I'll begin this review with a quick list of pros and cons. That way, if you just want quick look, you won't have to read the whole review. I'll follow up with a bit more of an indepth review.
Pros:
1. Very convenient to the Biltmore House and the winery.
2. Beautiful lobby and library.
3. Lovely view.
Cons:
1. Merely adequate room.
2. Relatively unhelpful staff.
3. This in NOT an inn. It is a hotel.
4. Overpriced for value given.
In depth review:
My husband and I arrived on a Wednesday in the off-season (February). The hotel had few guests. When we checked in, the pleasant desk person welcomed us and then asked if we would like an upgrade.....at a cost. Since it was the off season they could offer us a room with a view for only $25 more. Hmmmm.........in our travels, the properties that impressed us the most were the ones that automatically upgraded guests when a property was obviously not nearly full. It costs them nothing more, but makes the guest feel privileged and more inclined to return. That was not the case here. We decided to upgrade, anyway. The desk staff person then "warned" us that the room had the best view but "a lot of grab bars" in the bathroom. OK. She wasn't kidding.
The room was adequate. Nothing more. It compared to most of the 3.5 - 4 star properties in which we've stayed over time. They generally cost a fraction of what this room commands. The view was nice, but from what we could tell, most of the rooms on that side of the hotel would have the same view.
We asked about dining and were given the run-down on the on site restaurants (3 at this time of year). Later we asked the concierge about off-site "local" restaurants. She whipped out a pre-printed sheet of a few restaurants and passed it to us without ever making eye contact. This is ASHVILLE! The restaurant scene is legendary! We ended up going to the pub on-site, Cedrics. It was nice, but not the "clubby pub" that we had hoped. It felt "new" in a plastic sort of way.....think Disneyland. The waitress and the host, however, were wonderful. I finally asked the waitress if she could recommend any place "funky and local" for breakfast. She immediately gave us recommendations. What a great gal. We took one of her reccs for breakfast - Early Girl. Excellent local/whole food breakfast. The waiter there recommended a few places for dinner. Now we were getting somewhere!
We ate at Salsa, a Caribe/Mex restaurant. Nothing fancy but great food and an excellent Mojito. The waiter was friendly and fun and actually told us about happenings in town.
We had earlier checked out the "formal" hotel restaurant. We ended up not going there because it is in the "basement" of the hotel. It is an English basement, but it just didn't have a good feel for an upscale restaurant. You should note that the "library" serves light dinners and it has a MUCH nicer feel. There was a pianist playing wonderful music while we were there. Additionally, there is a very nice large fireplace with cozy chairs and the view is wonderful. The bar is tiny and not a place you'd want to settle in with a brandy. Take it in the library.
In short, I would not return to this property. My husband has stayed in some of the local B&B's and they would be a much better value. The ONLY reason to stay here is for the convenience of being able to take the hotel shuttle to the Biltmore House and to be able to walk to the winery. No..... Wait...... That's not the only reason. The other reason would be to be able to say "I stayed at THE Inn". If you're willing to pay a premium for that, then the Inn is the place for you.
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- Biltmore Inn
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