Some collegues and I stayed at the Henry Clay Inn on a recent business trip. This hotel is billed as a quaint, older inn and that is exactly what it was. My room was very clean and adequate for what I needed. I had no problems the entire stay. The inn seems old, even older than it actually is, but that is part of its personality. The staff was very freindly, but they are not there all of the time, which I think makes it seem even more intimate. The breakfast starts at 8:00 AM so business travelers will not likely be able to eat it. We did stick around one morning for the breakfast, which consisted of cereal, muffins, bagels, fruit, juices, and coffee.
My room was on the back side so, although I heard the trains, it did not keep me up. I was told there are 30 to 40 trains a day on that track, but, again, it is part of the charm of the town and the inn.
If you are looking for a grand hotel with lots of frills and amenities, this is not it. However, for a quaint, clean, charming hotel, the Henry Clay does alright.

BEDS TOO SHORT. THE STAFF OVERSLEPT UNTIL 10AM SO NO BREAKFAST. Only staffed during biz hours so if you arrive late (past 5pm), you must pre-arrange to have the key made available with details instructions for the treasure hunt to find it. They offered a $10 coupon for our next vist which won't happen.

WiFi WAS NOT AVAILABLE

The delay of the staff caused us to miss crucial meetings in order to wait to arrange storage of our bags. We had to do this because as stated before, ALL OF THE STAFF LEAVE AFTER BUSINESS HOURS.

My husband and I booked a suite at the Henry Clay Inn for our recent anniversary. We have stayed at many inns, B&B's and hotels over the years for this occassion. We are most disappointed with this location. The Henry Clay Inn charges comparable prices as B&B's for their suite rooms. However, all that is included for breakfast is a continental buffet. The decor in the room and throughout the Inn is outdated and worn. The TV's in the suite were 15" or less. The shower was unimpressive. Also, there are train tracks literally a step away from the front door and trains run throughout the night. If you can sleep through that, you are lucky, but we could not.

Booking the room was easy. I checked the on line calendar to see what was available, then called in the reservation. When I entered to check in, the lobby area was empty. I walked to the office window, and waited- too long. I actually finally had to say "Hello?" to get the attention of the manager! She apologized, but after driving for several hours in bad traffic, it did not leave a good impression. I was given 2 keys, one for the main doors, and one for the room. I was told that the inn is not staffed after normal business hours, so I would need the key. Also, if there were any problems, a message service would get the call.
I had room 101, the smallest (and cheapest). It is in the back corner, facing the parking lot. I liked the 2 sets of windows, and there is a little porch area outside the french doors. The room contained a queen bed, an armoir with a small tv, ice bucket and 2 bottles of water. There was a small table with a coffee maker and supplies, and an arm chair. There was very little room, but it worked for me as a single. As an older home, it had very high ceilings. The bathroom was large and handicap accessible. It had a light/ fan, a bath light, and a heating light. The one thing I did not like about the room was the very slow/sometimes stopped toilet. Apparently this is not the only room with this problem, and there is a plunger there, so I assume that this has been the case for some time. Other rooms I visited were suites, with a sitting area and a bedroom- several also had a kitchenette area, with sink, fridge, and microwave.
The location is in downtown Ashland, within easy walking distance of the entire old town area- very quaint! As far as I know, it is the only one in the old town area. It is right behind the visitor center, which is also the Amtrak station. Be warned- there are trains all night long, and several blow whistles as they approach the town! During the day it is cool to see them, but even as a heavy sleeper I was woken more than once. The inn is also across the tracks from Randolph Macon College.
The breakfast is serve yourself. I got there late, so there wasn't much out- some bagels with a toaster, small boxes of cereal, a container of granola, supplies for coffee and tea, and ice water. There were packets of oatmeal and hot cocoa available as well.
The house is huge, with large areas downstairs and up for gatherings. There is a large front porch, and a balcony on the second floor with rocking chairs. The rooms on the back side of the second floor all have doors that open onto a shared balcony- great for our group, as we could gather and hang out, but may limit privacy.
In town, I enjoyed the small old fashioned grocery store down the street, which sells delicious roast chicken; the public library with a great little park and fountain out front, the bakery, and Ashland Tea and Coffee, which serves an amazing Sunday brunch!