I spent Thursday night here on a Starpicks rate of $80. It was just a short stop to sleep during my drive home from TN.

My last visit to this hotel was when some friends were staying here about 9 years ago when it was a dumpy Best Western (but good price in very good location). It's much improved, but could've been done better. I thought that my room was nicely renovated, but it appears that they kept the cheap metal doors and have not done anything to eliminate the noise from the highway on one side. I don't understand why many renovating hotels do not get new well-insulated doors to reduce noise from the hall. @:-)

Rooms
All rooms are the same size. No suites. The odd-numbered rooms are on the highway side, so I would think that the even-numbered rooms would not have highway noise.

Towels were scratchy. Shower faucet control was awkward.

Wireless HSIA worked well for me. Parking is free. Location near downtown bars and restaurants is excellent. Room and hotel seemed clean and maintained.

IIUC, ice machines are on the 2nd (lobby level) and 4th floors. So there's not an ice machine on the SPG floor (5th). I was told that the SPG floor has upgraded amenities, but I didn't ask for specifics. Does this mean that the lower floors don't get a bottle of Scope?

The hotel staff was friendly at check-in and check-out. The hotel sells tickets to Biltmore, and those tickets are good for 2 days. For many, this would probably be a good reason to buy tickets there rather than buy online directly from Biltmore.

I didn't eat at the hotel, but they advertised a $2.99 breakfast special (2 eggs, etc.) in their restaurant for M-F until 11am.

Award reservations: Cat3. The hotel currently offers C&P rates for Sun - Thurs for now through the end of Oct 2010. Weekends are typically the peak days in Asheville. But C&P awards are available 7 days/week from Nov 2010 - Nov 2011! Even though cash rates have not been loaded for 2011, C&P awards can be locked in now for weekends throughout 2011! I don't expect this C&P weekends option to last. (For music festival fans, Bele Chere is always the last FULL weekend in July. But there are lots of great weekends to visit Asheville from spring through fall.)