The Restoration Hotel | Cultural Almanac | Winter 2023 | Issue 17

WINTER 2023 | ISSUE 17

Letter from The Restoration

ON THE COVER

The Library at The Restoration Charleston

Follow the smell of fresh pine and the warmth of the fire in The Library at The Restoration Charleston, perfectly dressed up for the holidays.

IN THIS ISSUE

6 Holiday Traditions in the New South

Explore a new way to do old things with a curated list of holiday festivities

12 Safe & Sound

Skinny Beats’ Billy Zanski on the power of sound healing.

14 The Meaning of Restoration A journey to self renewal from Charleston to Asheville

18 Holiday Spirits

CJ Collum, talks inspiration for The Watch’s lineup of Holiday cocktails and his new role at The Restoration.

20 Let Them Eat Cake

The delicious inspiration behind The Restoration Birthday Cake

CONTRIBUTORS

Blake Shorter, Photographer

Sully Sullivan, Photographer

Chana Quintero, Creative Director

Sara Shake, Managing Editor

Chanel Samson, Features Editor

Christyana Bishop, Features Editor

We’ve always believed in discovering new ways to do old things. And with the holidays upon us, crafting new traditions is a rite of passage for finding restoration in the new year.

With two distinct locations and a world to explore between them, we’ve charted a course for tried and true festivities and activities in and around Charleston and Asheville, honoring their origins while giving you the space to make them your own.

We invite you to use this issue of the Cultural Almanac, not as a map, but simply as a guide to inspire your next adventure with us. Because when you’re brave enough to define your own story, ordinary experiences become extraordinary.

Whether you’re celebrating the holidays with us or simply making an adventure out of the everyday, we can’t wait to share our traditions with you, while you discover some of your own.

Happy Holidays, Your Team at The Restoration

Seasonal sips, locally roasted and handcrafted by our passionate baristas.

Holiday Traditions in the New South

No matter how these two storied cities change over time, the nostalgia of the holidays keeps bringing us back to the merry and bright traditions of years past.

From historic Asheville to charming Charleston, explore a new way to do old things with a curated list of festivities.

Get Into the Holiday Spirit at the Biltmore Estate

The majestic Biltmore Estate opens its doors every holiday season to guests searching for extraordinary holiday cheer. As the largest home in America, the jawdropping residence welcomes Santa on his horse-drawn sleigh for an annual tree raising and other traditional festivities.

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Take Home a Tree From Boyd Mountain’s Christmas Tree Farm

No holiday visit to Asheville is complete without a visit to Boyd Mountain’s Christmas Tree Farm where you’ll pick a fresh tree, cut it down, and take it with you to enjoy decorating your home’s newest festive feature.

All Aboard the Gray Line Christmas Tour

Welcome to the Holly, Jolly Christmas Trolley, also known as the perfect holiday outing right in the heart of Biltmore Village. This family-friendly tradition treats guests to a festive trolley ride bundled with caroling and storytelling through the cherished Asheville neighborhood.

Decorate Your Own Tree at The Restoration

Enjoy a real Christmas Tree in your suite and create new memories at The Restoration Asheville. Experience the holidays to the fullest as you enjoy chocolate chips, hot cocoa and your very own The Restoration ornament for you to take home.

See The Nutcracker Live!

Get into the spirit of the season and enjoy the Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet. An international holiday classic for over one century, The Nutcracker ballet brings its talents to Harrah’s Cherokee Center with its life-like puppets, sensational acrobatics, and extraordinary costumes.

Shop Marion Square’s Christmas Market

Marion Square’s weekend Holiday Market is an event anticipated by guests who travel from far and wide to discover new holiday treasures. The kid- and pet-friendly event also incorporates traditional festivities such as caroling and performances by local choirs.

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

Discover Drayton Hall by Candlelight

Noted on Condé Nast Traveler’s list of Best Places to See in South Carolina, 18th-century Drayton Hall, hosts a fascinating candlelit tour through the iconic estate every holiday season, offering an opportunity to learn about colonial America and the preservation’s rich history.

Meet Santa in The Library at The Restoration

Even Old Saint Nick can’t help but create new holiday traditions with us at The Restoration. On select December dates, guests can meet Santa in The Library for a wholesome interaction, holiday photos, and memories to last a lifetime.

Wine and Dine at Middleton Place

Middleton Place offers an interactive seasonal treat for all ages with its Grand Illumination and Dinner experience, featuring live depictions of monumental events that shaped our country during the Revolutionary War.

Drive Through The Festival of Lights

Drive along a 3-mile stretch of James Island illuminated by brilliant arrangements made of 2 million dazzling lights. You can keep the festivities going on foot with an impressive sculpture made from 50 tons of sand, a holiday train, an enchanted walking trail, a Victorian carousel, and more.

Southern Traditions Unwrapped

Poinsettias For Picking

The nation’s holiday flower was introduced right here in Charleston by respected South Carolina native Joel Robert Poinsett, who found the beautiful bloom while traveling to Mexico in 1925. Poinsett brought the flowers back to Charleston where they were celebrated as a new seasonal favorite.

How to Celebrate Browse Charleston’s largest selection of poinsettia at Boone Hall Farm’s Christmas Tree Festival. This 3-day celebration of festivities also includes cheerful holiday tunes, carnival rides, holiday crafts, letters to Saint Nick, bow and wreath-making demonstrations, and marshmallow roasting aplenty.

Citrus for the Season

As decor or a stocking stuffer, the unlikely sweet scent of citrus fills Charleston’s cozy streets and architecturally stunning homes during the holidays. The juicy fruits were once recognized as a luxury to have during the frosty winter season.

How to Celebrate Both cozy diners and elevated eateries will likely serve some variation of Lowcountry’s traditional Ambrosia salad during the holidays. This citrusy sweet treat is made with fresh oranges, pineapples, and shredded coconut, making it a festive appetizer or dessert.

Oysters on Display

A southern holiday feast isn’t complete without an enticing display of fresh oysters. According to the centuries-old adage, these coastal delicacies are best served during the months that have an “R” in them—perfect timing for seasonal festivities.

How To Celebrate Oyster lovers have the perfect opportunity to indulge in Charleston’s finest all-you-can-eat oyster event at Drayton Hall’s Annual Deck the Hall Oyster Roast. This successful lowcountry gathering sells out every year so be sure to get your tickets early.

SAFE & SOUND

Step into Skinny Beats Sound Shop on Eagle Street in downtown Asheville and you might as well have stepped through a portal onto the other side of the planet. Djembes, hand pans, Tibetan singing bowls, and a whole slew of other African and Asian percussion instruments outfit the space. And at the center of it all is Billy Zanski.

A percussionist by trade, Billy’s own sound healing journey began in Guinea, West Africa, where he received private instruction on a number of instruments from a group of local musicians he had helped on their US tour. When his Djembe teacher came to Asheville to perform and teach, Billy made his own move to the Appalachian city and opened Skinny Beats Sound Shop in 2004.

Today, Billy is leading Asheville’s sound healing scene, offering private and group sessions at his shop almost daily.

How does sound healing differ from listening to music?

Sound healing is different from listening to music because it’s done with the specific intention to go inward, to become still, and to move into a meditative state. Sound healing with live music is also more impactful than recorded music. The large gongs, crystal bowls, didgeridoo, hand pan, and all the deeper tones and energy from the instruments are actually felt in the physical body.

What happens during your sound healing session?

Typically, there is a deep stillness, a surrender, a letting down of barriers, sometimes an emotional process is experienced. It really does depend on the person. The main effect is the ability to truly relax, to become still, to allow the body and mind, and spirit to heal on their own. When we truly allow our body to rest and our thoughts to dissipate, it allows all aspects of who we are to reset, to be freer, to feel refreshed in our well-being.

Can you sound heal yourself?

Sound healing is a form of meditation, so yes, you can sound heal yourself! And if you practice it on a somewhat regular basis, the effects can be long-lasting. We encounter stress so frequently, we need to rejuvenate and tap into the experiences that counter stress, such as meditation. Whether that’s with sound, movement, talking with a friend, etc. I feel there are so many ways that we engage in meditative and healing experiences. Sound healing or music is a great one!

You can take beginner drumming classes with Billy at Skinny Beats Sound Shop on Wednesdays at 6pm, or sound healing sessions on Saturdays at 11am and 6pm, and Sundays at 11am. Billy also hosts private groups and parties for sound healing sessions. Visit skinnybeatsdrums.com to learn more about Billy’s classes and instruments, or to experience a sample of a sound healing session.

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We encounter stress so frequently, we need to rejuvenate and tap into the experiences that counter stress, such as meditation.”

The Meaning of Restoration

We’ve all heard that the journey is the destination. But when it comes to travel, the real journey is the one that happens within ourselves. This is the ethos of The Restoration—to embrace the adventure of the unknown, defi ne our own stories, and boldly be exactly who we are.

From Charleston to Asheville and beyond, we invite you to venture beyond our hotel walls to discover the true meaning of Restoration that brings us closer to fi nding ourselves.

Why do we travel?

To learn something new

The desire to expand our knowledge is innately designed within our psyche. Travel allows us to dive into a fi rst-hand crash course in history, sociology, and geography.

Charleston: The Holy City’s Historic Culture The South is chock full of our country’s rich history. As you explore Charleston, be sure to take a tour of a preserved plantation such as Middleton Place or Boone Hall to learn about the generations of

enslaved people, their masters, and the fields that granted freedom, despair, and triumph all in one.

Asheville: Homegrown for the Soul Ranked Yelp’s #1 Foodie City on its 2022 list, Asheville unearths authentic Appalachian cuisine for all to enjoy. Our farm-to-table restaurant, The Exchange, offers guests an original opportunity to indulge in the savory fl avors of classic dishes fi lled with comfort, inspired by the picturesque landscape around us.

To strengthen relationships

Relationships, in every form, deepen through communication and adventure, making vacations the perfect opportunity to strengthen bonds with experiences that cultivate communication and powerful connections.

Charleston: Bond Over Bliss

Bonding over a spa date is a luxury that adds to the calming significance of a vacation. Relax and enjoy intimate time with your loved one during a facial or massage right in the comfort of your suite at The Restoration.

Asheville: The Sound of Music

Asheville is recognized as one of our country’s greatest music cities. With iconic music venues such as The Orange Peel and Grey Eagle, the music scene also thrives with free concerts at Downtown After 5, and exciting festivals like the LEAF festival, Brewgrass, and Mountain Dance and Folk Festival.

To escape reality

No one has all the answers, but sometimes it’s easier to fi nd them when you escape the problems at hand. Traveling affords you the chance to journey into a new world so you can get lost in exploration outside of your current state.

Charleston: Lowcountry Freedom

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then Charleston must be the apple of God’s eye. The city has four true seasons yearlong, allowing tourists the opportunity to escape their ordinary weather conditions for breathtaking seasonal changes along with seasonal activities.

Asheville: Call of the Wild

The Americana outdoors presents endless opportunities to explore all that Asheville has to offer. Mount Pisgah and Nantahala National Forest serve as a hub for trailing, biking, and wildlife sightings. Escaping into the wild has never been easier than in the New Age Mecca.

What happens when we travel?

Traveling lowers stress levels

Stress is a leading factor as to why people vacation.

From Charleston to Asheville and beyond, we invite you to venture beyond our hotel walls to discover the true meaning of Restoration that brings us closer to finding ourselves.

Taking a break from your taxing worries is necessary to lead a healthy, balanced life. Our claim at The Restoration is to provide a vibrant state of adventure with genuine interactions and meaningful exploration, offering a stress-free voyage.

Charleston: Break the Cycle of Stress

What fun is a vacation if you can’t completely let loose? Charleston has plenty of places to do this, and one of our favorites is a Break Room. Break Rooms offer guests a safe environment to break, throw, and smash objects while dressed in protective gear, the perfect way to de-stress.

Asheville: A Glimpse Into Relaxation

It’s no surprise that spending time in nature reduces stress levels, so imagine what the stunning views from Blue Ridge Mountain could do for vacationers. The majestic mountain has multiple look-out towers placed throughout the range, offering total peace in the clouds.

Traveling boosts your creativity

Creativity can be found all around us, even when we’re not looking for it. Studies show that the influence of new cultures and experiences can provide new perspectives, giving travelers more inspiration than ever before.

Charleston: Restore Your Creativity

Experience the beauty of Charleston on foot with one of the many tours available to those visiting the charming city. These tours will awaken your creative senses as you learn about the city’s arts and culture while participating in a low-impact exercise; the ideal combination to boost creativity.

Asheville: Flee From the Ordinary

Use your thinking cap to get the creative juices flowing in one of Asheville’s highly-ranked escape rooms. The interactive games stretch your imagination and force you to think of clever ways to escape with friends and family through problem-solving puzzles and clues.

Traveling increases happiness

We all want happiness, and traveling can boost it exponentially. A women’s healthy study reported that women who took vacations twice or more per year were less likely to report symptoms of depression and tension, compared to those who only vacationed once every 2 or 6 years.

Charleston: Have Fun, Be Happy

The more we move our bodies, the more endorphins we release, adding extra happiness to the day. Charleston is home to some of the most beautiful lakes in the country, providing a multitude of opportunities to enjoy water sports. Water sports are not only great exercise, but they’re also fun.

Asheville: Peak Happiness

Just minutes from our hotel, Asheville Adventure Center offers zip lining through old majestic white and red oaks, swinging through treetops, and mountain bike rentals, providing everything you need for an action-packed day to reduce stress, promote physical activity, and add happiness.

How do we make it extraordinary?

Be a temporary local Connecting with locals is essential when exploring new destinations. If you want to directly connect with Charleston or Asheville, talk to a local so you can put yourself in their shoes and truly understand their perspective of what life is like elsewhere.

Charleston: The King of Charleston Named after King Charles II of England, King Street is a 300-year-old historic hub of dining and entertainment with an eclectic mix of high-end contemporary fashions and antique jewels. Residents head there to indulge in their favorite foods, shop, or just relax and take in our small-town charm.

Asheville: You’re At Bat

One of the best nods to Asheville culture is McCormick Field on Complex Magazine’s list of 25 Coolest Minor League Ballparks in America. Ashevillians love going to games so this is where you can get the real hometown experience, or head into a brewery to hear firsthand accounts of living the Appalachian way.

Step outside of your comfort zone

The famous quote, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”, holds much weight when it comes to venturing to new places. When you’re traveling, stepping outside of that zone will open you up to a world of opportunities. Who knows, you might even find a new favorite hobby, dish, or activity.

Charleston: Brave the Unknown

With so much dark history throughout the Holy City, Charleston is an epicenter of ghoulish, unsettled souls that lurk in the busy halls. We invite you to step outside of your comfort zone and quite literally step into the unknown on one of the city’s many ghost tours.

Asheville: Discover the Beat of Your Drum

A true culture shock for visitors to Asheville might be The Drum Circle. Directly across the street from The Restoration, Pritchard Park is flocked by drummers, dancers, and peace-seekers alike who engage in dancing, singing, and harmonic bliss every Friday night.

Capture the moment

While living in the moment is important during your travels, capturing special moments to relive is just as eminent. Revisiting your footage to make social media posts or taking the time to create a scrapbook will allow you to reminisce in timeless nostalgia.

Charleston: Paint Special Memories

Rainbow Row is one of Charleston’s most vibrant and architecturally stunning backdrops. The row comprised of 13 pastel-colored homes holds a charismatic past dating back to the Civil War era, with each home owning unique history. Be sure to visit to capture your Instagram-worthy content.

Asheville: Sky, Camera, Action

Asheville’s picturesque opportunities range far and wide from naturistic views to inspirational architecture and local art. The Land of the Sky is more than a home to wildlife and its people, it’s the heart of the Appalachians placed against the gorgeous splendor of the mountains and its terrains.

Charleston and Asheville are earthy counterparts that reflect a pioneered heritage of arts, culture, history, and the spirited folk who call the cities home. The Restoration is honored to provide an everlasting experience for our visitors and seek to enrich your travels through new, cherished traditions and authentic connections.

Holiday Spirit 3rd Chai’s the Charm

In honor of the holiday season, our Bar Manager, CJ Collum, talks inspiration for his favorite holiday libation, his new role at The Restoration, and what to expect from The Watch’s lineup of seasonal cocktails to get you into the holiday spirit.

Pumpkin Spice Mousse or the Carrot cake. The cinnamon and chai in the cocktail would match the fall fl avors in these desserts perfectly.

Describe your new role at The Restoration and The Watch.

My new role at The Restoration is to run the beverage program for the entire hotel. This covers everything from in-room baskets to helping the sales team provide beverage packages for events throughout the building. I am also responsible for the beverage program at The Watch, which is personally my favorite part. I get to work together with my crew to experiment with ingredients and provide some truly great cocktails.

What fun holiday memories inspired you to create cocktails for the holiday season?

RECIPE

.75oz Hilton Head Rum

.75oz Bacardi spiced Rum

.75oz Orange juice

1.25oz Chai oat milk orgeat

DIRECTIONS

To make the Chai orgeat, heat one quart of oat milk with two quarts of sugar.

Once the sugar is dissolved, steep 3 bags of chai in the liquid over low heat for 20 minutes.

What was the inspiration for this cocktail?

My inspiration for this cocktail started with my love of rum. There are so many fl avors that make every rum unique in its profi le. These fl avors also make this spirit perfect for the holiday season because those spices are also used in a lot of dishes. It is called the 3rd chai’s the charm because it has taken a while for me to get the chai orgeat recipe just right. I fi nally fi gured it out by using oat milk instead of traditional almond milk. This was really exciting to me because I love orgeat as an ingredient, but it traditionally has a nut allergy. This recipe makes so many rum drinks available to people who used to be allergic to them.

What does this cocktail pair with?

I think this drink would pair amazingly with our

I’m from the very end of Long Island so the winters would get very cold and one thing we would do every weekend would have a bonfi re at one of my friend’s houses. Most of my best memories during the winter season revolve around those fi res when we really didn’t have much to worry about. So, for the Holiday menu, I wanted to create cocktails that transport you back to that warm feeling of being around a fi re, and those warm memories of when we were young.

What can guests expect from the beverage program at The Watch this season?

This season at The Watch guests can expect a menu that covers all parts of the season. We have cocktails such as the Last Straw that bring about feelings at the end of summer when the weather starts to turn. Then we have the Apple Bottom Jeans which puts you right at your family’s thanksgiving dinner for dessert. Finally, we have the Coco Loco which reminds you of drinking hot cocoa at Christmas time, but with a twist. There is truly something for everyone on this menu.

Whip shake all ingredients and strain. Garnish with a charred cinnamon stick.

CJ Collum, Bar Manager at The Watch

Stir Things Up

let them eat cake

The Restoration Birthday Cake was created for this purpose. Layered with artisanal vanilla bean paste and topped with a silky Swiss meringue butter cream, this funfetti cake is bursting with nostalgic birthday cake flavor for traditions old and new.

Sold by the slice or whole, you can savor a taste of celebration at any time of day. For whole cake orders, please give us a minimum of 72 hours notice, and 5 days in advance for domestic shipping— trust us, it’s worth it.

call the shots

From the ancient Greeks’ moon cakes to the Germans’ Kinderfeste, the birthday cake has evolved throughout history, celebrating everything from the great divine to the smallest child. Perfect for leftover slices or grown-ups-only parties, this boozy rendition is a tradition all our own, created specifically for The Restoration Birthday Cake by our Director of Beverage, Darren Fallon.

Ingredients

.75oz Birthday Cake Syrup

(8oz birthday cake, 16oz simple syrup)

.75oz Vanilla Vodka

.5oz Cantera Negra Café

.5oz Lemon

Directions

To create the birthday cake syrup, blend 8oz of The Restoration Birthday Cake with 16oz of simple syrup, then strain. Add the syrup and the remaining ingredients to a shaker with 1-2 ice cubes and shake until the ice is gone. Strain, serve, and celebrate.

When you find adventure in the everyday, there’s always something to celebrate.