Zelda Fitzgerald was a socialite who embodied the persona of the 1920s flapper. She became the symbol of liberated women in the early 1900s. She was also known for her tumultuous marriage to F. Scott Fitzgerald. Finally, 75 years after her death, Asheville, North Carolina, is giving her the tribute she deserves with a new hotel.
Fitzgerald Tribute Hotel
Opening in 2023, the new hotel will pay tribute to the iconic Zelda Fitzgerald and author F. Scott Fitzgerald. The 20-room hotel will include renovating three historic homes along Asheville’s South Slope on Biltmore Avenue, creating Zelda Dearest.
The Fitzgeralds, particularly Zelda, had a special relationship with Asheville. The couple vacationed and lived there. Zelda’s died tragically there when the hospital she occupied burned to the ground in 1948. The Fitzgeralds left their mark on a city already enamored with their literary works, legendary personalities, and well-documented adventures.
Zelda Dearest is the first project from commercial real estate firm Hatteras Sky’s planned historic redevelopments in Asheville. The firm has additional projects slated for Downtown and the River Arts District.
Further Development
Zelda Dearest is only one of the planned projects expanding the lodging of Asheville, North Carolina. Additionally, developers plan to renovate the former B and J department store into a 35-room boutique hotel. The building has entrances on Broadway Street and Lexington Avenue.
“The Zelda Dearest project is our love letter to Zelda and a celebration of her unique connection to Asheville. The Fitzgeralds never owned a home – they often lived in hotels. We’ve worked hard and in coordination with the Fitzgerald Estate to design a hotel and program that capture the hotel experiences the Fitzgeralds wrote about in their works,” said Amy Kelly, founding partner, and principal at Hatteras Sky. “We are also excited to restore these irreplaceable and ornate homes to their historic glory and activate a stretch of Biltmore Avenue that has been largely dormant for decades.”
