Top level · Primary suite
Bedroom 1
King bed
Ensuite with soaking tub, double rain shower, dual vanity and heated floors. Opens onto the top deck.
★ 5.0 · 100+ reviews · Superhost
Swannanoa, North Carolina · 20 minutes from Asheville
Where overstimulation stops, and presence begins.
A five-bedroom home in the Blue Ridge mountains, twenty minutes from Asheville. The sauna and hot tub are already warm. The coffee bar is already stocked. Your dog has a bed waiting. All you have to do is arrive.
16Guests
5Bedrooms
8Beds
3.5Baths
3Decks
- Sleeps
- 16 guests
- Bedrooms
- 5
- Baths
- 3 full · 1 half
- Beds
- 8
- 3 king
- 1 queen
- 2 full
- 1 queen sofa
- 1 full sofa
- Size
- 2,500 sq ft
- Dogs
- Two · $150
- Check-in
- 4 PM
- Check-out
- 10 AM
A place to simply be
Hygge is the Danish word for warmth, comfort, and ease.
It’s what happens when a house takes care of everything, so the people in it can take care of each other.
Hygge House sits on a wooded hillside in Swannanoa, twenty minutes east of downtown Asheville and thirteen from Black Mountain. Twenty-five hundred square feet across three levels, each with its own deck, designed by Ishita Interiors in warm Scandinavian neutrals — oak, plaster, wool, nothing in the room that hasn’t earned its place.
- The house is ready before you are
- Sauna and hot tub, warm in every season
- Three levels, three decks, five bedrooms
- The game room is two floors below the quietest bedroom
The lower deck
The ritual nobody plans and everybody keeps.
Sauna first. Then the tub. Then whoever is still awake stays out among the trees with the last of the wine. By the second night you stop deciding and just go.
The whole deck is roofed, so the weather stops being a factor. One group had rain every single day of their stay and spent the week out here anyway. They told us afterwards it hadn’t mattered at all.
No booking, no schedule, no extra charge. The sauna is hot when you want it, the tub is a few steps away, and the game room is through the doors behind you.
- Four-person cedar barrel sauna, open year round
- Six-person hot tub, covered and lit, available all year
- Yoga mats out among the trees
- Loungers and an outdoor rug between the two
- Opens straight off the game room
The top deck
One for the first coffee. One for the long dinner.
Every level opens onto its own deck. You’ve seen the lower one; these two do different work, and most groups have each of them claimed by the end of day one.
This one sits off the primary suite, with the longest mountain view in the house. An outdoor fireplace, a 55-inch television above it, a hanging egg chair, and string lights that make the whole thing work after dark.
It’s the one guests photograph, and the one somebody claims at seven in the morning with a coffee while the rest of the house is still asleep.
The mid deck
The mid deck.
Straight off the kitchen, so dinner goes from counter to table in a few steps. A table for eight, the grill, partial mountain views, and a lounge corner at the end for whoever isn’t cooking.
When the weather is good the doors from the great room stay open and the two rooms become one.
- Outdoor dining for eight, covered
- Propane grill, with a spare tank always on hand
- Opens through glass doors from the great room
- String lighting on all three levels
Lower level
The Hygge Game.
A full poker table, a Golden Tee cabinet, a games table, a television, and a sofa for the people who came to watch rather than play.
It’s where the loud half of the weekend lives, two floors below the quietest bedroom, so the group can split up without anyone having to leave. Walk out the far doors and you’re on the lower deck with the sauna.
- Poker table with chips and cards
- Golden Tee 3D golf arcade cabinet
- The Invisible Game Table
- Queen pull-out sofa, so this doubles as a sleeping space
- Opens straight onto the lower deck
Kitchen and gathering
Nobody cooks alone in this kitchen.
Quartz island with seating for four, full-size range, a dining table for eight, and a coffee bar that has caused more than one guest to text us about it.
Drip, pods and espresso, with light, medium and dark beans in labelled jars and a shelf of syrups beside them. However you take it, it’s already here. Nobody makes a store run before the first cup.
- Drip coffee maker, Keurig and Nespresso
- Light, medium and dark whole bean, plus a grinder
- Flavoured syrups and a range of pods
- Island seating for four, dining for eight, deck dining for the rest
Main level
The room the group keeps drifting back to.
Stone fireplace, a television above it, and the sofas the group keeps drifting back to between everything else. Glass doors open onto the mid deck, so in good weather the two rooms become one.
The full pull-out sofa lives here, which means the main level can hold two more people without anyone ending up somewhere that feels like an afterthought.
More than dog-friendly
Your dog was always part of this trip. They get a concierge.
More than pet-friendly. Dogs are genuinely welcomed here, with their own things waiting before you arrive and run of the house once you’re in it.
Bodhi, our mini Goldendoodle, is the reason the whole company has the name it does. He’s also the one who makes sure your dog is looked after from the moment the door opens.
- Crate provided, fits small and medium dogs, 30 × 19 × 19″
- Dog bed and furniture blankets, ready and waiting
- Food and water bowls, waste bags, paw towels
- No size or breed limits
- Two dogs maximum, $150 per stay
Where you’ll sleep
Eight beds, five bedrooms, three levels.
The most common question we get, answered properly. Two bedrooms on the top level, one on the main, two on the lower, plus a pull-out sofa in the great room and another in the game room — so the people going to bed at nine and the ones still in the hot tub at midnight don’t collide.
Top level · Second primary
Bedroom 2
Queen bed · Ensuite bathroom · Television
Main level
Bedroom 3
King bed · Television · Half bath on this floor, full bath one level down
Lower level
Bedroom 4
King bed · Television · Shares the lower level full bath · Steps from the game room
Lower level
Bedroom 5
Two full beds · Shares the lower level full bath · The easy room for kids, or two people travelling together
Lower level · Game room
Pull-out sofa
Queen bed · Under the neon, steps from the lower deck
Main level · Great room
Pull-out sofa
Full bed · Beside the fireplace, off the mid deck
For the smallest guests
Pack ’n play & high chair
Both at the house, plus kid-friendly dinnerware. Leave the bulky things at home.
Floor plans
The whole house, level by level.
Worth a look before you divide up rooms. Groups at full capacity usually hand the two top-level ensuites to whoever is up earliest, and put the late crowd on the lower level beside the game room and the sauna.
Bathrooms
Three full baths, one half, and nobody has to pack toiletries.
Two of the three full baths are ensuites on the top level. The third is on the lower level, shared by Bedrooms 3, 4 and 5, and there’s a half bath off the main level. Towels are out before you arrive, including the ones for the hot tub, and every bathroom is stocked past the point most people expect — toothbrushes, hair ties, floss picks, makeup wipes, cotton buds.
Ensuite to Bedroom 1
Terracotta hexagon floor, a freestanding tub set in front of a window that looks onto the outdoor fireplace, two rain showers, a double vanity, and heated floors underneath all of it.
Robes are hung and waiting. One guest wrote that she didn’t want to leave the bathroom.
Ensuite to Bedroom 2
Off the queen on the top level. A glass walk-in shower with a pebble floor, quartz counter, black fixtures, and a window set high enough to let the trees in without letting anything else.
Having two ensuites on one floor is the quiet reason two couples can share the top level without anyone negotiating a morning.
The shared full bath
On the lower level, shared by Bedrooms 3, 4 and 5. A tub and shower together, which is the one people travelling with small children ask about, plus the same quartz counter and arched mirror as the rest of the house.
Worth knowing when you’re assigning rooms: Bedroom 3 is on the main level, so it has the half bath on its own floor and this one a flight down. Groups at full capacity usually give the two top-level ensuites to whoever is up earliest.
Gallery
The whole house.
Recent reviews
5.0
out of 5, across more than 100 reviews · Superhost
Group trips, family reunions, celebrations, and the ones where the dogs come too.
All real reviews, in the guests’ own words, chosen to show the range of trips this house actually holds.
★★★★★ Group trip
“We were a group of nine college friends getting away for the weekend to celebrate a milestone birthday… The house was immaculate, exactly as described, and the small extras really made us feel pampered and welcome. We loved the hot tub and the sauna. The location was easy to get Ubers to and from Asheville for activities/dinner, though we also loved exploring Black Mountain near by. Will be back!”
★★★★★ Stayed with a pet
“The house itself was beautiful and perfectly decorated. It looked exactly like the photos… We were traveling with our dog and we have never felt so welcomed in bringing along our pup… It rained our entire stay, but it didn’t matter. We were able to sit on our roof protected back balcony and relax during the light rain. The sauna and hot tub were in perfect condition and made for a relaxing afternoon.”
★★★★★ Group trip
“Not enough words to express how amazing our experience was!! And when I say it’s experience, this is more than just a house… the ease of using things that I normally brush off at rentals (like fireplaces, hot tubs, sauna, grill), the stocked coffee bar and kitchen, the games, it was all the highest level of resort experience. We had a power outage the first night and kelsey texted me back immediately to troubleshoot and it was a non-event.”
★★★★★ Group trip
“It was a true once in a lifetime trip. We ended up having a group of 9 adult woman who traveled from all over the US… After much stressing and time spent looking for the perfect house for my bachelorette girls weekend I feel so lucky and relieved to have found Kelsey’s. We felt right at home and they had enough coffee provided to fill our hearts desires. Super comfortable beds and couches. Very easy drive to downtown Asheville and surrounding hikes.”
★★★★★ Stayed with a pet
“Our family stayed here for Warren Wilson College’s graduation. The house was absolutely perfect in every way… The house was well stocked, even more than we’d expected — the coffee drinkers were very pleased! We lucked out with the weather, so we were able to enjoy the decks and the hot tub. It was easy to drive to graduation at WWC and to our family meals in Black Mountain & Asheville.”
★★★★★ Group trip
“The place is stocked with everything you could possibly need, including extra paper towels, garbage bags, dish soap, laundry supplies, and even a fully equipped kitchen with Tupperware and Ziploc bags. The bathrooms were also stocked with thoughtful extras like toothbrushes, feminine products, deodorant, and more. It truly felt like they thought of everything!”
★★★★★ Group trip
“Stayed here for a bachelorette weekend and it was absolutely perfect!! Immediately when we walked in we were in awe of how beautiful, clean, and detailed the house was. It slept our big group comfortably and had so many things for us to do at the house like the sauna, hot tub and poker table!”
★★★★★ Stayed with kids
“This was one of the best places we’ve ever stayed! Place looked amazing and host was very accommodating! Definitely would recommend!”
Your hosts
Kelsey, Joe, and Bodhi, the dog who actually runs things.
We travel constantly, and two things kept happening. We’d arrive somewhere beautiful and still have to go out and buy shampoo. And we’d spend hours looking for a place that would take Bodhi without making us feel like we were getting away with something.
So we built the house we wanted to walk into. The sauna is ready when you are. The kitchen has the thing you forgot. There’s something waiting for your dog.
Mostly, though, we’re a text away. If something isn’t right, tell us — we’ll get it taken care of right away rather than have you work around it all weekend.
— Kelsey & Joe, Bodhi Retreats
Nearby
Close enough to Asheville to be easy. Far enough to be quiet.
Swannanoa sits between Asheville and Black Mountain, which puts you a short drive from both and about eleven minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway. Plenty of guests plan the whole weekend around all three, then spend most of it on the decks instead. Either way is the right way to use this house.
Blue Ridge Parkway 11 min
Tunnel Road entrance, so the overlooks start almost immediately. The Visitors Center is about 20 minutes.
Black Mountain 13 min
The closer, slower option. A few blocks of shops, coffee and a brewery, and you can always park.
Biltmore Estate 16 min
The house, the gardens, and the winery. Buy tickets ahead in autumn, and give it most of a day.
Downtown Asheville 20 min
Restaurants, galleries, and the breweries the city is known for — Wicked Weed, Burial, Highland. Park once and walk the whole thing.
Asheville Regional (AVL) 30 min
Small and easy to get in and out of, with rental pickup right there. Guests flying in are usually at the house within the hour.
Hatley Pointe 55 min
The closest skiing, up near Burnsville. Small and uncrowded, which is the appeal on a winter weekend, and the sauna is waiting when you get back.
The exact address and door code arrive by email once your stay is confirmed. Hygge House is on a quiet residential road, so there is nothing within walking distance — plan on driving into town. Instacart, Whole Foods, DoorDash, Uber Eats and Kickback all deliver here, and Kickback has the widest restaurant list.
Good to know
The things we’d want told to us before we booked.
None of this is a dealbreaker. All of it is better learned here than on arrival.
It’s a hillside, unfenced
The house sits on a hill on an open lot. Worth knowing if you’re bringing a dog who bolts or a toddler who wanders.
You’ll see neighbours
This is a neighbourhood on a mountainside, not a house alone in the woods. From the decks you’ll see other homes across the hill. Quiet hours run 10pm to 7am, which most groups never notice.
Black bears live here
Genuinely. Don’t leave food in cars, and keep rubbish in the bear-proof container by the drive. They keep to themselves.
Two outdoor cameras
A Ring doorbell and a floodlight camera, both at the front door. There are no cameras inside the house, anywhere.
Mountain power, and a generator
The power can flicker in a storm. There’s a generator at the house, so an outage is an inconvenience rather than the end of your weekend.
The whole house is yours
Every room, every deck. The one exception is the owner’s closet, which stays locked.
A note from us
Our area was among those hit hardest by Hurricane Helene. The recovery has been remarkable and the great majority of roads and businesses are open. You may notice some signs of the storm on the drive in. Your stay genuinely helps the local community, and we’re grateful for every visit.
Book direct
Same house. Same calendar. None of the platform fees.
Booking here comes straight to us. The rate you see is the rate, and the person answering your message is the person who owns the house.
- No platform service feeGuest fees on the big sites run 12–15% of the total. Direct, that line doesn’t exist.
- You’re talking to us, not a queueMessages come to Kelsey and Joe. Most get answered within the hour.
- A fairer cancellation windowFull refund up to 45 days out, 50% up to 14 days, plus a 48-hour grace period after booking.
- Instant confirmationPick your dates, book, and the rental agreement and door code follow by email.
Questions
Everything guests ask before they book.
How many people does Hygge House sleep?
Sixteen, across three levels. Eight beds in total: three kings, one queen and two fulls in the five bedrooms, plus a full pull-out in the great room and a queen pull-out in the game room. The full room-by-room breakdown is above.
What is the bedroom and bed configuration?
Five bedrooms across three levels: three with a king bed, one with a queen, and one with two full beds. Two pull-out sofas, a full in the great room and a queen in the game room, bring the house to sixteen. Bedroom 1, the primary suite, is on the top level and opens onto the top deck.
How many bathrooms are there?
Three full bathrooms and one half bath. Two of the full baths are ensuites on the top level — one off the primary suite, one off the queen bedroom. The third is on the lower level with a tub and shower, shared by Bedrooms 3, 4 and 5. The half bath is off the main level.
Are dogs allowed?
Yes. Up to two dogs are welcome, for a $150 pet fee per stay, with no size or breed limits. We provide a crate that fits small and medium dogs (30 × 19 × 19″), a dog bed, furniture blankets, food and water bowls, waste bags and paw towels, so you can leave the bulky things at home. Bodhi, our own dog, has a welcome waiting for yours. Note that the house sits on a hill on an unfenced lot.
Do the hot tub and sauna run year round?
Yes. The six-person hot tub and the four-person cedar barrel sauna are both available in every season, at no extra cost, for the whole of your stay. Both sit on the covered lower deck, so rain and snow are not a problem. Towels are stocked on the deck.
How far is Hygge House from downtown Asheville?
About 20 minutes by car. The Blue Ridge Parkway is roughly 11 minutes, Black Mountain 13, Biltmore Estate 16, and Asheville Regional Airport about 30. The house is on a quiet residential road, so you will want a car — there is nothing within walking distance.
What are check-in and checkout times?
Check-in is at 4:00 PM and checkout is at 10:00 AM. Check-in is self-service with a keypad, so there is no key exchange and no need to coordinate an arrival time.
Is there a minimum stay?
Two or three nights, depending on the day of the week and the season. The booking widget shows the exact minimum for the dates you select, so the quickest way to check is to put your dates in above.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel at least 45 days before check-in and you receive a full refund.
Cancel between 14 and 45 days before check-in and you receive a 50% refund on all nights.
Cancel less than 14 days before check-in and no refund is given.
You can also cancel within 48 hours of booking for a full refund, as long as that cancellation happens at least 14 days before check-in.
Is Hygge House good for a milestone celebration or a group weekend?
It’s one of the most common reasons people book. The layout is why it works: a game room on the lower level, a deck on each of the three floors, and five bedrooms spread across them, so the group can break apart and come back together without anyone feeling crowded. Quiet hours apply and the house sits in a residential neighbourhood, so it suits celebrations rather than parties.
Is there a crib, high chair, or anything for young kids?
Yes. There is a pack ‘n play and a high chair at the house, plus kid-friendly dinnerware, so you can leave the bulky things at home. Bedroom 5 on the lower level has two full beds and tends to be the easiest room for children.
Is there an EV charger?
Yes. A 40 amp Autel home charger with a J1772 connector, included with your stay and free to use. J1772 fits every non-Tesla EV sold in North America; Teslas work with the adapter that comes with the car. There is parking for five cars, including the charging spot.
Is there Wi-Fi, and can I work from the house?
Yes — 1 Gig service, with speeds up to 1000 Mbps, throughout the house. Video calls, several televisions streaming at once, and a full group all online at the same time are not a problem. With three levels and a deck on each, there is always a quiet corner to take a call from. Every television is set up for streaming, so bring your own logins.
How do I get the address and door code?
Both arrive by email once your booking is confirmed and the rental agreement is signed. We ask that the agreement and pre-arrival form be completed within 48 hours of booking so your door code reaches you in time.
What is already stocked, and what should I bring?
The house is stocked the way we’d want it as guests: coffee in three roasts plus pods and syrups, robes, towels out for the hot tub and sauna, paper towels, bin bags, dish and laundry soap, foil and zip bags in the kitchen, and toothbrushes, hair ties, floss picks and makeup wipes in the bathrooms. Every appliance has a QR code beside it that plays a short video showing how to use it. Bring groceries and whatever you want to drink.
Can I book directly instead of through Airbnb or Vrbo?
Yes, and it costs less. Booking on this page goes straight to us with no platform service fee, which on the large booking sites typically runs 12–15% of the total. The calendar here is the same live calendar our other listings use, so there is no risk of a double booking, and your message comes to us rather than into a support queue.
Bodhi Retreats. A place to simply be.
Hygge House · Swannanoa, North Carolina