My husband and I stayed here recently, and we actually left early because we were so uncomfortable. I waited to post this review, because I wanted to remove the emotional aspect of being irritated in the moment, and instead wanted to just state the facts. We stayed at this inn about two years ago, and loved it because of its charm, location and cozy feel, but things have changed, and not for the better, in my experience. We booked a deluxe room, but it was very basic. I believe that this inn is now under new ownership, and some of the rooms are being updated, so I sincerely hope that we were not staying in one of the updated rooms. It felt like a dorm room with bare walls, nothing that felt cozy, like I remember. There was one lone picture hanging on one of the four bare walls, with paint coming off in some places, and a noisy window AC unit was in place to cool the room. The sheets were scratchy, the bed was hard, and the shower water pressure was low. While not great, I can deal with these types of issues. What really is challenging to deal with, considering the cost to stay in this inn, is that we had to ask for the very basics of necessities, every single day. When we checked in, our bathroom had a toilet paper roll in place that had very little paper on it, with no spare rolls to be found. The end of this quarter roll was folded over and had a sticker on it, like you will see in every quality hotel that you stay in, except quality hotels replace your toilet paper with a full roll. This was maybe a quarter of a roll. We could not find anyone to ask for toilet paper, because they leave at 6:00 pm every evening. Also, try to get towels. You have to ask for fresh towels as well, and we did ask the housekeeper that we saw outside, but we never received any. Your room will not be checked for necessities that you may need, like toilet paper, soap or towels. The evening before we were supposed to leave, my husband went to the front desk to ask for toilet paper, and while there, he suggested to the person at the front desk that they check the rooms for supplies and replace, because it was difficult to always think about asking, and the housekeeper would not necessarily bring if asked. She replied that this was just the way that they did things and that we had to ask for paper and towels. When my husband suggested that this probably would not be the best for their business since they compete with hotels providing the basics and more for the same price or less, she said again, that this was just how they did things, and that she would note his concerns. I have to say that my husband is the nicest person, who rarely complains about anything, no matter how bad the situation, but he is also a business owner, so he understands the power of good and bad customer service. We decided to check out early, because we could not stand the thought of another night on that mattress, so we packed up, and my husband went to the front desk again to let her know that we were leaving early. When he went to the desk, he saw a note written for the manager, outlining the concerns he had expressed to her earlier. The note read, Room ABC complained about service and said we are competing with other businesses, LOL. I suppose our concerns were funny to her, and apparently to the manager and owner, since she felt confident enough to make note of his concerns and then add LOL at the end of her note. When she saw that my husband had read the note, she looked embarrassed, but it was too late. Good customer service is so basic. People work hard for their money, and they do not want to squander it on poor experiences. When they go on vacation, they want to relax. They do not want to worry about basic things such as toilet paper, soap and towels. They also want their reasonable concerns handled with professionalism. There are many other hotels and inns in the Blowing Rock area that provide great service for the same price or less. We know because we both grew up in Boone, and we return several times per year. This place has lost our business and our recommendations, forever.
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