Comfort Inn North of Asheville

The Comfort Inn is housed in a cream and tan three-floor building with a porte cochere entrance. The lobby is a simple, fairly nondescript space, but the breakfast room has a fair amount of visual appeal. Large windows let in natural light and the finishes (floors, countertops, walls) are updated. Chairs are upholstered in vivid colors of orange and green. Guests gather here to eat breakfast and watch the flat-screen TV. Open in the warmer months, the outdoor swimming pool overlooks the parking lot and surrounding woods. Overall, the hotel has a rather unexciting chain feel, but it’s clean and well-maintained. It draws mostly leisure travelers who want to stay right off the I-26 freeway, relatively near Biltmore and other attractions, without the high prices of Asheville. The hotel also gets a fair number of guests in town to do business at nearby Mars Hill University or visit their kids attending school there. 

The Comfort Inn is just off the I-26 freeway, in an area with a supermarket, a few restaurants (like a Japanese restaurant and a popular burger joint), and a gas station, but not much else in the way of commercial activity. Mars Hill University and Mars Hill town featuring the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, Rural Heritage Museum, and Madison County Visitor Center are about a three-minute drive. The western edge of Pisgah National Forest is a 15-minute drive, and Wolf Ridge Ski Resort is 20 minutes by car. The property isn’t that close to Asheville. It’s about a 20-minute drive from the city center and a little less than a 25-minute drive from Biltmore Estate. The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center is 25 minutes by car. Asheville Regional Airport is around a 30-minute drive from the Comfort Inn. 

The guest rooms at the Comfort Inn have an appealing contemporary aesthetic. They feature wood furniture, lacquer headboards, graphic-print carpeting and upholstery, and framed photos on the walls. The warm color palette of brown, copper, tan, and beige is livened with the burnt orange of the armchairs and the red decorative throws on the beds. All units come with desks, flat-screen TVs with expanded cable and HBO, plus microwaves, mini-fridges, coffeemakers, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms come with granite countertops and also offer hairdryers and shower/tub combos. Although there’s a bit of traffic noise in rooms facing the highway, rooms are generally quiet.

The Comfort Inn offers a fairly extensive range of property features. The free hot breakfast buffet gets solid review for its spread of waffles (make-your-own), hot eggs, biscuits and gravy, and a wide range of cold fare. An outdoor swimming pool is open seasonally, and while the hotel doesn't have its own fitness center, guests enjoy free access to the fitness center at the nearby Mars Hill University campus. The hotel also has a business center, coin-operated laundry machines, vending machines, and a 24-hour front desk. Outdoor parking is free of charge. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the building. Guests can bring up to two pets per room (50 pounds or under) for a nightly fee.