Blake House Inn

Let me start off by saying that I travel a lot for work and from time to time choose to stay in a B&B because I usually find them to be very welcoming, cozy and a break from a regular hotel. Sadly, this B&B did not provide any of those things. The owner, Leslie, sent an email a few days before indicating that she had estimated our check in time to be 4 – 5 pm on arrival day even though their website says 3 – 6 pm for Saturday check ins. When we arrived, Leslie was very brusk with checking us in and said «it’s in the book» about 10 times referring to the book in our room. After she checked us in to our room, we didn’t see her for the remaining part of our 4 day stay which I thought was a bit odd. Usually, B&B owners are very welcoming and helpful with a cheery disposition; not Leslie. The room we had, the Azalea room, I can only describe as a depressing mess. It was a room added on to the house at some point and is on the upper level of the main house. The door is a step up from the floor and short so you almost hit your head getting into the room (I’m only 5’7″ and had this issue). The décor is confused to say the least. There were raggedy quilts thrown about here and there (I counted at least 9), a vanity with no light near it to make it useful, a bathroom so small you can’t even reach above your head in the shower because the ceiling is so low and it’s so tiny that you really don’t have room to put on makeup (hence the vanity that is pointless). As the room was an add on to the house, the wall connecting to the house is stone. This might sound quaint but it is not sealed or treated so there are cobwebs and dirt/​debris comes off the walls onto anything close to the wall. The carpet was old and you could see outlines of where furniture used to be. There were also quilted pillows on the main bed and the single bed that were dingy with dirt from who knows how many guests. There is a flat screen TV in the room but the placement is awkward and the antenna is on the wall because the owner doesn’t want to spring for satellite tv or cable (you have netflix and hulu). The wifi is not consistent and was constantly frozen. There is an alarm clock that has a cd player but it’s across the room because there aren’t any outlets near the bed which makes charging a phone, digital camera etc inconvenient. The closet had some kind of plywood up against part of it with a huge hole in the back wall. Next to the single bed there are folding short slatted doors where there is a fire escape ladder behind it in case of an emergency. How you are supposed to move the bed to get to it easily is beyond me. Not to mention that you are supposed to go through the windows in the room to use the ladder. The roof like to do that outside the windows had power lines running across it so not ideal in case of an emergency.
The only positive I have about this place is the nice girl who made breakfast. It was yummy and she was genuinely welcoming. The set up in a little weird though as the beverages were serve yourself and the china was all mismatched with some pieces having visible chips in them.
The house itself could be very beautiful with some work. The décor throughout the house is very disjointed with A LOT of broken pottery glued together to try to be artistic. The outdoor area was ok but there would be just 1 chair here and another chair there. The location of the B&B is less than 1 block off of a main road behind a gas station/​mini mart and an office building. There is a hammock on the side porch which we just happened to spot because no one told us about it but it looked like it was going to fall apart if a child sat in it.
I know there are many positive reviews for this B&B and if you were staying in the Lilac room, which the most expensive, it does look lovely (we were able to walk through it) but the house truly needs maintenance and the outside needs to be cleaned up and «de-​trashed». The location doesn’t lend itself to a nice stroll at night either.

My husband and I just finished a 2 night stay at the Blake House Inn. We stayed in the
Sycamore Suite because we wanted a separate entrance to come and go with our dog. The suite is not in the main house but in the separate carriage house. It’s a great place to stay if you have a traveling dog with you. Leslie put out 2 different dog beds in advance for us as well as some toys which our pup enjoyed. The bed was a little soft for my taste but the suite was clean and spacious. Luckily for us, breakfast is now part of the package if you are in the Sycamore Suite. Patti was our cook the first morning and Leslie made breakfast for us on Thanksgiving morning. Both breakfast’s were great. I am not sure I understand the previous reviewer who found Leslie unfriendly. She was very friendly to us and helpful with late check in as well as ideas for things to do in Asheville in November. There’s a fine line I think in B & B’s between being friendly and too friendly. A lot of people are like us who just want a peaceful place to rest away from the hectic work week. Thank you Leslie for a relaxing stay.

You’d expect someone who owns a B&B to be a people-​person. Not so here. Leslie, the owner, did pretty much everything she could to avoid any sort of interaction with us. One evening we pulled into the parking lot after a day of touring. She was there playing with her dog. She practically ran into the carriage house where she lives without saying a word, not even a wave. It was absolutely bizarre. The night we arrived, one of the smoke detectors was chirping loudly to indicate a weak battery. Rebecca, who was as sweet as she could be, told us she had just told the owner and that Leslie would be right over to fix it. We were going to get a bite to eat but figured we’d wait just a bit to meet the owner. We assumed she’d be right over as the chirping sound was really obnoxious. We waited and waited and no Leslie. So we went to dinner. The chirping noise had been fixed by the time we got back. We were the only ones there that night so it definitely seemed like she waited until we were gone so as to avoid us. Just very strange. The second morning we managed to spot her briefly supervising her employee, Patty. She never introduced herself. I had to ask her if she was the owner. All she said was, «Yes. I’m Leslie.» That was it. Not how are you enjoying your stay or anything remotely like that.
The room was fine. The home itself was fascinating. I read the notebook they had that outlined the home’s history. Fun fact: Andie McDowall’s grandmother owned the Blake House at one time and Andie spent her summers here. Rebecca showed us the room she stayed in as a child.
Food was pretty good, not great.
Leslie soured us on the Blake House. We will stay elsewhere next time.

Lovely little B&B, not too far from the Biltmore, in a quiet, wooded neighborhood. You’re in an old house, so keep in mind the floors will be weird and the ceilings possibly cramped on the upper floor — I kept hitting my hands on the ceiling in the shower! Breakfast was formal and very good. Pets permitted, but I believe pet owners stay in a separate building on the property. Check out the web site for photos of the rooms, which are quite unique!

I enjoyed my visit thoroughly. All the staff were most gracious and accommodating.
The room was truly delightful (Dogwood) with fantastic details and comfortable bedding. The gift basket in my room was thoughtful and fun to discover.
The grounds are very dog friendly and there is a park near-​by too for those early morning walks.
Breakfast was plentiful and well-​received. My only recommendation would be a sweet and savory component to all breakfasts (because I am more of a savory fiend).
It is a little outside of Asheville (about 5 miles) but not too bad of a drive.

Simply Lovely! My first B&B experience, and it was top notch. The house is adorable, well preserved, inviting, and with an interesting history. The staff is SO sweet and accomodating and the rooms have great personality. Its a very quiet stay, and the food was delicious! A bit of a distance from most Asheville sites but not a problem if you have a car.

Nice place. Super clean and attractive. Tasty breakfast. Good pqr. Rose room nearnkitchen, yet was quiet. Highly recommend.

First let me thank them for accommodating a late check in, they have a good system for that.
Rose room for two nights — with our dog. Very spacious room! Huge, high ceilings. It’s in an easy to get to area, not far from Asheville or eateries or the farmer’s market, which is a fave. The breakfasts were very good, the bed was comfy, and the treasure chest of dog goodies was a welcome accommodation.
The rooms are stocked with most everything — shampoo, wash, conditioner, robes, fireplace, etc. Unlike some throwback houses, Blake House puts a nice flat screen in the rooms, and has great wireless (included). So you can relax and get away, or plug back in at a moment’s notice.
Also — get your lady the massage, that was a treat she thoroughly enjoyed.
Nothing was a problem or upcharge, just a nice low key stay.
There’s a small field right around the corner that you can play frisbee with the dog in, or you can go to the arboretum or parks.
Cons — water took a while to heat up — I thought it wasn’t working at all and took a cold shower before breakfast. Torture. Run the sink first, that worked.
The heat was being piped in quite a bit, didn’t see a thermostat. The fan for the room was very wobbly and was in danger of hitting the wall, so I just turned it off and lived with it.
Unlike some other B+Bs, this one sort of leaves you to your own devices — but the innkeeper is there and more than willing to offer help or advice. You are seated in a common room for breakfast, but aren’t forced to eat with strangers. Some people like mingling in their B+Bs, others dont. This gives you the option to avoid it, which can be nice.
All in all a good time, recommended, may visit again this year.

Like some other reviewers, I wish I could have stayed more than one night. This B&B was so charming, and the breakfast was really quite good. Everyone we met was courteous and in good cheer. The rooms and grounds were comfortable and tasteful. I love Asheville, and I hope to stay at Blake House again the next time I’m in town.

I only stayed a single night, but I would definitely go back. Our room (The Lilac Room) was spacious and allowed dogs. Even though we weren’t going to arrive until after 7, we were able to use the late check-​in option.
After we dropped our stuff off, we took the dogs for a walk in a park that backs up to the property. There was a huge play area (in case you have children and not dogs) and plenty of grass to relax.
The bed was extremely comfortable with nice linens and an extreme amount of throw pillows. It was extremely quiet, and we slept very well. We made sure to get up for breakfast at 9 a.m. served in the main dining room area. The other guests were extremely nice and helpful. One couple even gave us a map of an area that we were planning to hike. The breakfast was marvelous – baked grapefruit with watermelon and french toast with bananas and walnuts. YUM!
The entire stay was extremely pleasant and not as cheesy as I had anticipated. The food was great. The bed was comfortable. The place was silent. I don’t think a hotel could hold a candle to the Blake House Inn.

Last summer on a road trip from Atlanta we stayed one night at Blake House on after a nice day driving up through the Blue Ridge mountains. We had a nice dinner in Asheville and arrived late. The place is beautiful and welcoming. We settled in and were quite comfortable, we had a lovely breakfast served by the pleasant chef. We spent a little bit enjoying the grounds but had to get on our way. I wish we would have arrived earlier and enjoyed a longer stay. I recall the rates being very reasonable as well.