200 South Street Inn B&B Charlottesville

I visited this inn last in late August 2005 for a weekend. We paid $185+tax for a room which ended up being room 12 in the third level of the main house.

As some posts mention, the hotel doesn't look as immaculate from the outside as the pictures from the website might suggest, but I still had a positive attitude towards the place, if only because we had a great time traveling through the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The room is in the attic so the last section of the stairs is very narrow, being, as I am, more than four months pregnant it wasn't the most comfortable thing...although I should say it was nothing compared to the uncomfortable heat-product of the lack of AC or fan in the area.

If I had some hope left, it was all gone once I entered the room. The room is not quite the one the pictures show: the paint is peeling in several places, and there are more humidity stains in the ceilings than I cared to count.

If you like watching TV from the bed, then ask for another room (inn?) because the TV is on a tiny metal table way too low to be visible from the higher than usual bed.

You might also find it inconvenient if you're used to proper pluming, given that the sink drain system was missing, so you had to make a choice: risk loosing jewelry by removing the sink stop (the staff's preferred alternative) or resign yourself to have your own reserve of dirty water.

When I though the worse was over, that I'd better get used to my surroundings to save the weekend getaway: DIRT. To find hairs other than yours as soon as you enter the room for the first time is in my view quite appaling. It is so easy to get rid of dirt on a wood floor!!! That left me wondering, if the don't care to vacuum, can you imagine the treatment the toilet seat received?

There's an earlier post that mentions the bad quality of the sheets. I agree, I've seen better sheets at dirt-cheap Holiday Inns. They're not terrible....kind of cheap Target sheets...and they are a dream in comparison to the towels which are as harsh as the cheap toilet paper (which you also get 'complimentary'!).

If you though that maybe all this could be compensated by the morning breakfast and the cheeses and wine in the afternoon, think again. The breakfast consists of maybe four different breads that are average...and homemade is not the first thing that pops into your head. The coffee is one of the worse I've ever had in the US....and if you're used to good coffee you know that's already a really low standard. In all honesty, the orange juice was great. There were a couple of cheeses in the afternoon. Not a great variety, but decent. Unfortunately, they only serve white wine, and according to my husband it was pretty bad. Keeping the bread and cheeses table well stocked, definitely not a priority for the staff.

There are several posts mentioning how nice the staff was. I must admit the young ladies that were around when I was there had a very pretty smile and good manners, but I rather have someone who can actually fix problems....and they did not.

I beg you, please don't stay at the 200 South Street Inn.....unless you like feeling like you've been robbed.

The reality of the 200 South Street Inn does not match the glossiness and comfort indicated by its web site. It's best understood as a pleasant, homey inn -- the kind you often find in college towns which enjoy a dependable stream of customers (parents, university visitors) and so do not have to vie competitively with top-of-the-line inns.

Five problems: (a) The inn is located adjacent to a railroad line, and trains rumble through and vibrate the inn at various times of the day and night; (b) The room unit heaters are extremely noisy, and have to be turned off at night so you can sleep; (c) Molding, caulking and furniture in various spots is in need of repair (e.g. one of the tables in the breakfast room has a sign hanging on it advising guests not to lean too hard on it, or it will collapse); (d) The bathrooms are poorly lit and have not been updated recently (and there are virtually no amenities); and (e) There is no full breakfast -- only carrot and zucchini bread and the like (and regular bread for use in an ancient toaster).

This inn is satisfactory if you just want a clean, cheerful, and tolerable place to stay in Charlottesville, but do not book this place if you want some place lovely for a special occasion.

(Based on a one-night stay in January 2005)

I disagree with many of the reviews here. I have stayed at the Inn at least twice, the most recent time October 2003 and will again soon. My stays have been excellent. I have never heard a train at night! The place has the cozy lived -in quality of many B+Bs, especially European ones. It definately isn't in shabby shape or dirty. If one wants banal American perfection, a sterilized Mc-environment with state of the art bathrooms, and bag handlers one should stay at the Charlottesville Omni. The location is great for visiting downtown C'ville (in short walking distance) and the young staff people are friendly and helpful in a casual way. It is a small staff so one shouldn't expect hotel-style service.

We stayed in the 2nd house next door a few months ago. The owner and staff were very friendly. They upgraded our room at no charge because they were not full. The breakfast was very good with an assortment of breads, cakes, pastries, cereals, coffee, juice, etc. They also offer homemade cookies during the day at the front desk and wine and cheese in the afternoon. The part that we didn't like was being woken up in the middle of the night by the train which is just steps from their parking lot. Also, I definitely thought the website made the whole place look much nicer than it really is. The place needs a little work.

My husband and I were guest in early May. We had read some poor reviews so we were a little concerned, but after looking at other B&B websites felt 200 S. St. would be what we would prefer. Our room in the main house on the first floor was handsomely decorated and very comfortable. Most of the other rooms we looked at were lovely as well. The staff were friendly and helpful in every way. The breakfast served included a nice selection of fruits, breads and cereals, juices and excellent coffee. In the afternoon we would come in from our tours to find chilled wine and cheese which we enjoyed on the shaded terrace in their garden. The Inn is in a great location. Just minutes away from Monticello, which is a must see. The nearby trolley takes you on a free ride around town and directly to the University. Restaurants are just steps away! We enjoyed Bang across the street for cocktails at the bar and dinner on the patio. Zocalo on the mall is outstanding too. There is also a wonderful little farmers market to awaken to across the street on weekends.

Overall our experience was very good. Needless to say upon arriving at 200 St you could not help but notice the Inn is in great disrepair. The woodwork is rotting and begging for paint. Hopefully the owner will do something about this before too long, it is sad to see such a charming house become neglected. We would not hesitate to go back.

This Inn is very misrepresented on their web-site. This Inn has dusty falling apart antiques, the room was dirty, especially the bathroom. The sheets felt like they must have been 50 thread count...they felt like sandpaper. Very disappointed! Way too much money for what you get.

Wife and I had a lovely stay at this antebellum establishment. Wine and cheese were served in the afternoon by pleasant staff, who were happy to assist with directions to Monticello (pronounced with a "ch" sound, not a "c" sound as we previously suspected). All in all, a fun weekend getaway!

Main property is a bit shabby on the outside and the 2nd house is under renovation. Room was just OK, but not for the price we paid. Dirty dishes from the continental breakfast were left to linger, nor was the only table cleared, while the attendent busied himself with computer games. Although there are 3 sets of stairs which can make luggage handling difficult, no offer of assistance was made. Nothing in the brochure or webpage mentions a train track located 20 yards from the back door with thunderous locomotive traffic day and night! It literally shakes the house! Will definitely not stay here again.

Spacious room with a Fireplace, canopy bed, full bath and large jetted tub. Very nice and friendly staff. Nice common areas and library.

Located just steps away from the bustling downtown of Charlottesville are twin buildings which comprise 200 South Street Inn. The first building was (lower your voice) a former brothel. Now, however, the red light has been extinguished and the welcome mat is out! This delightful setting features 24 rooms (12 in each building) with a charming array of antiques and eclectic decorating - a unique theme in each room. Most beds are sleigh and/or canopy, and many rooms have fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. Don't oversleep and miss breakfast - the breads are their specialty! Bountiful restaurants, shopping and friendly faces in this college town. And while home to the University of Virginia Cavaliers and the influences of Thomas Jefferson - there is nothing "Cavalier" about the way you'll be treated at 200 South Street Inn. The staff is eager to make your stay a pleasure.