Dinsmore Boutique Inn

Jake, the Inn Manager, was really helpful, and we ate twice at the Farm Bell Kitchen restaurant attached to the property. The location worked perfectly for our recent visit to Charlottesville for my mom’s birthday. We stayed in room 5, which was lovely and very spacious, and there’s a nice upstairs sitting room with coffee and a fridge. Just be aware that room 5 faces Main Street, so you can get some street noise.

The bed was comfortable, and the location makes it easy to walk around Charlottesville. Still, the problems outweighed those positives for us. The building is very old, the walls are extremely thin, and street noise made it hard to relax or sleep. The bathtub wouldn’t hold water, and the sink drained very slowly. We mentioned the plumbing issues to management at checkout after our one-night stay, but no manager ever responded. We were there to celebrate our anniversary and hoped for at least a small acknowledgment, but the hotel did nothing special, even though we asked. The stay felt impersonal. With so many nice places in the area, this would now be last on our list. Honestly, I don’t know where all the good reviews come from.

Dinsmore is lovely, and it’ll be my go-to when I’m back in Cville. The old house has creaky floors, and you can hear the plumbing, so footsteps nearby or someone turning on a faucet are noticeable. It didn’t bother me, but it might bother you. My room was gorgeous, the mattress, pillows, and bedding felt downright decadent, and the hot shower had good pressure. The interesting historical details are scattered around, and Jake the manager is a delight. There’s parking in the neighboring hotel’s garage, plus a breakfast voucher for the nice little cafe next door. One small thing: room 3 could use a more thorough vacuum under the big window. I know deteriorating old wood and brick can’t really be cleaned, but that patch of floor was still a little too crunchy for me. Also, if you find a lost “outer banks” tank top or sleep eye mask, could you let me know?

We stayed in the Veranda Room in June 2025, and it was both unique and comfortable. The place has a lot of charm, and small thoughtful touches like a noise machine made the stay even nicer. It’s an easy walk to campus and the downtown area, and you can also walk to John Paul Jones Arena. Jake was helpful with booking and check-in, and everything was communicated clearly during our stay. We’d absolutely come back.