Southern Weddings

My husband John and I have been lucky enough to travel to and experience many of the wonderful destinations that dot the Southeast. The beautiful thing, though, is that we seem to add “hopeful” destinations as often as we check them off–there are just too many good spots in this corner of the country!

One city we were recently able to move to the “experienced” list? Greenville, South Carolina! And let me tell you: it really blew us away. Such a neat downtown (with a river running through it!), locals who are clearly in love with their locale, delicious dining, and tons of outdoor adventure opportunities. For those looking to plan a trip, I’d recommend checking out this guide and this one. However, if you need somewhere to stay, look no further than Hotel Domestique.

Hotel Domestique is actually in Travelers Rest, nestled in the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, about 15 minutes outside of downtown Greenville. It was established by the world-renowned cyclist George Hincapie, and designed to share the same hospitality, cuisine, and style he experienced while traveling and competing abroad. This is totally evident–Hotel Domestique really does feel like a transplant from Tuscany (not that I’ve ever been, but it’s what I imagine Tuscany looks like!). I also love that George is still very involved with the property – we spotted him leading a ride on the weekend we visited!

The Hotel is small (probably fewer than 20 rooms), and feels like a modern country house. With its warm wood, hand-hewn beams, iron touches, and faux fur details, the vibe was cozy and rustic. Perfect for fall! We also liked the orange touches everywhere–Nicole would have felt right at home.

Hotel Domestique is not for the traveler looking for an all-inclusive, mass market, anonymous experience. Its small size and the way the rooms are arranged mean that you’ll get to know the front desk folks, the management, and the restaurant staff, even on a short weekend stay like ours. Everyone we met, however, was gracious without being stuffy and friendly without being overbearing, and we loved the conversations we struck up! There also is not a pages-long list of resort activities to choose from, but they’ll go above and beyond to accommodate your wishes, including a massage (I had one and it was wonderful!), yoga, and, of course, anything having to do with cycling.

I can’t end a report on Hotel Domestique without telling you about their in-house restaurant, Restaurant 17. We ate breakfast and dinner there both nights of our trip, and everything we tried was amazing! Even if you don’t end up staying over at the hotel, I would highly recommend venturing out of downtown for a meal on the balcony, overlooking the mountains. We would have sat out there for hours if they would have let us!

If you’re looking for a weekend getaway, anniversary trip destination, or Southern minimoon, I can’t recommend Hotel Domestique enough! And tell me: are there any other Greenville lovers out there? I feel like it’s a totally under-the-radar Southern destination!

Written with love by Emily