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Glamorous Getaways: The Pet Friendly Park on Main – Highlands, North Carolina!
July 27, 2015 / Stephanie Miskew / 22 Comments
For those of you who enjoy traveling with your dogs, have I got a find for you! This edition of Glamorous Getaways features The Park On Main in Highlands, North Carolina, a hotel that not only allows guests to bring their dogs but was designed with man’s best friend in mind. Our two dachshunds, Louis and Coco, joined us on this adventure which entailed a 12-hour drive from South Florida, but it was well worth the trek to discover this wonderful respite from the sweltering South Florida Summer heat!
The Park on Main is located at the western end of Highland’s tony Main Street which features a delightful selection of restaurants, art galleries and boutiques. Originally built in the 1980’s, the hotel operated as the Highlands Suites Hotel until it was purchased in 2013 and closed for a year long renovation. The hotel reopened in July 2014 as The Park on Main and the result is an elegant, yet relaxed 24-suite hotel whose rooms surround a beautifully landscaped garden terrace, inspired by New York City’s Central Park.
The hotel entrance is flanked by Mackenzie-Childs Courtly Check water bowls and stone statues of a dachshund and the hotel’s mascot, Mr. Pickles, a spunky black Scottish terrier, which made our pups feel right at home! The beautiful black and white lobby features a gorgeous crystal chandelier, sumptuous drapery, and beadboard paneling adorned with floor to ceiling canine oil paintings. The hotel staff was also very helpful and welcoming led by General Manager, Michael Hammond who’s been with the hotel since it re-opened a year ago. “This is a hotel built by animal lovers,” Hammond shared, “we’re also the second hotel in the nation to partner with a rescue organization to help shelter animals get adopted.” The Park on Main partners with the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society and features a dog on-site every month that’s available for adoption. “Clyde was our dog who just got adopted and we’re waiting to get another one.” It’s nice to know a hotel which caters to pets also goes the extra mile to help shelter pets in their community find loving, forever homes.
Upon entering our room, Louis and Coco bounded into the beautifully appointed (Superior King) guest suite which featured the hotel’s hallmark Mackenzie-Childs dog bowls, cozy Orvis dog bed, lovely white marble bathroom and extremely comfortable bed which Louis approved after performing his rigorous quality check (watch above video to see him in action). Amenities included in every hotel suite at Park on Main are a refrigerator, Keurig coffee maker and generously sized flat screen TVs in both the living area and bedroom. Our Superior King Suite had plenty of room for the pups to run around and fit all of our “gear” comfortably. While the hotel does not have an onsite restaurant, they do offer a selection of breakfast items in the morning (yogurt, croissants, English muffins, milk and cereal etc) and there are plenty of dining options available on Main Street just steps outside the front door.The Park on Main is a true gem in North Carolina’s beautiful Highlands and we’re already looking forward to our return. If you decide to go and bring your dog(s), here are 5 things you won’t want to miss during your visit:
1.) Stroll down Main Street: While only a few blocks long, Main Street is perfect for a stroll with your pups – there’s so much for them to sniff and savor! Just be prepared to stop every few minutes for people as well as shop keepers to love on your pooches and give them treats.
2.) Ice Cream at Kilwin’s: An afternoon scoop at Kilwin’s became part of our daily routine during our stay. The courtyard out front is a social gathering place full of delightful folks and their children and pets seeking to socialize and enjoy the beautiful day – not to mention the ice cream!
Shrimp & Grits with Applewood Smoked Bacon & Garlic Toast at Bistro on Main!
3.) Dine al fresco at Bistro on Main: This delightfully dog friendly eatery is perfect for enjoying lunch or dinner outside with your pup(s). Summer daytime temps seldom break 75 degrees and evenings are in the low 60’s, making it the perfect spot to relax and enjoy the delicious food and ambiance. The Bistro’s delicious Southern-inspired cuisine will also delight your palate!
4.) Curl up on a rainy afternoon: Highlands experiences abundant rainfall, averaging about 100 inches per year, so chances are you’ll experience some rain during your visit. When a storm blows in, be sure to seize the opportunity to curl up with your pup and read a favorite book or magazine and enjoy the moment.
5.) Enjoy a glass of wine at the Mountaintop Wine Shoppe: We fell in love with this adorable wine store located across the street from The Park on Main in one of the oldest historical buildings in Highlands. So leash the hounds and trot them over for a delicious glass of wine on the front terrace under the oak trees. Be sure to check their calendar of events as well!The Park on Main
205 Main Street
Highlands, NC 28741
800.221.5078
www.theparkonmain.com
July 27, 2015 / Stephanie Miskew / 22 Comments
Fast & Fabulous: Tuscan White Bean & Escarole Soup with Tuna Summertime Giveaway: Win a bottle of Château D’Esclans Garrus Rosé!
22 thoughts on “Glamorous Getaways: The Pet Friendly Park on Main – Highlands, North Carolina!”
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Stephanie Miskew thinks life is better with wine and she wants to help you enjoy it to the fullest! As a Certified Sommelier, her real world advice on tasting wine like a pro, discovering which wines you truly love, picking the perfect bottle for any occasion and creating magical food and wine pairings will have you looking like a wine expert in any situation.
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What a charming hotel! And your dinner looks delicious.
What fun, Stephanie! I made note of everything….although my dog ownership days are over, will pass on the information. The Park on Main looks a delight and it looks like you all had a great time. It’s a beautiful area and nothing better than to get away from our heat and humidity.
Awww, how cute! Louis looks exactly like my Lisa, long and happy haha! I hate to leave her home with someone she doesn’t know so we always look for pet-friendly destinations. The hotel is very glamorous and homey, it sounds perfect for us.
Hope you enjoy it, Scarlett!
We have an Orvis memory foam bed for our husky that even our toddler loves, they’re super comfy and well worth the price.
I love how they incorporated so many doggie elements but it still looks classy, not an easy task. Great review, can’t wait to stay here if I’m ever in North Carolina.
Why haven’t I heard of this place before? We always travel with our furry ones and this is troublesome at times, a lot of people aren’t that caring towards dogs… Hopefully we’ll stay here this year!
Hope you do, I bet you will love it!
Louis really seems to enjoy himself, sounds like you had a lovely time there.
It’s incredible how not only the hotel is pet-friendly but the whole area. We had a lot of bad experiences when we traveled with our pug, mainly uptight people who think dogs belong only in the backyard, we’ll definitely have to try this hotel – thanks for the recommendation!
what a nice place when we had a dog loved Kimpton hotels for this must visit Highlands 🙂
I always take advantage of rainy days and curl up with my Nellie while binge-watching Netflix. Have to say, few things make me happy as our little time out 🙂
Sounds delightful, Alexa!
Thanks for sharing this, Stephanie. My daughter loves dogs and after making sure she’s responsible enough to have her own dog we adopted a Chihuahua that I love to death now. It’s a small doggie but it changed our routines and the way we travel since we can’t always leave her at home. This hotel will be perfect for us!
Congratulations on your new addition, Julia! I love Chihuahuas and hope you enjoy The Park on Main as much as we did:)
Great idea with those two names, Coco and Louis sound a bit pretentious and fancy, hilarious choice for two rascal dachshunds. The view and the hotel are incredible, you wouldn’t expect that nice hotel to love pets so much!
I had no clue this place even existed! I have two cats which stay with my mum when we’re traveling but I can only imagine how tough it could be to find pet friendly hotels.
That’s such a sweet idea! If I had a dog I’d be loathe to leave it behind when traveling.
It was such a wonderful place & we’ll definitely be traveling with our pups more after this experience!
Brilliant! We just bought a gorgeous Moodle and anticipate many adventures with our ‘Little Chef’, but being new puppy parents, have never before travelled with an animal. I was surprised to see just how many places offer the pet friendly stay here in Australia. Fingers crossed they are as beautiful as yours.
That chandelier…. WOW! 🙂
Awww I bet you’ll have a blast traveling with your new pup – Cheers!
We are going to North Carolina in October. Looks beautiful! Too bad that we won’t be taking our Golden Retriever, Lola. Maybe next trip!