How can I choose an appropriate hotel / bed & breakfast?

I’m not familiar with Asheville, but I’ve had good luck checking things out on TripAdvisor. Have fun!

Asheville is a nice place to visit, make sure you go to the Biltmore. Last I was there, they had a great restaurant in the vineyard of the house.

plus, it’s where they filmed richie rich.

When I went to Asheville, we looked online to rent a cabin. It was a cute little cabin with a fireplace complete with a kitchen when it did snow. It was a little ways away from Asheville itself but not too far. We just did some google searches for renting a cabin, and you will find some reasonable rates. I do recommend going to Hendersonville as well, if your driving there. It was a very cozy little town near Asheville and the Biltmore.

Give me a minute to look this up. I stayed at a loft house outside of Ashville and it was remarkably cheap. it’s on Green Mountain. I’ll see if i can find a link for you. We had a little house on the side of a mountain complete with jacuzzi, and the kitchen was completely stocked with every thing you could think of. It has a fireplace, a porch swing (so you can reinact a folgers commercial) and the only thing you need to bring is food and a toothbruch. ( who needs clothes… it’s a romantic weekend, right??)

I’ve had really good luck with B and B websites off the internet. Just Google “Ashville and Bed and Breakfast.” Unlike a book and its cover, I’ve found a B and B’s website gives a pretty accurate picture of what it will be like. I’ve never been to Ashbville, but it’s worked well for me in other places. Even things like the graphics, the fonts and of course, the photos on the website, as well as its writing are usually indicative of the nature of the place.

Here ya go If that one doesn’t suit your needs, you can browse around the site for more. I’m jealous… it’s a beautiful area. Don’t forget to visit Grandfather Mountain while you’re there.

I like Purple Roofs. It’s geared toward the LGBT population, but they have a lot of listings, and a lot of times they have discounts for going through Purple Roofs. Just an idea.

Lanier
BnBOnline
and BnBExplorer are sites I go through and average out what the comments are for a B&B.

Good luck! Have fun!

This one would be perfect if they have an opening. You could visit the Biltmore Mansion from there. It’s spectacular!

A lot of it depends on what you and your boyfriend like in a hotel or B&B. Through trial and error over the years, I have learned some questions to evaluate to determine your style.

B&Bs don’t work for my husband and me at all. We never get over that sense of intruding in someone’s home. We hate making small talk with strangers. I have friends who love them and use B&Bs almost exclusively.

For the type of weekend you are talking about, perfect for us would be a cabin as blondie411 suggested.

As to hotels, if you go that route, what is important to you?

—I always want a pool, because swimming is one of my favorite pastimes on vacation. This time of year, I go for a hotel with a heated pool.

—We like hot tubs.

—Do you want a small frig and microwave in the room, no cooking apparatus or a full kitchen?

—One bed or two? Queen or King?

—Is having a restaurant in the hotel important to you?

—Do you want a hotel with room service?

—An on-site spa?

—An exercise room?

Make a list of you preferences and go from there.

grove park inn!

Don’t be afraid to spend the money!! Especially if with your boyfriend.
But not too much

@90s_kid: I specifically said I was looking for something $150–175 per night. (I ended up getting a room that was $175 per night.) I don’t think that’s being too stingy…especially considering I’m only a graduate student. Furthermore, I think that my boyfriend would appreciate having an extra $125 to participate in a fun activity more than having a $300 room. Finally, considering our country’s economy is still in its recovery period, why should I not “be afraid to spend the money”? I’m already irresponsible with my money as it is, and I buy things that are more expensive than my budget should be able to afford, so it’s just odd to hear someone telling me what you’re telling me. Could you qualify what you intended by this?

So the economy matters more than your boyfriend…
This is not an overload of money. Why would you even bring the economy up?

@90s_kid: Uh, I was not saying that the economy mattered more than my boyfriend. That is absurd that you would even make that inference.

Are you implying that, regardless of one’s economic circumstances, the only option for a gift is the most expensive one? I should feel bad about the way I’m treating my boyfriend if I don’t obtain the most expensive hotel room for us? The hotel room I got was $175, and I’ll be paying for our restaurant outings and other activities during this romantic getaway. Altogether, I’ll probably be spending about $400 on him for his Valentine’s Day present. Most people would tell me that was incredibly excessive and ridiculous, especially on a grad student’s salary. And you’re telling me that I’m being selfish and putting “the economy” over my boyfriend? This is completely ridiculous.

And to answer your question, I brought up the economy because I found it odd that someone was suggesting, “Don’t be afraid to spend lots of money!” during a climate of economic turmoil when people are encouraging frugal alternatives left and right.

@girlofscience I don’t think it matters the amount of money you actually spent, just that you and your boyfriend have a great time and it comes from more of the heart.

@blondie411: Yeah, I agree, but @90s_kid was acting like I was putting the economy over my boyfriend and being a cheapskate, wtf.

I think it just depends on what the person wants and what they need and also what fits into your budget. My boyfriend makes more than I do and therefore can afford a little more than me for gifts for occasions because of that we put limits on things. For valentine’s day I bought him exactly what he wanted that just so happened to cost less than what he bought me.

I also think people don’t know how much things cost until they are actually working and buying things for themselves and paying their bills themselves.

Er, if my girlfriend decided to “treat” me to a $300/night room, I’d wonder about how she spends her money. $300/night seems crazy too much to me unless it is freaking fabulous, and even then, why spend so much money on a hotel room?

You know what I found out? The more money I spent on a man, the less he was interested. Strange, huh?

I used to go all out for occasions because I grew up as a “gifter” (not “grifter”, mind you) and always gave thoughtful, imaginative presents. My family did stuff like that so I thought everyone did. I stupidly thought that this was also to be extended toward the men in my life. Some of them were fine, but most felt guilty that I would be planning some incredible surprise (which I love) and they had just bought me a rock. Literally.

So, I stopped giving elaborate gifts and planning surprises. I scaled things down. Way down. Now, I show up with a grilled cheese sandwich and some Pez. (Just kidding.)

I mention this story because I hope this is someone that you have loved a long time and that the money is well spent on him….and that he absolutely treasures you because you really are doing something special. When you mention that you are footing all the bill…I just hope he really is worthy of all your generosity.

My answer may be a bit too practical, but here goes:

I go to www.google.com and type in Bed and Breakfast and the Zip Code or the city and state. Then I look at each B&B that is listed via their website, then I screen them all by price and then availability. Usually my choice is made for me because some of the places are full and some are more expensive than I am willing to pay.

Because you have time on your side (probably) you should only be limited by price and surrounding attractions.

Hope this helps.