holidays with festive light displays, beautifully trimmed Christmas trees, the delightful scents of hot chocolate and gingerbread, and visits from Santa himself. The resort has also opened Christmas holiday dining reservations for overnight and day guests.

This week, over 40 National Gingerbread House Competition participants from around the country brought their inspired entries to Asheville as part of the resort’s reimagined ‘Gingerbread Trail of Giving’ campaign. Thirteen of these gingerbread creations are currently on display at The Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa and 28 can be seen at local businesses throughout the community.

“It’s been so rewarding to see so many people from around the country come together to help rebuild our community the last few months,” said Isabel Miller, Director of Marketing and Communications at The Omni Grove Park Inn. “We’re beyond thankful to be welcoming visitors back to Asheville and return to a bit of normalcy to celebrate the holidays The Omni Grove Park Inn way.”

The Gingerbread Trail of Giving Comes to Life
With the reimagined version of the 32nd Annual National Gingerbread House Competition, the Gingerbread Trail of Giving allows visitors and locals alike to experience the gingerbread magic while offering a way to give back to the local Asheville community. Competitors came from far and wide to show their support for Asheville and their love for the Annual National Gingerbread House Competition. Long-time competitor Jessica Frost even shipped her entry from El Paso, Texas to participate in this year’s reimagined competition.

In the wake of the redesigned competition came new inspiration for some of the bakers. Julie Andreacola (house #7, Healing the Scars) and Brenda Wheatcraft (house #9, Rebuilding WNC) decided to pivot from their original plans and started from scratch to build new gingerbread creations to honor Western North Carolina residents and provide hope for all. Gingerbread entries will be on display from Saturday, November 23 through Sunday, January 5 and a map of the Gingerbread Trail of Giving can be found here.

Upon reopening, guests can expect some service adjustments on-property. For more information on The Omni Grove Park Inn or to make reservation inquiries, call (800) 438-5800