Category: Uncategorized

How do you plan the ultimate vacation when you’re ready for a getaway, ready to explore a new place, or ready to escape somewhere for ultimate relaxation?

One of our favorite travel resources, Condé Nast Traveler, has all of the information you could ever need when it comes to discovering a new, exciting place to travel to. They provide inspiration, new destinations to explore, information on places to stay, a peek into the style and culture of where you’re headed, and food and drink information for you to peruse. It’s a one stop shop for all of the details you need to plan the best vacation.

Our team at The Willcox is truly honored to be on the ballot again this year for the Condé Nast Traveler 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards. These prestigious awards only feature the best around the world. They highlight everything from the best hotels to the best ski resorts, best train journeys, and best airports. It’s an all-encompassing list that will spark your imagination for planning your next trip.

As a valued guest of The Willcox, we would sincerely appreciate your vote in the Condé Nast Traveler 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards. Voting is open until June 30th and it’s a simple process to share what you loved about your visit with us. You’ll even be entered to win a dream trip when you vote!

We are very grateful for your support and look forward to welcoming you back to The Willcox again soon!

This Earth Day, we wanted to take a moment to highlight the ways that we are committed to minimizing our overall impact on the environment.

Our team makes every effort to conserve water and energy at The Willcox, in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality, and minimizing waste. One way that we work to minimize waste is through our partnership with Clean the World, an organization that provides recycled soap products and educational materials to impoverished families around the globe.

Fast Facts:

• According to the World Health Organization, millions of young lives could be saved with access to bar soap and basic hygiene education. Pneumonia and diarrheal disease are two of the leading causes of death among children under 5 years old.
• Hotels throw away over 2 million bars of partially used soap every dayin the United States

Source: https://cleantheworld.org/#

At The Willcox, our team donates all of our used solid and liquid soap amenities to Clean the World. The bars of soap are sanitized, grinder, and cut into new bars that are then boxed for distribution to impoverished communities around the globe. How cool is that? Instead of ending up in a landfill, our used soaps gain a second life through Clean the World and go to someone who truly needs it.

Clean the World does more than just recycle soap products and distribute them around the globe. They also educate children and their families on proper hygiene, starting with how to effectively wash hands. In Las Vegas, Clean the World has started a new program aimed to provide the basic comfort and dignity of cleanliness to their homeless population. Their Fresh Start Mobile Showers do more than just provide a shower—they connect the homeless with organizations that can help put them on the path to self-sufficiency.

We are proud to partner with Clean the World! What Green Practices are you participating in to help our world this Earth Day?

Three years ago, Southern Living launched their South’s Best Awards which allowed their readers to celebrate the people and places that they love the most in the South. From BBQ joints to beach towns, food cities, and more, readers across the country weighed in on their favorite places to visit, dine, and stay. Last year, in the 2nd edition of the Southern Living South’s Best Awards, our hometown of Aiken took home the title of “Best Small Town in the South” and The Willcox was listed as the #2 Hotel in the South. We were beyond honored to have received such an outstanding award alongside our hometown.

Our past-guests and our community of Aiken rallied around us this year, and through their voting efforts, they vaulted us to the top spot for 2019. We are pleased to announce that The Willcox was named the Best Hotel in the South!

“At Southern Living, we’re passionate about celebrating the extraordinary people and places that define Southern hospitality,” said Sid Evans, the Editor in Chief of Southern Living. “Our goal is to identify the destinations our readers are loving the most right now—places that represent the very best of the South. This year’s awards represent a unique mix of newcomers and longtime favorites.”

We are honored to be named Southern Living’s South’s Best Hotel for 2019, and we are joined on the list of Best Hotels in the South by some prestigious company in the hospitality industry:

1 – The Willcox, Aiken, SC
2 – The Inn on Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC
3 – The Peabody Memphis, Memphis, TN
4 – Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans, LA
5 – The Jefferson Hotel, Richmond, VA
6 – The Roosevelt, New Orleans, LA
7 – Belmond Charleston Place, Charleston, SC
8 – The Brown Hotel, Louisville, KY
9 – 21c Museum Hotel, Louisville, KY
10 – Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg, VA

Congratulations to all of our hotel and inn friends across the South, and a special thank you to all of our guests who voted for us! Your vote means the world to us, and to us, you are the South’s Best Guests!

If you haven’t had the opportunity to come and stay with us at The Willcox yet, we invite you to come experience why we were voted as the South’s Best Hotel this spring. Book your stay with us, make an appointment in our full-service Salon and Spa, enjoy fine dining in our restaurant, and explore all that our wonderful hometown of Aiken has to offer to you. We promise that you, like the readers of Southern Living, will be enchanted by our hotel and charmed by our small Southern town.

Did you know?

Aiken, South Carolina, has a long, storied history with trains and railroads that dates back to the early 1800s. It all began when Captain William White Williams, a cotton merchant from Charleston, South Carolina, built a house in western South Carolina where Aiken is today. He began looking for a fast, cheap way to get his cotton back to Charleston and with his business associates, created the South Carolina Railway and Canal Company. The goal was to have a railroad that would go from the cotton fields in Hamburg straight through to Charleston.

The surveyors for the future railroad determined that it was impossible to get any closer than 15 miles out from the cotton fields due to the surrounding steep grade. Captain Williams would still have the additional expenses of hauling his cotton across land by wagon to the train. Luckily, as local legend has it, one of the surveyors was smitten with Captain Williams’s daughter and in order to win her hand in marriage, he found a way to get the railroad directly to Captain Williams’s cotton fields. At the time it was completed in 1833, the railway that traveled from Charleston, South Carolina through Aiken and ending in Hamburg was the the world’s longest railway.

As the town grew, so did it’s recognition around the country as a wonderful place to go during the winter. Aiken became known as the “Winter Colony,” and the place for wealthy New York socialites to travel to to escape their brutal northern winters in the late 1800s. These socialites that traveled to Aiken championed and supported the building of newer, bigger train depot and in 1899, an elaborate and beautiful one was built in the middle of town.

More and more visitors began to flock to Aiken during the winter months, all traveling down to South Carolina by train. One of the most popular visitors along this railway was President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who often passed through Aiken on his way to Georgia for polio treatments. Roosevelt had a mistress who lived just blocks away from our hotel, and when he’d travel down south, he’d have his presidential train stop on the tracks just behind our hotel where he’d get off the train and check in to his favorite suite in the hotel.

Although the railway adjacent to our hotel is no longer used by the presidential train or by the northern socialites of the 1800s, there is still plenty of activity along these train tracks. You may have noticed the work happening along the railroad bed behind The Willcox. The trees and greenery that were on the bank of the railroad tracks have been removed and manmade support was added to the embankment that our hotel sits on. This work, completed by Johson, Laschober & Associates, is work that was vital to the stabilization of our building and to securing it’s future for years to come. Thanks to the City of Aiken and the Historic Railroad Cut Stabilization Project, we can rest assured that our hotel is sitting on the most stable ground possible and is in no danger.

Railroads have a long, storied history in our town and we’re pleased to know that they, like our building, will be in Aiken for years to come. Learn more about the history of railroads in Aiken by visiting the Aiken Railroad Depot—a replica of the original depot that’s located in the exact same spot as the one built in 1899.

Whether it is your first Valentine’s Day together or your 50th one together, we have created a romantic experience at The Willcox that would be perfect to enjoy with your significant other. Let us handle all of the details—all you need to do is pack your bags and be prepared to be swept away from the moment you walk through our front doors. Plan a staycation or a one-night getaway vacation to celebrate the holiday this year.

During our Valentine’s Escape month, you and your love can enjoy:

• One-night stay
• Two Godiva chocolate martinis upon arrival
• Chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne at turndown
• Cooked to Order breakfast for two served in ed
• Late checkout upon request when available
• Complimentary Wi-Fi

Rates starting at $125 per person, based on double occupancy

You can add in a tailored option that will truly enhance your experience and make it the best Valentine’s Day yet.

• One Dozen Red Roses – surprise your love with a dozen red roses waiting in your room upon your arrival ($120)
• Couples Massage – side by side, enjoy a simultaneous massage in our spa (rates beginning at $160 / person)
• LOVE Bath Butler – designed to balance the heart chakra, this sensual, candlelit ritual evokes a deep sense of comfort, inviting you to indulge all of your senses. Cool rose-scented face towels, rose massage oil, champagne, and chocolate-dipped strawberries round out this truly romantic experience ($100)

What a year it has been for The Greystone Inn and The Willcox in 2018!

It was with great excitement we welcomed The Greystone into our family this year.  After being closed for four years, our team worked morning, noon and night to completely renovate and breathe new life into this beautiful mountain retreat on the shores of Lake Toxaway.  On May 9^th, The Greystone Inn once again opened her doors and what an incredible 7 months it has been!

The inn has welcomed both those who have been longtime guests of The Greystone and those who ventured to Lake Toxaway for the very first time. We’re honored to have had so many guests in our first year of being open! It has been a joy to watch new visitors fall in love with the grace and beauty found here, and we have thoroughly enjoyed hearing the old stories from guests who have vacationed at The Greystone for years.  We were honored to receive the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator 2018 and to have been nominated for Travel + Leisures World’s Best awards in our first year of business!

It’s been a pleasure to meet so many people from our community and the surrounding area.  We’ve enjoyed watching The Greystone become a place for locals to gather, break bread and celebrate.  We were grateful for the opportunity to donate to over 25 local charitable events including sponsoring Transylvania County’s Sesame Street in Communities initiative and partnering with Lake Toxaway charities to insure less fortunate families in our community were well taken care of this holiday season.  We have hosted 8 brides, 10 corporate retreats, cooking classes with Southern Livings Rebecca Lang, a Halloween party with Dracul author Dacre Stoker, trivia nights, musicians and so much more.    We’re overwhelmed with gratitude for how kindly we’ve been welcomed into the area.

In Aiken, The Willcox had a wonderful year as well. Our lobby has been established as Aiken’s Living Room – a place where our community comes to unwind, to catch up with friends, and to enjoy live music. In the beginning of January, we will complete a beautiful refurbishment of our grand lobby. Our lobby will be as inviting as ever, and we’re excited to share it with you.  We continue to update and refresh our guestrooms and are thrilled at the excitement our guests express when they notice new tile, new carpet, wall paper and furnishings.

We’re honored to have received the Award of Excellence – Wine Spectator 2018, voted No. 2 Best Hotel in the South – Southern Living Magazine’s South Best Awards 2018, voted No. 5 Top Hotels in The South Reader’s Choice awards Conde Nast 2018 and No. 10 in the Top 10 Resort Hotels in the American South Travel + Leisure!   And, how grateful we are to the City of Aiken for their effort in stabilizing the embankment behind The Willcox, securing her future for generations to come.

From our restaurant to our spa, guests have enjoyed world class dining and spa treatments throughout the year. Our team has provided exceptional service to every guest, including the 32 different companies that hosted their meetings and retreats with us and the 28 couples that chose to celebrate their special day at our historic hotel.

This incredible year would not have been possible without the overwhelming support of our Willcox and Greystone families, nor without the hard work and dedication our team brings to the hotel each and every day. We are so grateful for everyone that has supported both The Greystone and The Willcox this year!

From our family and team to yours, we wish you all the best this holiday season and we look forward to hosting you in the new year!

 

• Our Elf Tuck-In is a truly magical experience for children staying at The Willcox. You can have one of Santa’s elves bring milk and cookies to your room, tuck your child in, and read them a bedtime Christmas story.
• Make sure that your room is looking extra special during December, and add a festive Christmas tree to your room.
• Gather around the fire, and roast a marshmallow or two for homemade s’mores. We’ll reserve seating around the fire for you, and provide everything you need for creating your delectable treat!

]

• • On Sunday December 2, December 9, and December 16 from 6pm until 8pm, grab a drink from our bar and join us in the lobby as Brooke Lundy and John Vaughn enchant us with Christmas carols from the 1930s to the 1960s. You’ll feel like you’ve been transported to Christmas in another era!
  • Santa and Mrs. Claus will be making a magical appearance on Wednesday, December 12, for our Toys for Tots event. Bring an unwrapped toy or a donation for Toys for Tots, and your child will have the opportunity to meet our special guests and take a photo with them, too. Afterwards, gather around the piano with us and sing Christmas carols from 6-7pm.
  • Join us for the 10th Annual Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade on Saturday, December 15th. The parade begins at 2pm and will be at The Willcox at 2:30pm for caroling on our porch! Following the conclusion of the parade, circle back to The Willcox to sing Christmas carols with us in the lobby at 4:30pm with Kendall Standish and David Brown.

 

• Celebrate the season with us at our annual Christmas Eve Dinner! We will be preparing a special menu for you to enjoy and will have a kids menu available for children under 12.

 

In 1930, several influential horsemen including Thomas Hitchcock, Temple Gwathmey, and Harry Worchester Smith, founded the Aiken Steeplechase Association. The very first official race was run in Hitchcock woods along the Aiken Hounds draglines and had over one thousand guests in attendance. Among these guests, some who came towns across the state like Camden, were several hundred students from Aiken Prep and Fermata School.

To learn more about the history of the Aiken Steeplechase and the Aiken Steeplechase Association, visit their website here: http://www.aikensteeplechase.com/


Photo by the Aiken Steeplechase Association.

A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, The Aiken Steeplechase Association continues to this day to host two steeplechase racing events each year that are sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association each year. The Imperial Cup is held in the spring and in the fall, the Holiday Cup.

This year’s 27th Running of the Aiken Fall Steeplechase, the Holiday Cup, will be held at the end of the month on Saturday, October 27 with festivities beginning at 9am that morning when the gates open. The event includes a variety of activities that the entire family can enjoy—a Village of Shops featuring local and out of town vendors that sell art, jewelry, clothing, and equestrian related items; a Paddock Playground for children with games, crafts, and other fun activities; Stick Horse Races with categories from 4 & under to teens and adults; and a Hat and Costume Contest.

The main events—the races—begin promptly at 1pm with the first race, followed by the traditional Carriage Parade at 1:15pm. Three more races follow before the fifth and final race at 3:30pm.

How are you preparing to attend The Holiday Cup this year? At The Willcox, we offer several ways to help you prepare for the big weekend.



Book an appointment in our full-service Salon & Spa to help you relax and pamper for any and all Steeplechase events that you plan to attend. Look your best at Steeplechase this year by preparing your skin with a facial, getting your nails done, or by having your hair and make-up done the day of. To book your appointment, please call us at 803-648-1898. We suggest calling early—our appointment times will book quickly!



Be the hit of your tailgate party (and ensure an invitation back to next year’s tailgate!) by bringing one our Steeplechase Tailgating favorites:

• Chicken Liver Pate
• White Bean Hummus with Olive Tapenade & Grilled Pita Bread
• General Tso’s Caulini with Peanuts, Scallions, & Cilantro
• You can call or visit the Restaurant to order your tailgate dish. Bring a plate of your own for us to prepare the food on for you, or use one of our sustainable take-away containers.
  
  We are excited for the 27th Running of the Aiken Fall Steeplechase, and we hope to see you there on October 28th!

Here at The Willcox, we are immensely proud to call Aiken our hometown. In our opinion, it is the best Southern town to live, work, and play in. You’ll find our town tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the big city life, and down the oak tree lined roads. It’s a truly enchanting town that’s filled with incredible history and plenty of Southern charm. Life is a little slower here—people still take the time to say hello, ask how you’re doing, and to sit a spell on their front porches.

If you live in Aiken or if you’ve visited before, we know that you agree whole heartedly with us that it’s a beautiful town that must be experienced in person.

It’s filled with unique local shops and restaurants. The Aiken Steeplechase, held each autumn and spring, is an event not to be missed. It’s one of the only cities in America where horses have the right away and where it’s not uncommon to see horseback riders along our quaint streets. Aiken is home to one of the country’s largest urban forests, Hitchcock Woods, and it’s a great place to experience history.

Aiken is a place like none other.

Last year, everyone else agreed with us and voted Aiken as the South’s Best Small Town in the Southern Living South’s Best Awards. We want to help Aiken bring home this award again! We’re proud to share that the town we call home has again been nominated as Best Small Town.

You can vote for Aiken (Best Small Town) and for The Willcox (Best Hotel) through October 9 by clicking here.

Throughout the summer, if you’ve dined with us in our restaurant, you have seen quite a few specials from our Executive Chef Ed. Did you know that many of these specials were sourced directly from our local farms and farmers from the Aiken County Farmers Market?

The Aiken County Farmers Market, open several days a week from sunrise until noon, is filled with incredible local produce from farms across the state of South Carolina. You’ll also find fresh flowers, locally grown meats, and locally produced cheeses, honeys, baked goods, and more. It’s a place to gather, to share stories, and to swap recipes with one another as new friends are made each and every week. The Aiken County Farmers Market has a long history in Aiken—one that dates back to the early 1900s—and we’re happy to see the market still up and running today.

You can visit the market on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from sunrise to noon year-round. Our own Chef Ed personally takes a trip there each week to source items from local farmers to create his weekly Farmers Market Special in our restaurant. These delicious specials have been popular with our guests this summer! Did you happen to dine with us while the Zucchini Fritters with Marinara Sauce were on the menu? We’re sharing the recipe for that special with you today.