The Monte Vista Hotel

With the completion of a railroad connection in the late-nineteenth century, the Black Mountain area became a popular gateway for tourists to visit Mount Mitchell and the surrounding mountains. In 1919, Lucien and Rosalie Phillips opened the Monte Vista Hotel in a former school building. In 1937, during the height of the Depression the Phillips borrowed $70,000 to construct the modern brick buildi

ng that is the Monte Vista today. The building was opened July 31, and a gala grand opening was held August 10, 1937. The Monte Vista continued to be a vital part of Black Mountain’s civic and social life. By the mid 1900s, tourism patterns began to change, but the Monte Vista maintained its comfortable homelike atmosphere and remained a favorite spot for family get-togethers, weddings, and the ever-popular Sunday Brunch. Lucian and Rosalie’s son Bill Phillips, along with his wife Marilyn, continued to run the hotel through the 1980s. Rosalie Phillips, granddaughter of the original owner, continued the comfortable, homelike atmosphere until 2009. In 2010 Barney Fitzpatrick and Sue Conlon purchased the hotel and undertook a renovation. With the opening of the main building in spring 2011, the Monte Vista Hotel continues to be the most substantial hotel in Black Mountain and the preferred spot to enjoy a family meal at Palate Restaurant, a local brew at Fitz’s Tap Room, or to stay the night in one of the hotel’s comfortable guest rooms.