Black Mountain Inn

The room wasn't ready as promised on the first floor, and the sheets we found were dirty. The place was dusty, unkempt, shabby, run down, and smelled of mildew. The owner misrepresented the amenities, and none of what we'd been promised was there. I like rustic stays, but this wasn't what we signed up for. We had to leave and stay somewhere else, and the owner refused to refund our money. This place needs to be shut down.

The Artist Loft had a lot of space, perhaps more than we needed, but just one space heater for the whole floor. There was no coffee in the room, and we got small paper cups instead of proper water glasses. The lobby felt drab, and the place had a sad feel to it. The innkeepers seemed older and not very outgoing, perhaps convalescing. I love old houses and historic places, but this one left me lukewarm. It has a lot of potential, though the room should have been around $100. And this didn't feel like a bed and breakfast to us, since we never saw any breakfast.

The breakfast was just a meager thermos of bitter coffee, not even enough for two cups, a little container of some kind of cream, and a small amount of fruit and packaged cheese left outside the door with no refrigeration. We had no idea how long it had been sitting there. This was not the quaint, cozy B&B advertised. It's a poorly maintained 130-year-old building. There was dirt and animal hair under the bed, floors tilted so much they were separating from the walls, lights that didn't work in several rooms, bathrooms that didn't feel Covid clean, and unlit, slippery walkway steps that were hazardous at night. The innkeeper, June Bergerson, was said to be on limited hours, but she never came by during our three-day stay to greet us, give information, or explain anything. The outside maintenance man handed over a room key and showed us the front door, saying she would be back, but she never appeared. There was no information in the rooms and nobody around to help with linens, bathroom supplies, or an emergency. The air conditioning was advertised, but wasn't turned on, and the room was 80 degrees. The ceiling fan only ran slowly, so it was uncomfortable. We had to catch the maintenance man on the second day just to get the spotty, weak Wi-Fi password. After our stay I reached Ms. Bergeron by phone to discuss these problems, but she didn't want to hear feedback and hung up on me. Her “Mountain Hospitality” was woefully inept. Don't stay here, or let friends, family, or coworkers stay here. Don't hold a wedding or retreat here. You'll regret it.

Host and owner June made a gourmet breakfast and is the person to listen to if you want to hear about Black Mountain. This cozy, slightly quirky inn dates to 1830, and its rooms make you feel transported to another time. It's also steeped in major league literary and artistic history. If you're traveling, why not be open to an experience like this?