- One example of a newly restored classic is in Burnsville, where producer Teresa Litschke discovered the iconic NuWray Hotel is back open and welcoming guests.

[relaxing upbeat music] - [Amanda] The NuWray is North Carolina's oldest continuously operating hotel.

- [James] It has been here for longer than the town itself, longer than the county.

- So we think the original structure was built in 1833 or around then.

- And that's this front corner of the hotel.

Then in around 1870, the east wing was expanded, and then in 1915, which was the last major renovation, they opened up the dining hall off the back.

- [Teresa] The hotel's name changed a few times too.

- The original family, their last name was spelled Ray, R-A-Y, and it was just called The Ray Hotel, and people around town started calling it the Old Ray after several years.

And then when the second generation inherited it, his daughter Julia married a man whose last name was Wray, W-R-A-Y.

- And then changed the name of the hotel from the Old Ray to the NuWray, and since they changed the spelling of Ray, they changed the spelling of new.

And it has always been open and always been welcoming travelers and visitors to anyone if they're just popping through or coming through to see the beauty of this region.

- [Teresa] James and Amanda wanted the old hotel to survive another century, so they purchased it in 2021 and got to work.

[saw buzzing] [hammer pounding] - It was time for a full restoration by the time we got our hands on it.

It was probably a couple years away from falling in on itself.

We did all new electrical system, all new plumbing.

We put in HVAC for the first time.

This hotel never had air conditioning.

- [Teresa] Today there are 22 rooms in the hotel with newly renovated private baths, TV, and Wi-Fi.

- So we've got really nice beds and really nice linens, great towels.

People can just be comfortable and be able to relax.

- [Teresa] Some of the suites pay homage to previous guests, such as author Thomas Wolfe and Elvis Presley, as well as a room named after Rush Wray, one of the previous owners, where, along with other rooms, they've cleverly displayed some interesting artifacts.

- We unveiled and left open some architectural elements from the 1833 building.

You know, it's hand-hewn wood, big wood beams.

- [Teresa] Along with original wallpaper and exterior siding exposed and on display.

Hardware in the 1870s edition was recreated by Daniel Boone VI, and the wavy glass is most likely from 1915.

The same care for originality goes for some of the food served in the NuWray Restaurant.

- [Amanda] We serve humble food.

We've used some of the original recipes from the recipe book and updated them.

- There was a lot of like pear honeys and, you know, cornmeal fried vegetables and stuff like that, so we also have that on the menu as well.

- [Teresa] There's also a variety of new dishes like the dessert called Baked Burnsville.

- It's this beautiful marshmallow meringue, and inside is butter pecan ice cream with a thin layer of a very nice spice cake.

And then to top it off, they pour a nice jigger of rum on top and set it on fire.

[laughs] - [Teresa] James and Amanda also purchased the hotel's original carriage house located behind and transformed it into more guest rooms, plus a restaurant and more called Carriage House Sundries - [James] Upstairs there we have a few longer-stay options, some kid-friendly rooms, dog-friendly rooms, as well as another full-service restaurant, another bar over there as well.

- A great selection of wine.

They have a great little bar there.

They have a nice selection of beers on tap.

- [Teresa] Between the hotel and the carriage house is a third bar called Roland's with tons of outdoor seating and views, leaving no question why the town built up around the NuWray, nor why it's been a popular gathering place ever since.

- People often come and just sit on the porch and people-watch.

There's always some kind of activity going on out there, and that's all you need to do if you want to.

- You get to see the grandeur of the mountains and also the quaintness of the small towns and meet all the wonderful people that make up this region.

- The NuWray Hotel is at 102 Town Square in Burnsville.

To plan your visit, give them a call at 828-678-7070, or visit them online at nuwray.com.