My family and I stayed two nights here, and greatly enjoyed the hospitality and comfort. A lot of little extras are provided, such as homemade cookies and snacks, and a common fridge is stocked with soda and juices. DVDs and CDs are also available to play in your room.

My husband and I stayed in the room called Mary, which is at the front of the house, directly next to the front door. This meant the speakers on the front porch were audible when we were in the room during the evening (Howard leaves them on until about 10:00pm); we enjoyed the selection of music that was played, so it wasn’t a problem for us, but if you want quiet, try a room at the back of the house.

Also regarding noise, the house is old and has a tendency to creak. As Mary is on the ground floor, you hear the footsteps of the people above. Try a room on the upper floor if this will bother you.

There was a fireplace in room, which made for cosy nights, and the bed is quite comfortable, although very high – be careful if rolling out to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

My parents stayed in Dora, which is also on the ground floor. It is a slightly larger room than Mary and has a small conservatory attached, as well as a private refrigerator. They seemed very comfortable in the room, and are already planning to make a second visit to both Biltmore and the Dry Ridge Inn. Tickets for Biltmore were purchased through the Dry Ridge Inn at a very good price, so it may be worth looking into this, especially if you are going to do the Christmas Candlelight tour.

My only (very minor) quibbles are regarding the breakfasts, about which I have mixed feelings. The food itself was delicious and beautifully presented, and the selection of fruit juices was excellent. However, it’s a set menu so you get whatever is put in front of you, whether you like it or not (for example, my mother and I share a hatred of bananas, which was part of the breakfast on the second morning). I understand that a set menu is much easier to make, but a small selection would be nice (e.g. a basket of fruit and rolls on the table would allow those who don’t want something to still eat).

Tea drinkers may also have problems. Although there is a great selection of types of tea available, we found it difficult to get refills of the hot water during breakfast. The single teapots used can only hold two teacups worth of water, maximum, and for people used to drinking two (or more) mugs a morning, it’s just not enough. There is also no electric kettle available for making tea in the evenings, so the water has to be microwaved, which is not ideal, but also not the end of the world.

Indeed, the very fact that my biggest problem was over the amount of hot water for tea should indicate that the Dry Ridge Inn is an excellent place to stay!