The Sunset Motel
523 S. Broad St.
Brevard, NC
Retrovated by Andy Schrader. The Blue Ridge took care of the rest.
About The Sunset Motel
The Sunset Motel opened as a roadside motor court in the 1950s and looks exactly like it, in the best possible way. The exterior is unchanged. Inside, owner Andy Schrader has spent years doing what the property calls a retrovation: keeping the one-story drive-up layout, the vintage character, and the motor court bones exactly as they were, while making everything inside genuinely comfortable. Each room is individually decorated in a 1950s retro register, no two the same. Brevard is a small mountain town positioned between DuPont State Recreational Forest and Pisgah National Forest, both minutes away. The Mountain Biking Capital of the East designation is earned: the trail networks here are among the best in the Blue Ridge. The downtown is walkable from the motel. USA Today has named the Sunset to its Best Motor Lodges list multiple years running.
What The Sunset Motel Is Known For
The Sunset has been named to USA Today’s Best Motor Lodges list multiple years running, recognition that reflects what consistent reviewers say: this is exactly what a motor court should be. The retrovation is why. Andy Schrader preserved the drive-up layout, the vintage exterior, the chairs outside every door, and the motel’s 1950s bones rather than renovating the property into something it was never meant to be. The guests who return to the same room, in the same season, year after year, are the metric that matters more than any list.
Amenities
- Pets Welcome
- WiFi
- Fire pit and hammocks in back area
- Vintage chairs on front patio
- Record player with vinyl (select rooms)
- Kitchenette rooms available
- Standalone cottage
- Efficiency apartments with full kitchens
What Guests Love
- Andy Schrader is the kind of host who gets named in reviews: on-site, warm, and genuinely helpful with trail and restaurant recommendations
- The back hammock and fire pit area under towering trees is quieter than the front patio, and return guests know to go straight there
- Record players with vinyl albums waiting in select rooms: guests have found Frank Sinatra and Fleetwood Mac
- Kitchenette and full-kitchen rooms make the Sunset work for longer Blue Ridge stays, not just overnight stops
- Walking distance to downtown Brevard’s restaurants and coffee shops: the town knows the outdoor crowd and caters to it
Worth Knowing
- Fills up quickly during peak Blue Ridge season, April through October. Book early for weekends and fall color season.
- Brevard is a small mountain town; late-night dining options are limited. Plan around early-closing hours.
- Some rooms face the street and carry road noise from the main corridor through Brevard. If this matters, request a quieter room when booking.
- Pets are welcome. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
The Room
The rooms range from single queens to double and deluxe configurations, each decorated individually in a 1950s retro style with vintage furnishings, kitschy details, and the kind of character that does not come from a renovation catalog. Some rooms include record players with vinyl albums: guests have found Frank Sinatra and Fleetwood Mac waiting. All include TVs, mini-fridges, microwaves, and coffee makers. Beds are consistently praised for comfort. Air conditioning is standard. The bathrooms retain a vintage feel; the shower windows have privacy film on the exterior, though it is worth knowing before you step in. Rooms have full kitchenettes, a genuine find for longer Blue Ridge stays or groups cooking after a trail day. One upstairs apartment, the exception to the otherwise ground-level property, has mountain views and its own character. A spacious cottage sits in a back park-like setting with its own space. Pet-friendly rooms are available in designated configurations.
The Grounds
The Sunset Motel sits on South Broad Street in downtown Brevard, a single-story motor court from the outside exactly as it appeared when it opened in the 1950s. Vintage chairs sit outside every door on the front patio. Around back, towering trees shade a hammock area and a fire pit with picnic tables: a quieter, more private space than the street-facing front, and the part of the property that return guests seek out first. The standalone cottage occupies the edge of this back area. Parking is directly at the room door throughout.
The Experience
After a day on the DuPont trails or the Davidson River, the routine at the Sunset is simple: pull in, find the chair outside your door, and let the Blue Ridge light go golden. Andy Schrader is usually around, and anyone who asks about the trails, the restaurants, or the best waterfall for the conditions gets a longer answer than they expected. The back hammock and fire pit area draws guests out in the evenings: a quieter version of the front patio, under trees, with enough space between the property and the road to forget the road exists. Downtown Brevard is a ten-minute walk for dinner. The coffee shops know the mountain biking crowd well. The same guests come back in the same season, which is the clearest possible signal about what the Sunset actually is.
Details
Brevard, NC 28712
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does The Sunset Motel have EV charging?
No, The Sunset Motel does not have EV charging.
Does The Sunset Motel have WiFi?
Yes, The Sunset Motel has WiFi.
What is there to do near The Sunset Motel?
DuPont State Recreational Forest: 4 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there. Pisgah National Forest: 5 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there. Brevard Music Center: 0.5 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
How far is The Sunset Motel from DuPont State Recreational Forest?
4 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there.
How far is The Sunset Motel from Pisgah National Forest?
5 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there.
How far is The Sunset Motel from Brevard Music Center?
0.5 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
Is The Sunset Motel pet friendly?
Yes. The Sunset Motel welcomes pets. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
Does the Sunset Motel have a pool?
No. The motel has a back area with hammocks and a fire pit under towering trees, which most guests find a better end to a trail day.
How far is the Sunset Motel from DuPont State Recreational Forest?
DuPont State Recreational Forest is approximately 4 miles from the motel, about a 10-minute drive.
How far is the Sunset Motel from downtown Brevard?
Downtown Brevard is a short walk from the motel, about 10 minutes on foot along South Broad Street.
Does the Sunset Motel have kitchens?
Yes. Rooms include kitchenettes or full kitchens, making the Sunset a practical choice for longer stays or guests who want to cook after a day on the trails.
What is Brevard, North Carolina known for?
Brevard is a small city in the Blue Ridge Mountains known for its concentration of waterfalls, its access to Pisgah National Forest, and a white squirrel population that has become the town's unlikely mascot. DuPont State Recreational Forest, 4 miles from the Sunset Motel, has more than 80 miles of multi-use trails including the triple waterfall loop used as a filming location for The Hunger Games. The Brevard Music Center brings a summer classical season with international performers each year.
Is parking available at The Sunset Motel?
Yes. Free on-site parking is available at The Sunset Motel.
Does The Sunset Motel include breakfast?
No. Breakfast is not included at The Sunset Motel.
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Things to Do Near Pisgah Forest, North Carolina
DuPont State Recreational Forest
4 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there.
Nearly 12,000 acres of trails, waterfalls, and granite domes, home to the Triple Falls that appears in The Hunger Games and some of the best mountain biking in the eastern US.
Pisgah National Forest
5 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there.
One of the oldest national forests in the eastern US, with half a million acres of fishing streams, hiking trails, and waterfalls. Looking Glass Rock is its most recognized landmark.
Brevard Music Center
0.5 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
One of America's leading summer music institutes: world-class classical, jazz, and orchestral performances in an outdoor amphitheater from June through August.