Inn on Biltmore Estate

Gorgeous Inn sitting on top of a hill on the Biltmore Estate grounds. Stayed with my fiancé for a romantic little mini getaway. Service is impeccable. By the time you actually get a chance to ask someone a question, you turn around and they already have the item you need. Even down to the sweet female valet who saw us off: she had turned on our seat heaters, handed us two bottles of water for the ride home, asked if we needed directions, and didn’t stand there and give us that awkward «I’m waiting for my tip» moment. Room was beautiful, extremely clean, and well appointed. Would highly recommend and will definitely be back! Restaurant on site was also wonderful – our server’s name was Chris and he provided great service.

I made a reservation in October for the Inn’s «Enchanted Christmas Package,» which included lodging, daily buffet breakfast, Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner, and daytime admission at the Estate. The package had a three nights’ minimum stay, but I booked four nights so we would be departing on Sunday. The cost of the package was $ 3,180 with a $ 775 deposit billed to my credit card.
My wife and I had stayed at the Inn many years ago, and although we had some issues at that time, such as inferior quality food, the lack of a spa, and the lack of an exercise facility, we were advised that things had improved in the interim.
When we arrived, it appeared as it did many years ago. It is a nice hotel, but not outstanding. The «spa» has been shoehorned into a couple of former guest rooms, as has a small exercise room, which is now at the end of a long corridor of rooms — both clearly afterthoughts. By the way, ignore this review and actually book at the Inn and make certain you demand that your room not be located adjacent to the spa and the exercise room.
Our room itself was fairly well-​appointed, but there’s a reason the size of the rooms do not appear on the Inn’s website, as well as relatively few photographs. The room wasn’t that large and was inefficiently configured. And, with the only choices of either two double beds or one king bed with no pull-​out sofas, the rooms aren’t very accommodating to young families.
Other than one employee, whom I’ll discuss later, the staff is relatively friendly and knowledgeable, addressing us, for example, by our last names when calling for room service or otherwise seeking assistance. As to the food, however, there has been absolutely no improvement. Indeed, it was some of the worst hotel food we’ve ever eaten.
We had room service on the night of our arrival, which was underwhelming relative to its inflated price. Again, there’s a reason the room service menu and its prices do not appear on the Inn’s website.
The next morning, our buffet breakfast was a disaster. Any moderate chain — even Hampton Inn — serves far superior food for breakfast. The juice was not freshly squeezed and, at the equivalent of $ 800 a day, it should be, but was carton-​quality. The coffee was weak. The pastries could have been purchased at any Wal-​Mart, Costco, or Sam’s. The scrambled eggs were swimming in water where the eggs, apparently of the reconstituted variety, had separated from the liquid used to make them. Only a couple of patrons were brave enough to have scooped from this unappetizing mess (I wasn’t one of them), but my wife was and told me they tasted as if they had been prepared with «dish water.» The bacon (according to my wife as I’m a vegetarian) was so salty that she could not eat it. We inquired about whether we could order from the menu, but were advised that only the buffet was available. Later, upon further inquiry, we were told that we could order breakfast from room service, which we did for the remainder of our stay. And, although the quality of room service breakfast was somewhat better, it was not what one would expect from a «four star» hotel or even a «three star» one.
Prior to our visit, I had responded to an email eliciting dietary preferences, indicating that I was vegetarian, and understood that my preference would be accommodated. But, for our Christmas Eve «buffet,» served in some conference rooms not being used the week of Christmas for corporate functions, I was relegated to mashed potatoes (which also tasted to my wife and me as if they were made with dish water) and some roasted root vegetables (which were actually pretty good). But, that was it, for Christmas Eve «dinner.» I had a bite of mashed potatoes, some roasted root vegetables, and a hard roll. Some pre-​made salads were available, but upon inspection, they had something resembling bacon in them. As to my wife’s Christmas Eve dinner, the fare was unremarkable. Finally, even though our six-​year-​old son was with us and we had been advised that meals would include food for children, his Christmas Eve dinner consisted of a cookie and some fruit as nothing else available was suitable for children and we were advised that nothing could be prepared for him.
We were certainly hopeful that Christmas Dinner in the dining room would be better, but sadly, we were wrong. First, I was provided a menu with no vegetarian option for the main course even though, again, the Inn elicited my dietary preference prior to my arrival. Ultimately, I was relegated to two separate second courses. My first course was a small goat cheese salad which was good, but not outstanding. My second course I can’t remember which probably says a good deal. My third course was pumpkin gnocchi which had the consistency of an eraser. After considerable effort chewing on one piece, I left the other gnocchi alone in their bowl. The accompanying diced vegetables and their sauce, however, were quite good. I

For a standard room that cost over $ 700 for 1 night, I would expect not to have a urine spot on my toilet seat from the previous guest! I brought it to the concierges attention, nothing but «I’m so sorry.»

Restaurant is unbelievable. Wow. Great service and food. Really cool. The gore is good. Valet and bell hop is horrible. They provide zero help. The rooms are really outdated. Very little outlets. No fridge. Outdated etc.

I could not agree more with some of the other reviews. Namely, Efflie L. I absolutely loved the hotel, the rooms were beautiful the bar and restaurants fantastic. The grounds magnificent. But the SPA is a total rip off. They charge you a fortune for your services and then when you get into the room to start your massage, they have you sitting there for over 10 minutes trying to up sell you, with all the add ons they offer. Worst part is, they don’t make up the time during your treatment. They actually take that time off of your treatment. Shocking! I have been to spas all over the world. I have NEVER had that experience before. BEWARE!!! STEER CLEAR OFF THE SPA!

The views are spectacular, the lunch menu in the library is incredibly reasonable, the breakfast is delicious and the dinner is world class. I’ve never stayed here but when my family visits they stay here and I join them for various meals.
I really recommend the Inn for a nice family breakfast or lunch so you can get some nice group pics out on the patio!!! Never had a bad meal or a bad time at the Inn on Biltmore Estate!

It was for my Birthday the decision was made for a relaxing vacation; last year we run all over Alaska. The Inn at Biltmore would be perfect. Picturesque is a good word to describe the Inn. After an uneventful check in we entered our room overlooking the Mountains. Now things went wrong as this was a handicap room and it had a slight odor. Of course we asked for another room. If you think your vacation is about to be ruined your not so happy. But the Hotel Director Charles up-​graded us to the James Suite. Needless to say we had an amazing three days. The staff from the valet to shuttle bus drivers to hostess to restaurant servers, all were friendly and gave impeccable service. We always demand cleanliness and the Inn lived up to our high standard. Let me mention the Spa as we had a Couples Massage. Phenomenal; what a Quality Massage, sometimes when you get the couples deal one gets a better masseuse. Not at the Inn both of us came away very relaxed. Hats off to the Spa staff. The Biltmore House has a lot to see and do you can sit and enjoy the amazing views or get out and bike, horseback ride, Segway, or get on the water your choice. We enjoyed our Phenomenal stay hope you do too.

If you’re lucky enough to secure a reservation, take it! This was an all around relaxing, vacation. The views are phenomenal, the staff attentive and the grounds impeccable.

The hotel itself deserves 5 stars. I love it and would definitely return if I am ever in the area again. Beautiful hotel. Beautiful grounds and gardens! Good food. The horseback riding was amazing! An overall pleasant experience and great atmosphere.
I am giving the spa here 1 star. I have been to my share of spas around the country and even internationally, and this was the worst facial I’ve ever had! An absolute waste of money. I was terribly disappointed.
When you enter the spa, there is a little gift shop like area where you can purchase products used in the spa, which I’ve discovered is common among spas in hotels. I like being able to purchase products used in the spas that I visit. Anyway, the spa itself is cute, clean, and has the right atmosphere along with a beautiful bathroom! I was very happy and excited to get my facial based on the way the spa looked and the fact that this spa was located inside a beautiful hotel.
When the lady entered my room to do my facial, she placed hot stones all the way down the midline of my abdomen, which was different than any facial I had prior. Again, I thought this was going to be a good facial. But, NO! The lady spent at least 10 minutes of my facial time removing my makeup! She was using some sort of makeup removing towel and just kept wiping my mascara and lipstick. She was barely applying any pressure, which is why it took forever to get it off. She even commented about how hard it was to get off, «Man, that must be some really good stuff because it won’t come off.» Maybe it was because I was using high quality makeup? I told her it was MAC and she said, «That explains it!» I’m guessing she was not used to people wearing quality makeup? Maybe the spa should use a better makeup remover!
The facial just got worse as time went by. After she finally got enough of my makeup off, she proceeded to apply products to my face. The entire facial was performed with products you could purchase in the spa gift store. The lady would squirt some product out of the bottle and rub it on my face for a few minutes, then get another product and do the same thing. This was the entire facial. LITERALLY!!! I could have purchased all the products from the gift shop and given myself the same facial! I think there were only about 2 products maximum that were not sold in the gift store. Also, this facial was way too short. I don’t remember the exact time it was supposed to be, but it was definitely shorter than advertised.
When I returned to the hotel room and looked in the mirror, my face was bright red. It was not an allergic reaction to any of the products. (I am in the medical field and can recognize an allergic reaction). It was redness due to the intense rubbing all over my face! Again, terribly disappointed in this spa. Such a beautiful hotel with beautiful grounds, it’s a shame their spa services are not as enjoyable as the hotel is.
The spa at Biltmore: Do yourselves a favor — go to The Spa at The Hotel Hershey in Hershey, Pennsylvania and learn what a facial is all about!

My wife made reservations at the Biltmore Inn about 3 months before our anniversary. She specifically asked for a window table and was assured that was no problem. So when we arrived at the Inn, we were disappointed that our table was «near a window», rather than a window table.
We dressed appropriately for the Inn. I wore a jacket, pressed shirt and slacks. That contrasted to one table of men who did not wear socks, and another table with a guy wearing sneakers. And another table of an older couple where the woman spent most of her time on her smart phone.
I guess I expected some class amongst the guests. I was asking too much.
The food was very good– five stars — although the portions were small. We both had the three course dinner.
Except for our waiter, the wait staff were ameteurs. One women with tattoos on her arm seemed to hover around us. In one instance, my wife was sipping an amuse Bouche soup and placed her cup on the dinner plate. The tattoo woman immediately came over to take the cup. My wife said she was not done, but the woman took her plate, leaving the soup, and took my plate as well.
In another instance, the moment my wife placed her fork on the dinner plate, the tattoo woman was there to clear the table. It seemed to me she was on a schedule and we were not allowed to interfere.
Overall, the food was very good, although sparse, and the wait staff needs additional training, and maybe patience.

Beautiful estate. Friendly staff and great service. Lots to do on the grounds and great location. Would definitely stay there again.

We stayed here while touring scenic Asheville and environs and the fabled Biltmore mansion. Everything about this property is first-​rate, from the service and well-​appointed room to the restaurants and shops and spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and mountains. Highly recommend this hotel as a quiet and top-​quality getaway, a veritable oasis of calm.

Came back for business again this year. My company picks this hotel so we don’t have a choice.
I really think the Biltmore brand is fading. Asheville has so many beautiful hotel options with appropriate décor. My group will be staying someplace else next year. We thought the staff did a great job this year, but unfortunately they can’t make up for the poor quality of the hotel.

FOOD review only (we did not stay here):
Quite simply, one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my entire life! I’m a foodie. I don’t get caught up in «beautiful atmospheres», great views, awesome decors, etc. I let the food speak for itself and I don’t care if its served on a cardboard plate. All of that other stuff is just bonus… its nice to have but the food has to be stellar to make an impression on me. And this place delivers! (As an aside: this place DOES have outstanding views, décor, atmosphere, and service AND the food stands on its own. A very rare combination!)
We chose the «Chef’s Degustation Menu» which was a 7 course dinner for $ 125 per person. We received 3 additional «courses» compliments of the chef so in actuality it was probably closer to a 10 course meal. To our surprise, it appeared we were the only persons in the entire dining room that ordered this meal. Oh well, their loss. Each course was well balanced, and portion size was just right (I’m a big eater). Below is the menu that we enjoyed — I could write a paragraph on each item, but for brevity’s sake, suffice to say that each course was absolutely divine.
CHEF’S DEGUSTATION MENU
Amuse Bouche
Popcorn Cream Soup
1^st Course
Bison Tartare — Capers, Parmesan, Demi-​Glacé, Egg Yolk
2^nd Course
Escargot — Crab, Potato, Bone Marrow, Tempura
3^rd Course
Prawn Scampi — Hand Cut Pasta, Confit Garlic, Persillade
4^th Course
Day Boat Fluke — Lobster Periogie, Andouille, Choucroute
Palate Cleanser
Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet
5^th Course
Colorado Lamb — Fennel, Smoked Orange, Crispy Chickpeas
6^th Course
Ribeye — Vidalia Onion, Chanterelles, Fava Beans, Summer Truffle
7^th Course
Hazelnut Torte — Blackberry Gelee, Hazelnut Croquant, Brown Sugar Ice Cream
Complimentary Dessert
Dried Apricots — Dipped in Dark Chocolate and rolled in Walnuts and Coconut
We made no changes/​requests for modifications to any of the courses, trusting in the Chef’s expertise… and he delivered! At the end of the meal, the Chef came out to our table, thanked us for coming, and talked to us for a short bit before heading back to the kitchen (he didn’t talk to anyone else in the entire dining room!).
Definitely a meal that I will remember for the rest of my life… and it is worth the 5.5 hour drive back to Ashville NC just for that meal! If you are even remotely close, go HERE and order the 7 course dinner. You will NOT be disappointed. My highest recommendation!

we were visiting asheville for a wedding.
inn on biltmore estate looked like a nice place to stay.
right to it. arrived a couple hours late thanks to the usual FU at ohare. the most friendly staff you could have at 2am.
rooms were super comfy, nothing crazy luxurious, but nice and welcoming. nice bathroom.
nice place to stay. good dining options, the bistro at the winery was surprisingly good.
planning on a longer trip soon. asheville is kinda cool. beer city!

Well worth it if you’re visiting the House… Not sure I’d stay here if I were just in Asheville. Winter months you can get some great deals… Less than $ 200night. Views are spectacular and staff is amazing. Rooms are small but ample for 2 or 3… Bed is incredibly comfortable. Haven’t tried to fight for breakfast but there’s always a line.
Fun fact… Had to stop for 9 bucks (male deer) to cross the road in front of my wife and I while leaving. Kinda cool.

Well first let me start off saying, this is NOT the Ritz or the Saint Regis. This is somewhere nice and convenient to stay while visiting the Biltmore Estate. I’d say, convenience is the only true positive. That and the fact that I visited in the Winter Months. The rooms are terribly small and not particularly luxurious but the staff is very nice and friendly.
The shuttle was a nice touch as we got to see and enjoy all parts of the estate without driving. The breakfast buffet was also a nice touch. Everything else was overrated. Next go round I’ll try something else and we will probably drive in for the day.

This was our second time staying here! Awesome view-​the staff is very attentive to our needs! Rooms are spacious with a big bathroom! The breakfast buffet in the restaurant is over the top! Excellent made to order omelets and hot items are delicious! Highly recommend to stay here if you are passing through Asheville or visiting the Big House!

If you’re looking for glitz or bling (does anyone use that word anymore?) you won’t find it at the Inn on Biltmore Estate. This is more like a low-​mileage Rolls Royce from the 1990s, back when Rolls was still hand-​built at Crewe, England.
Everything is in good taste. Everything works. Everything fits. Staff is friendly, but not pushy.
In the high season in summer or October, you’ll pay a pretty penny to stay here — $ 300 or $ 400 a night or more. With tax, valet parking ($ 18), tips, House tour, breakfast and perhaps dinner it will be much more, easily $ 600 a night. But we’re annual passholders and took advantage of the $ 109 weekday double rate (plus tax) in deepest winter and parked our own car (no, not a Rolls). For that we got a very tasteful fifth floor room with two double beds. It had lovely views west over a small vineyard and Antler Hill to the mountains at sunset.
Our room, like most of those we’ve seen at the Inn, isn’t large, hardly larger than a regular room at, say, a Hampton Inn, but the beds are remarkably comfortable, the shower purrs and there a few amenities such as Keurig K-​Cup coffee maker, designer toiletries, robes and slippers, and free wi-​fi. There are also free shuttles to the House and Winery, though unless you buy a package just staying at the Inn doesn’t include admission to the House, though you have access to the grounds, gardens and much else that makes Biltmore special.
We had dinner in the Dining Room (reviewed separately), which was very good.
The hotel wasn’t full, but neither was it deserted, with quite a few people in the Library dining area, bar and the main Dining Room. It turned out to be a beautiful day, sandwiched between two very cold periods, and we did tour the Biltmore House before checking in, even though we’ve seen it many times before. The audio tour players (normally an extra $ 10) were free, and the audio tour definitely adds something to the experience.
Let me put in a plug for the 12-​month pass. It’s an extraordinary bargain, especially if you live in or near Asheville. Even if you’re from out of town and only plan to come a couple of times a year, you’ll save money and get unlimited visits to the House, grounds and gardens. Besides the unlimited free visits (they do not include, however, the special Christmas nighttime tours) you get some other benefits — for example, discounts on dining and in Biltmore’s shops. I’m not sure what the rate is this year, but when we bought our passes last year I think they were $ 79 each. Look for special offers, and if you enter on a regular rate currently you can upgrade your ticket to a 12-​month pass for $ 49 while you’re on the estate.

This is a lovely hotel. The rooms are stately and large, and the staff are friendly. We went during December and the Christmas decorations were beautiful.
As others have mentioned, it takes a LONG time to get seated for breakfast. Either give yourself an extra 30 hr (at least) or just order room service. Dinner at the Dining Room is fabulous (separate review on that).
The grounds are beautiful and there is lots to do — hike, fish, off-​roading, tour the house, horseback riding, biking, visit the village and winery.
There is also a spa that is small (no locker rooms/​sauna/​etc), but very nice.