The Esmeralda Inn and Restaurant

I’m late sharing this, but wanted to express how much I appreciate the way the staff at Esmeralda treated my husband, who was my fiancé then, and me. After we lost our son in March 2022, we went away for a bit, and the staff’s kindness and attentiveness made us feel like royalty. I treasure the memories we made there and miss this wonderful place.

This was our first visit, and we were celebrating our anniversary. Jeffrey greeted us, gave us a personal tour, and showed us to our room. Every staff member we met was so kind and made us feel at home. Breakfast was amazing, and it was lovely to sit down to eat in the morning. We had dinner here one night, too, and the shrimp tortellini was amazing. Our server Megan was so nice, and the Chef came out to chat. The room was small but cozy, and we loved the hot jacuzzi and putting on our luxurious robes to go out there. Downtown had lots of cute gift shops and breweries right on the water, and the views were breathtaking. We’ll definitely be back. Thanks for making our stay so lovely.

Some parts of the stay were amazing, but others were a letdown. My daughter and I spent two weekend nights here, had massages, and ate dinner one night. The massages were incredible, and breakfast was very good both days, though there was only one option. Both nights, the hot tub jets and filters were broken, and the Speakeasy Bar was closed. The only vegetarian dinner choice, tortellini, wasn’t great. It’s easy enough to make at home, and for the price it didn’t feel special. We wanted so badly to love the place and tried to be good sports, as the owner acknowledges below. But by the second night, I’d reached my limit. My daughter spoke directly with the owner after dinner on the last night. She works in customer service herself and felt she needed to say something after being offered a $5 gift card for the shop, but only if we spent more money. I’d have given the highest marks if someone had made an effort to acknowledge the problems during a weekend that cost well over $900. We wouldn’t return or recommend it for that price. For our last night, we stayed at a historic B&B in downtown Asheville. It cost less and the management made a much more noticeable effort to make things special, touches we felt were missing at Esmeralda and that prompted me to write this. Thankfully the trip ended on a great note, and this didn’t ruin it. We appreciate everything, and can laugh about the bad memories now.

The inn feels intimate and cozy, and the rooms were comfortable, just as expected, without being extravagant. My wife and I had a wonderful time at The Esmeralda Inn, where the staff were attentive, knowledgeable, and considerate. They noticed us and asked about our day whenever we passed the front desk or met someone in the hall. We enjoyed every dinner, and the gourmet breakfast was different and amazing each morning, especially since it was included. S’mores by the wood-burning fire and quiet time on the wrap-around porch were perfect. We also enjoyed a picnic lunch at the cabin park beside the picturesque river. It’s a lovely spot to relax and be pampered. We’ll definitely come back with our kids, and highly recommend it. Thank you!