Clarion Inn Biltmore Village

Clarion Inn Biltmore Village is situated in a prime spot to attract highway travelers who want to visit the nearby Biltmore Estate. It’s surprisingly clean, contemporary, and well-equipped for a budget property, thanks in part to a total renovation in mid-2016. The lobby feels a little manufactured, but it’s fresh with glass pendant lights, a few upholstered armchairs, and stone accent walls. The dark brown reception desk fades directly into a three-stool bar area, where guests can grab a glass of wine or a bottle of beer or soda. It’s nice, but guests don’t typically linger here. The three-story building lacks an elevator and has a motel-style layout, meaning there are no hallways, but rather open walkways on the exterior of the building.

Clarion Inn Biltmore Village is situated right off I-40, a major interstate, near other hotels and right next to a Texas Roadhouse. The immediate area isn’t particularly interesting, but it’s just a 10-minute walk (or four-minute drive) to Biltmore Village, a charming shopping and dining area that’s adjacent to Biltmore Estate (guests must drive to get in into the estate). Downtown Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitors Center are each about a 10-minute drive. Asheville Regional Airport is a 20-minute drive while South Carolina’s Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport can be reached in about 75 minutes. On-site parking is free.

Guest rooms, which were included in the hotel’s 2016 renovation, mirror the ambiance of the hotel itself: They're clean and contemporary, if generic. Still, they feel a slight step above “budget” with a coordinated color palette of brown and orange, accented with dark wood furnishings and headboards and tan pleather swoop armchairs. Walls are white stucco, accented with a few framed photos, plus orange walls behind the beds for a little flair. Sink areas open into the room and feature lots of counter space, and there’s a separate bathroom with white tiling, a toilet, and a combo shower and tub. Rooms have air-conditioning units, desks with ergonomic chairs, 40-inch flat-screen TVs with HBO, microwaves, mini-fridges, coffeemakers, irons and ironing boards, and free individual toiletries. Guests can choose from King Rooms for up to two people or Queen Rooms (with two queen beds) that can hold four. Travelers staying in street-facing rooms complain of traffic noise, so light sleepers may want to choose a back-facing room or bring earplugs.

Clarion Inn offers a nice set of extra features for a budget property. There’s a basic but functional seasonal outdoor pool, plus a small workout room with an elliptical, treadmill, recumbent bike, bench, and dumbbells. While there’s no full-service restaurant, there is a small bar area in the lobby next to reception, where guests can grab a glass of wine or beer. Sodas and snacks like chips are also for sale. A free breakfast is served daily in a contemporary breakfast room. The breakfast spread is a decent selection of standard, mostly continental fare, but there is a make-your-own waffle machine. A nook in the lobby serves as a business center, with two Mac computers for guest use. Wi-Fi throughout is free, as is parking, and the front desk is open 24 hours.