The original owners are back in charge and I think the hotel is about to make a positive turn for the better, but it is going to take a lot of work. The hotel is understaffed and I think they should close it until they can get it better staffed. Nobody should stay at the cabins, they should be closed, they directly face the burned mansion and are isolated and creepy. Under no circumstance should anyone stay in the Croquet Cabins. The main part of the hotel is very clean but there is zero staff there, they don't answer the phones and are rarely there. If you stay there, you are basically on left on your own to fend for yourself, with no food nor staff available. I hope this hotel will be able to be able to be restored to it's previous grandeur but I would not suggest staying there until there are some legitimate reviews done. We spent over $800 for a 4 night stay and are very dissapointed with how much it cost, I feel we were duped into thinking the hotel was up and running smoothly, with a nice restaurant, adequate staff and a spa. You literally can't get staff to answer the phone if you need anything.

In addition to the all the eeriness created by the story of the fire, the reality of the rubble and the filthiness of the bugs, there was one more issue that changed what once was a charming, quiet and stylish inn into the nightmare that was our stay - there was no one there!

HISTORIC MANSION LOST IN FIRE, INN BANKRUPT
A mere shadow of its former glory, the Richmond Hill Inn is now operating under chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. On March 19, 2009, a fire destroyed the 120-year-old historic mansion, a fire alleged to have been started by its former owner and/or employees. In other words, the main draw of the Richmond Hill Inn - the mansion - no longer exists. Actually, that's not quite true. The rubble from the fire remains on the property. Now, with the mansion lost, the inn currently has just 25 rooms located in the Pavilion and Croquet Cottages, which are far less historic, as they were built in the 1990's.

DINING OPTIONS (1/5)
The five-star restaurant, Gabrielle's, went up in flames along with the mansion. There is a restaurant located in the Pavilion, but for our entire stay, it was never open. There is no room service. And there are no food or dining options within walking distance of the inn. According to the inn welcome book in the room, there is supposed to be breakfast available in the morning - there isn't - and the mini-fridge in the room is supposed to be stocked with complimentary sodas - it's not. You just get two bottles of water.

ROOM CLEANLINESS (2/5)
At first glance, the room seemed clean enough but upon further inspection, I found a good amount of dust atop the picture frames, on the table surfaces and behind the couch. What really bothered me however, were the insects. There was a huge spider in the hall, a dead bug of some kind on the stairs between the first and second floors, and several stink bugs, two of which were in the room and on the bed.

SERVICE (1/5)
Most nights, our car was the only car in the parking lot, as most nights, we were the only people there. There wasn't anyone there from the inn either. There was no one to ask about the area, things to do, where to eat, etc. When we checked in, we obtained our room key in an envelope taped to the door. For our entire stay, which ran a considerable length, we did not see or speak to a single soul.

ROOMS (3/5)
In their nicest and most expensive room,. there is a fireplace, a balcony, a couch, dual vanities, a tub and a shower. The TV's are a bit outdated.

LOCATION (4/5)
If you're looking for a place that is secluded and quiet, this is it. Of course, with no one staying there, it couldn't be quieter.

SLEEP QUALITY (2/5)
The room was too hot. There were two climate controls in the room, neither of which could be set to air conditioning. It seems that the inn decides whether it is air or heat and you decide how high or how low. I turned both controls off and while the fan noise from those two units stopped, there was still some hot air coming in from another location. Of course, with no staff on site, I couldn't ask for assistance. And with the bugs in the room, I wasn't going to get much sleep anyway.

VALUE (2/5)
Without a restaurant, a concierge, room service or really any amenities at all,. including the satisfaction of staying in a historic inn, there really isn't much to the place to warrant the hefty price tag. It's basically a motel but for a much higher price.

We found the Richmond Hill Inn to be a quick getaway from the summer heat.
It is close to major highways and very convenient to downtown Asheville. Robyn, Peg, and staff were most gracious, and the daily breakfasts were exquisite.
The cottages are well-appointed, clean, and quiet. All in all, an excellent respite choice.

my husband and i have four children, we needed a quite relaxing place to re-group. we got it here. when we arrived we were greeted with tea, wine and cheese service. we booked a massage for my husband who works very hard and needed to unwind, he was able to walk to the spa from our room.
we loved the cozy yet spacious cottage. there was a wonderful covered porch over looking a courtyard with two rockers for reading or enjoying a autumn rain fall. we took walks around the grounds and fell in love with the stream and waterfall ending in a pond with fish and even a turtle. so sweet!
the breakfast was amazing!! fast, friendly, clean dinning room and beautiful china…my kind of place. the only thing i would change is have a full service dinning and bar on the grounds, so the guest would never have to leave.
on the grounds is the remains of the historical mansion that burned, it was sad to see such a fine building in despair, yet it did not detour from our wonderful retreat.
the friendly staff did an excellent job of meeting our needs and on such short notice. we were lucky to get a cottage room as we book the day we arrived.
thank you richmond hill! we are back to reality, but thoroughly enjoyed our relaxing retreat.