The Lion and the Rose Bed and Breakfast

We lodged in Asheville's best B&B The Lion and the Rose during the week of Christmas 2024 and enjoyed a truly remarkable experience. The home is beautifully preserved and the host and hostess work as a team to make guests feel welcomed and relaxed.

Guest room was clean, comfortable, quiet and well-appointed including plenty of towels! Beverages and snacks were available 24/7 including home baked brownies and cupcakes. Located in the historic district with restaurants and charming neighborhoods within walking distance (The Biltmore was just a short drive away). Hosts were friendly and suggested places to eat and visit. We were able to relax and enjoy the company of hosts and other guests. Our only regret was that we could not stay longer!

A lovely place that was just right. Karen and Steve make sure it is cool when so hot outside and made sure we had everything needed. Breakfast was well balanced protein and sweet treat and yummy! Coffee set up outside your door every morning spoiled us rotten. Our bathroom was updated and great for three of us!

Karen and Steve were very welcoming. We enjoyed the breakfasts and the conversation around the table. Close to everything. You can walk all the way downtown--a little over a mile--or easily drive to the various areas and sites in Asheville. Great restaurant right across the street (Nine Mile). Loved sitting on the front porch with a coffee or a glass of wine.

We had a fantastic experience at The Lion and The Rose. We stayed two nights in the Craigs-Tom suite. The suite was spacious and comfortable, and we particularly enjoyed eating the delicious breakfasts each morning on the small private balcony. The king bed was comfortable, with soft sheets that smelled fantastic! Steve and Karen are very friendly and helpful hosts, cheerfully providing everything we needed to enjoy our stay. We would love to return if we have the opportunity to visit Asheville again.

Not at all worth the money. For just a few dollars more, you could stay in the local famous high end inn, or for less you could stay at a chain hotel with better breakfast. No, I did not address any of the issues below with the host, because no single item was going to fix this expensive disappointment. Positives: Host Karen greeted us warmly and was ready with helpful dinner suggestions. The location is VERY convenient to downtown (about a mile) and has a few restaurants within quick walking distance. Despite the summer heat, our room was cool with its own window unit. By special request, as suggested by friends who stayed here, we received homemade chocolates on arrival. They were delicious. The Issues: The list is long. Details below. Horrible mattress. Bad sheets. Low end budget breakfast. Poorly maintained grounds. Given the reviews of other guests and the recommendation of a friend who stayed a few years ago, I can only assume that something has changed. Room: The mattress in our room, as mentioned by a previous reviewer, has 2 large depressions in it and is horribly uncomfortable. Despite the hosts’ reply to that review, I can confirm that the mattress tag shows a 10-year-old low end Simmons manufactured in 2014. The “luxurious” bedding is stifling POLYESTER washed in what I can only imagine is gallons of perfumed “scent beads”. The air conditioner works well but is ancient and visibly full of mold and/or mildew. While searching for a dropped item, I found that the floor under the bed was covered in dust and what appeared to be PET FUR. Breakfast: This looked nothing like what is advertised on the website or shown in other pictures on review sites. Despite all of the fresh fruit available right now, we were served the heaviest waffle I’ve ever encountered topped with CANNNED PEACHES next to a pile of scrambled eggs and 2 small sausage links. The fruit and yogurt cup the next morning again contained something canned. For $300/night, I expect something approaching gourmet. Maybe serve something resembling the marketing material on the website. Snacks in the Pantry: A nice selection of herbal teas and instant coffee next to a couple of packs of peanut butter crackers. For $300/night I expect options. A bowl of fruit costs nearly nothing but makes a world of difference. The Grounds: The porch is rotting away. A friend with us nearly put her foot through a board on the porch. The yard is full of weeds and poorly maintained plants that are being choked out by the out-of-control growth of Virginia creeper everywhere.