Location and aesthetics are not enough to make for an enjoyable stay. The River Row Flats are a recently built and fresh take on an Airbnb lodging. Essentially it functions as an extended stay hotel minus the front desk and lobby. Each unit resembles the layout of any recent Marriott room, and has all of the modern necessities for a seamless transition from home to travel life. Bed, television, seating, kitchen, and more. Beyond that, the execution of the setup is severely lacking.
The rooms, for one, have abysmal acoustic properties. The walls are beyond paper thin and you hear and nearly feel everything going on in every unit around you. Making sleep impossible when late night revelers come banging in at 2 am. There are obvious signs of water damage and the shoddily done repairs. Aesthetically, the room and construction just make no sense. The entire building is wonderfully positioned by a new brewery with sprawling lawns that you can’t see because of the frosted windows. Balconies were not included in the design to at least offer an outside setting to enjoy the Craven Street respite. To top off some poor design decisions, the TV is placed in front of the bed rather than the couch. So, you are left watching TV from bed during the day between outings else risk a crick in your neck.
To be fair, the location is ideal. Positioned just minutes walk from a number of breweries, a serene river walk, and the vibrant arts district. This area of Asheville is just overflowing with relaxation and friendly & creative people. It’s just such a let down to not get to carry that feeling into your Airbnb, especially at the advertised nightly rate and minimum required nights; which, I should note, was partially after contacting the host about the issues. I have never given anything less than 4 stars to a stay in all the years I’ve used Airbnb. This rating will be my first and it hurts to have to do so. But I honestly cannot recommend anyone stay here, no mater how new or well situated. Especially when we could not complete our own vacation. Forced to carve one night off of our three night stay after two consecutive nights of a cacophony of noise.