Home away from home: 4 bed and breakfasts near Spartanburg offer unique guest experiences

While it's said that there's no place like home, a good bed and breakfast is probably the next best thing.

In and around Spartanburg, there are a number of bed and breakfasts with luxurious and thought-filled offerings from game rooms, libraries and high-thread count sheets to spa treatments and fine dining. These inns and their knowledgable owners are the ideal starting place for travelers and locals alike who want to relax and explore the towns and cities of the South Carolina upstate and western North Carolina.

Whether you’re looking to get away yourself or for a beautiful place for family and friends from out of town to enjoy, these four bed and breakfasts are ready to welcome you.

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Clevedale Historic Inn and Gardens in Spartanburg

The Clevedale Historic Inn and Gardens (1050 Willis Rd.) has a long history in Spartanburg with connections to one of its oldest families. While the property dates back to 1798, the house that became the Clevedale Inn was built in 1913 by Conrad Cleveland, Sr.

Pontheolla Mack Abernathy and Paul Roberts Abernathy purchased the property in 2012 and opened the inn in 2013. Mack Abernathy grew up surrounded by examples of hospitality, from her mother and grandmother who would welcome many members of their community for dinner each Sunday to the boutique hotels that were temporary homes for her as she traveled the world in college as a member of Carolina Alive.

"It's just been sort of part of me," she said of hosting. "And I always said, 'Someday I'm going to own a bed and breakfast.' So once my husband and I decided to retire, I thought, 'here's my chance'."

The inn has three rooms in the main house, the Westmoreland Bridal Suite, which has a king bed and an Eastlake bed in the adjoining trunk room, the Ohana Suite, which has a queen bed, and The Wren, which can accommodate two in twin beds or a converted king. All of the rooms have sitting areas and ensuite bathrooms. The inn also has a fourth accommodation in the garden — a 1947 Southern Rail X654 caboose converted into a suite with a queen sized bed, sitting area, and bathroom.

Guests have plenty of rich dishes to look forward to each morning from stone ground garlic cheese grits topped with peppers, onions, Pontheolla's Cajun shrimp and a little crumbled bacon to red velvet waffles and fried chicken. Getting creative with the classics is a staple of breakfast at Clevedale Inn.

"People love Eggs Benedict, but I will add a crab cake to it to just make it different," Mack Abernathy said. "I will do things like pumpkin or persimmon or sweet potato pancakes."

When looking for entertainment, guests can take a walk through the inn's gardens. The four acre property features roses, azaleas, and many varieties of trees including Southern Magnolia, Tulip Magnolia, and Star Magnolia trees and Kousa dogwoods from the Carl Sandburg estate, says Mack Abernathy.

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And when guests want to explore, the Abernathys don't send them too far. The Kennedy, Heirloom, Hatcher Gardens, and UnderPin Lanes & Lounge are among their recommendations.

“I try to make sure people get a really good experience of Spartanburg because I think we have so much to offer," Mack Abernathy said.

Whole Hearts Bed & Breakfast in Wellford

Whole Hearts Bed & Breakfast (695 Main St., Wellford) is a work-in-progress for owner Sheila Lovekamp, who moved into the 5,400 square foot 1850s home in 2017, opening the inn the following year.

While there are plenty of antiques to admire throughout the house, Lovekamp encourages guests to relax and make themselves at home.

"If you want to take your shoes off, propped up on the couch by all means do that. It's a couch just like any other couch," Lovekamp said. "Feel free to grab a book or games and sit and just relax."

About half of the house's available square footage has been restored and made to meet modern safety regulations. The bed and breakfast has currently has two rooms available for guests, prepared with mini fridges, televisions with cable and streaming channels, WiFi, as well as earplugs and a sound machine.

Lovekamp has a classic breakfast menu including waffles, pancakes, and berry-stuffed French toast, the bed & breakfast’s most popular breakfast item, served with scrambled eggs. Guests can also choose a classic Southern-style breakfast with two eggs served most any way, bacon or sausage, and toast, or one of the inn’s specialties, the “Leaning Tower of Health,” a parfait with granola, Greek yogurt and seasonal fruit.

"I got that idea when I went to Costa Rica," Lovekamp said of the parfait. "It looks so pretty. It's seasonal fruit, and sometimes it comes from what's on the land because we have blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, mulberries. We're getting peaches; we have pears and figs. So if they're in season, I pick them from the yard."

When guests are looking to explore, Lovekamp directs them toward some of the upstate and western North Carolina's most picturesque spots, including Landrum and the mountains of Asheville, N.C., and Greenville County.

The Orchard Inn in Saluda, North Carolina

Built as a retreat for the clerks of the Southern Railway in 1926, The Orchard Inn in Saluda, N.C. (100 Orchard Inn Lane) has served as a mountain getaway for many since then.

Marianne and Marc Blazar purchased the inn 12 years ago, adding many of its luxury features, including suite-style cabins and a spa.

The Orchard Inn has nine rooms in the main house, two luxury cabin-style suites with views of the mountains and five cottages. Boxwood Cottage, Twin Poplar Cottage, and Paulownia Cottage are all original to the property, built in 1926. All of the cottages and suites have gas fireplaces and porches or decks to allow guests to take in the forest surroundings in comfort.

Breakfast is complementary and includes a first course of oatmeal with caramelized apples and walnuts or Marc’s homemade granola with fresh fruit and Greek yogurt followed by eggs and bacon or sausage.

"One of our specials is Spanish baked eggs. Those are sunny side up eggs, and they are covered with a special sauce we make that's just a wee bit spicy, but not too much, and then some spinach and cheese on top of that. It's a favorite with our German pancakes," Marianne Blazar said.

The Orchard Inn also home to Newman’s Restaurant.  The restaurant's four course prix fixe menu rotates on a monthly basis, and the cuisine has French and Italian influences.

Newman's Chef de Cuisine Tory Bogin, who returned to lead the restaurant he learned at as a student this September, said the beef tenderloin and duck confit are two of the restaurant's most popular dishes. However, the pork chop with sweet potato velouté, roasted sunchokes, seared Cipollini onions and dukkah that he served in November was one of his favorites because of the relationship built with Vandele Farm of Lake Lure, N.C., who provided the pork. His goal is to keep the menu as local and seasonal as possible.

"I think western North Carolina is a great area [and] I have a lot of friends and family that are farmers so I'm just trying to put their hard work on display," Bogin said.

The surrounding area has something of interest for everyone from ziplines and hiking for the adventurous to a trip to the Flat Rock Playhouse or any of Saluda’s art galleries for those looking to take in the rich western North Carolina art scene. The trails surrounding Saluda are particularly good for cyclists, according to Blazar, and often used by those training for races. 

The James House Inn in Greer

Located within walking distance of the heart of downtown Greer, The James House Inn (401 W. Poinsett St.) offers a home away from home for those looking for a getaway in the upstate.

The home, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built by the James family in 1921 and completed in 1923. Inn owner Erin Williams purchased it with her husband in 1991, and the couple raised their children in the home. Williams opened the bed and breakfast in 2017.

"Our kids are grown up, and they have all moved out. My husband is still working and traveling a good bit, and I decided to start the bed and breakfast. The first night was the total eclipse of the sun; we were in the path of totality," Williams said."That was my first night that I had a full house at the bed and breakfast."

The inn has two upstairs suites, The Queen Charlotte Room and The King Charles Room, as well as two rooms, The Indigo Room, with a full-sized bed, and The Honeybee Room, with two twin beds, that can be added on to bookings for either of the suites.

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Williams offers guests a hearty Southern-style breakfast that starts with the guest’s choice of grits or potatoes, thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, and eggs. Classics like Eggs Benedict and Southern staples like fried green tomatoes often accompany the meal, and during the warmer months, Williams has several specialties that showcase the fresh fruits that are available.

"I have a favorite dish in the summer I'll serve a lot, I call it the Hollywood," Williams said. "It's layered. You start with a rectangle slice of seedless watermelon, red, and then a piece of feta, white, and then a tomato, usually orange if I can get it. And then I'll do one more layer of the watermelon, tomato, and feta ending with watermelon, and top it with a layer of shredded black lettuce from the red tip lettuce and then top that with a balsamic glaze reduction with raspberries."

The mealtime surroundings are as thoughtful as the menu itself. The dining room features a mural on its ceiling, as well as additional painted details throughout the room, with angel and ribbon motifs that are inspired by the pattern on the inn’s china.

While guests can find plenty to entertain themselves with at the inn, including a game room with a pool table and retro Pengo machine, Williams encourages guests to explore the nearby shops and restaurants, like The Shops off Trade located right across the street.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Bed and breakfasts near Spartanburg offer unique guest experiences