The Dinsmore House

My husband and I stayed at the Dinsmore House Inn in Charlottesville for our minimoon. Neither of us had much experience with bed and breakfasts, and we were admittedly a tad wary of staying in what looked like somebody else’s home as opposed to a regular hotel. To be sure, we had done our due diligence scouring Unilocal and TripAdvisor about a month in advance for the best, most reviewed B&B’s in the area. The Dinsmore House Inn, with pictures of its quaint, cozy looking rooms, as well as information regarding available packages (including discounted tickets to Monticello, a must-​see while in Charlottesville, and breakfast in bed served by the innkeepers themselves and with which my husband surprised me the morning after our arrival), and its prime location right between both the UVA campus and the pedestrian mall, piqued our interest the most.
Soon after checking in, any doubts we may have had were quickly laid to rest. The innkeepers, Sherrie and Bill, were such a friendly, sweet couple who welcomed us strangers into their home with a smile on their face and open arms. Not to mention the furry greeting we received from their adorable dog. Sherrie was so helpful as we settled into our room, explaining which lock each key went with, how to park in the adjacent hotel parking garage, and even provided us with brochures and pamphlets of recommended activities and restaurants. Bill, meanwhile, was a most gracious host who brought out a delectable spread of cheese, crackers, grapes, and even glasses for our choice of either red or white wine during the daily social hour in the living room, where we had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know our fellow travelers (without any pressure for those who didn’t want or have the time to do so). He also seemed to be the do-​it– all chef behind the breakfast in bed referenced above as well as the delicious breakfast we ate the following day. Their hospitality even extended to storing a bottle of champagne and leftovers in their fridge. As if all this were not enough, we returned each evening to a plateful of warm cookies and milk laid out on a table in the hallway for a simple dessert that reminded us of home.
We cannot say enough just how lovely it was to have met Sherrie and Bill, with whom we found that we shared more in common than we would have anticipated had they not shared stories about themselves and their children. We hope to meet them again and make it back to the Dinsmore House Inn during our future trips to Charlottesville — perhaps as an anniversary of our minimoon!

Really wonderful Inn with welcoming hosts, delicious breakfasts and comfortable, lovely rooms. It is also convenient (across from the UVA hospital and walking distance from the Corner, Rotunda etc) with easy, covered and free parking. Slept like logs in the big comfortable bed. Nice and clean too.
We will be back!

I stayed here in the Dinsmore room for my birthday in the fall and I can’t get it off my mind so I needed to write a review. We had a wonderful time. It was a very quick wine tasting centered trip and there are so many wineries to fit in however we made time for the wine social at the B&B and are glad we did. The hosts were very welcoming and gave us an amazing dinner recommendation within walking distance. We even picked up a dvd from the library in the sitting room to relax to in our room after dinner, fun selection. Breakfast was exceptional, seriously delicious. It was also well worth adding the champagne and chocolates package to our stay. The Barboursville champagne was excellent and the local truffles and chocolate dipped strawberries were to die for. I didn’t want to leave! Everything was clean and comfortable and perfectly decorated. Even parking was easy which is hard to say for anything in downtown Charlottesville. We will definitely be back!

This B&B was cute and comfortable, but not worth the money.
The hosts were charming and welcoming, but they didn’t know anything about the landmarks in the town.
The amenities were lacking, and the breakfast was less than desirable. Flavorless and dry in one way or another everyday, we really wanted to mention what a $ 250/​night breakfast should be.
The bed was comfortable and the shower was hot. Again, though, not worth the money.

Right in the center of Charlottesville ! What a wonderful place. Very well taken care of, beautiful historic building. Room was enough space flor a couple, move tv with dvd, and very clean updated bathroom. Snacks and wine during the day, cookies at night. Mark and Mary are excellent hosts. We had a triathlon one of the mornings and Mark actually got up at 6 30 to fix us granola, yogurt and fresh fruit! Breakfast the other day was delicious, biscuits, fruit, egg hash bake. Yum! There was also a problem with our shower the first night and they credited us 50 $ for the inconvenience. All in all very nice bed and breakfast with very nice hosts would recommend it!

2 words for why this place is so awesome, Mark and Mary… ok, maybe 3 words. But they seriously made our experience at The Dinsmore House amazing! This was our first time staying at a B&B, so we weren’t sure what to expect, but whatever expectations we had were far exceeded.
Room: We stayed in the Dinsmore Room which was awesome! It had a king size bed, and a sofa. The bathroom was nice and had a shower and separate tub. The room also had cable tv and a dvd player and there is wifi in the house.
Breakfast: We stayed there for 3 nights, so we got to experience 3 different breakfasts and enjoyed each of them. The first morning we had a tuscan strata which was AMAZING and definitely our favorite breakfast. The next morning we had Eggs Benedict and the last morning we had a Peach French Toast, which we enjoyed as well. Each breakfast started off with fruit or parfait and along with the breakfast dish came thick sliced bacon. It also included coffee and orange juice. It was so nice getting up every morning and coming down and having breakfast served.
Other perks: Each afternoon from 4 – 6 they had social hour where they sat out cheese and crackers and offered a glass of wine. It was a cool time to relax and get to know the other guests and Mark and Mary.
Also, each evening they sat out milk and cookies which was an awesome way to end the day.
I highly recommend coming to the Dinsmore House to stay. The accommodations are great, but the company of Mark and Mary are even better. They really love what they do and are so helpful and sweet. I can’t wait to go back to see them again!

Great place to stay near the UVA campus and some good restaurants on W. Main. It’s great for a weekend getaway to Monticello or any of the other historic sites in the region (Ash-​Lawn and Montpelier). Staying in the house built by Jefferson’s master builder really adds to the experience. Mark and Mary are extremely friendly and attentive hosts without being invasive like many bed and breakfast hosts.
Both breakfasts we had were outstanding — although the portion sizes could have been a little bigger (then again, I’m a big eater so they’re probably appropriate for most people.)
I highly recommend the veranda room. It has a nice little deck with chairs and a table. It’s a great place to read.
I also imagine it is a great place for a bridal party to stay in the Charlottesville area.

Incredible!!! We’re staying in the Veranda Room and it is GORGEOUS! Mark and Mary have been amazing hosts– very attentive and helpful, and suuuper congenial :)
For breakfast this morning, we’re having the greatest French toast I’ve tasted (sorry, fiancé), served by the delightful innkeepers and their fellow staff member :)
I would highly recommend this B&B to anyone looking to stay ON UVA’s campus who doesn’t necessarily want a «stuffy hotel» experience. This place is wonderful!

This was my first bed and breakfast and has made me fall in love with bed and breakfasts! My boyfriend and I stayed here for only one night. We went really off-​season, so we were the only ones at the inn, and the innkeeper upgraded us to a bigger room.
Some kind of Marriott hotel was next door, and we got to use their pool and fitness center for free. So basically we got the best of both worlds! The room was spacious and really pretty. There was a big DVD collection on the first floor so we watched a movie in our room — the tv was huge. We also really enjoyed our free bottle of wine and cheese plate.
But the best part was the innkeeper’s breakfast. It was so delicious. We really felt pampered, especially since we paid a pretty low rate (since it was off-​season). Will definitely return again.
Only downside was that the doorknob of our room felt like it needed replacing.

We just enjoyed a great night at Dinsmore. It’s fun to stay at an historic location, but sometimes it’s not all that comfortable. In this case, it was a modern shower stall with plenty of hot water next to a claw foot tub, radiator that kept things warm (and I saw a window unit for a/​c), charming décor, comfortable bed. Lovely family that owns the place. Stop for free «trolley» that goes between UVA and downtown right out front. Great parking. Can’t think of anything to complain about!

Great place to stay! A real piece of history, the Inn was built by and inhabited by the architect of Monticello. Friendly staff, very nice rooms!

I came to Charlottesville’s quaint Dinsmore House for an afternoon tea and it was just ok I am sorry to report. My tea-​bar is set high with Washington DC’s Mayflower Hotel as the pinnacle of teaism, so a tea room has to be stellar to win me over and the Dinsmore House just didn’t.
Now, it was a beautiful house with lovely antique furniture and cute place settings. I was there with a large group and it seems groups are always a strain on anyone. It certainly felt that way to me.
The tea was to start at 1:00pm per my invite but the B&B owner was still in the process of setting the table when I arrived. She continued to set up for about 20 minutes which seemed a little odd to me.
At each place setting was a footed fruit cup of strawberries, kiwi, banana, grapes, melon, and blueberries. Nice, but not the norm. After we ate for a few minutes, the B&B owner brought out tea pots with hot water and had us pass one large basket of assorted teas from which to pick. Then warm sweetbread was placed on the table and after another few minutes, the owner brought offered sandwiches. She then seemed to remember that no one had knives after a few ladies used their forks for butter or marmalade.
Ok, now I’ve got to break down why I’ve «experienced better.» At every tea I’ve been to, a tiered stand of sweets and savories is offered to each guest, that way one can pick from the different items versus only being offered one item at a time (fruit, then sweetbread, then sandwiches). The Dinsmore House had a huge dining table that could have accomodated several plates of cakes, cookies, scones, and sandwiches. Points off.
Second, the tea bags in a big basket? Weird. Normally, everyone has their own small tea-​pot and you brew in your pot instead of your teacup. Then, there was one sugar & creamer on the table that had to be passed between each person. Several would have been better obviously. And two small butter dishes and a cup of marmalade. Again, there should have been more containers– one to share between two or three people max. Lastly, the two types of sandwiches were very good but they were the only savory item offered. Now, it could have been because of the group and this was the request of our host, BUT the fun part of a tea is that you get to try multiple different items not just one.
So, overall, I wouldn’t come back here for tea unless I was assured it would be totally different. That being said, I had a great time because of what I was there for not because the «tea» itself was amazing.

My boyfriend and I stayed here last weekend after visiting a few wineries in the area. We really loved this place. We stayed in the Veranda room, which was great. It has its own private entrance and a terrace with two chairs. The bed was SO comfortable, and breakfast the next morning was delicious. All of the people we talked to who worked there were very friendly. I would love to go back.

This was my first stay at a B&B and overall was a great experience. I brought my Girlfriend here to get away from the coast during the hurricane and it was a lot of fun. The staff is great, very welcoming and helpful. The location is good. The downtown walking mall/​historic downtown is within walking distance (although its a decent walk) and there is also a Free trolley that picks up about ½ a block away. We stayed in the Monroe room which was really nice.
I also ordered their new Bubbles and Berries addon (choc covered strawberries, chocolates and Sparkling wine). VERY worth it!
The only complaint is the water pressure in the showers.

Dinsmore House is a wonderful place to stay where you can enjoy the experience of a smaller lodge with a touch of history. Although the rooms were comfortable and furnished nicely with period pieces, the incomplete renovations and modernizations made the rooms somewhat of an anachronism. For example, our room (Madison) had a 32 inch flat screen TV and DVD player, but did not have an electrical outlet in the bathroom. Additionally, the heating system consisted of «water radiators,» which were adequate, but noisey – popping sounds kept us up all night long. The bathroom was good, but the shower doors/​sides needed replacing, as they were loose and off track. On the bright side, the morning breakfasts were exceptional with great coffee, juice, fruit, and a daily special such as waffles, french toasts, etc. The parlor was comfortable with a daily «happy hour» consisting of cookies, cheese, and wine. Finally, the location was great for those wanting to be near UVA, the Corner, and the Mall. Several restaurants/​pubs are nearby, which was great for those unfamiliar with Charlotte. Overall, 4 stars, but could be five if the owners, who are very attentive and kind, will invest a little more into the building.

My best friend got married in Charlottesville in Aug ’09; her parents, herself, and myself all stayed at the Dinsmore. The Dinsmore was extremely accomodating, quaint, and service-​oriented. I loved my room; from their website it seemed that it would be on the smaller side, but it was plenty big. The bathroom let in a lot of natural light, the towels were fluffy, and the antique furniture was in good condition.
Morning of the wedding I had a wonderful french toast breakfast with the bride; and I’m so glad I was able to be there for her on such a special day. They also did a light luncheon for the mothers and bridesmaids which was very intimate and fun. The location is prime for its proximity to the University and the «Corner.» Ask a Cavalier what the Corner is if you don’t already know.
I really loved this bed and breakfast, it’s definitely one of my favorites; I would stay here over any other bed and breakfast in the Charlottesville area.