Curio Collection by international hospitality group Hilton has opened a boutique hotel on the site of a former steel mill in Asheville, North Carolina.

Designed by local design studio Lagom Interiors, the 87-room Foundry Hotel – which will be operated by Charlestowne Hotels – features an herb garden, fitness room, and a 3,400 sq ft courtyard.

Other facilities include a mixology bar and lounge as well as the Benne Eagle – a restaurant specialising in Appalachian cuisine.

In its previous incarnation as the Asheville Foundry & Supply Co refinery, the facility was the primary source of steel for a number of the region’s prominent buildings, including the Biltmore Estate – one of America’s most well-known Gilded Age mansions.

Speaking on the opening, Michael Tall, president and CEO at Charlestowne Hotels said: "The Foundry Hotel breathes new life into an intrinsic piece of Asheville’s legacy and gives visitors a deeper connection to the destination.

"Our partnership with Curio Collection by Hilton takes the quintessential Asheville experience one step further, combining the property’s storied history with elevated, five-star amenities."

The restoration, which is part of the hotel operator’s investment in adaptive reuse projects, is the latest venue to be added to its portfolio and follows the launch of similar developments in Florida, Tenessee, Atlanta, and Virginia.

Last year, Tall commented: "With these adaptive reuse projects we can flex our creative muscles, managing and operating unique hotels that retain the nuances of the local destination to offer a piece of living history."