A haven in the mountains by the Swannanoa river

This property is SO close to being a solid 4 for me, but I just couldn’t give it a 4 unless a few changes were made. As you can tell by the pictures, it’s a bit of a throwback, casual mountain style place. It is as clean as a whistle, as quiet as can be and conveniently located for easy access to hiking trails or the city vibe of Asheville. We had a great time & appreciated Andy’s friendly demeanor and quick response to questions.

Here’s where it could use a little help: the beds are both platform beds and one is very much like sleeping on a box, HARD. The other is very firm but slightly better and is doable. In my opinion both beds could really benefit from a 2 or 3 inch NovaForm mattress topper.

Next is the master bathroom - no workable electrical outlet & not one hook or towel bar. There is a shelf unit to hold folded towels but nothing for a wet towel. I know there is a pocket door & that takes away some options for putting up towel bars, but there are several places where hooks could easily be installed.

The electrical issue: you absolutely need a working outlet in a bathroom. There was only one outlet in the other bathroom, located in a very strange spot making drying your hair somewhat of a circus act!

Since the pictures were taken lots of trinkets & rocks have been added making the place a bit cluttered or as some might say, giving it a lot of “charm”. I guess I also missed the fact that there isn’t any regular television available at the house, only Netflix.

I truly appreciated the fresh eggs left in the refrigerator and the mountain spring water in the cooler.

My family's experience at Andy's place was wonderful. It is obvious that his property and the home are a labor of love and a commitment to quality. He has done a great job of updating the home while continuing to maintain the elements of its long history. The Swannanoa River on the property is a great amenity, as well as the two Scottish Highland cows. Although the weather prevented us from using the fire pit, it's there, too.

The 2 BR (with three beds) 2 Bath setup is great for families. Modern appliances and a well stocked kitchen, bathrooms, three types of coffee makers (including a Keurig), and Black Mountain Spring Water really make the place well-rounded. Plus, there's a newly added deck with a new grill, tons of DVDs, and access to a Netflix account.

The location is excellent, too. It's only about 10-12 miles outside of downtown Asheville and about 95% of those miles are along the highway, which means it's a very short and easy drive to everything happening in the city. It's also very close to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Overall, the location enables you to feel like a part of the community.

If there's any room for improvement, perhaps TVs in each bedroom would be nice for some. That's subjective, of course.

Overall, I highly recommend this property!

I have stayed here a few times. Andreas always is a wonderful and engaging host. I would highly recommend this spot to others it has a peaceful feeling to it.

We had a fantastic time on our trip! The house had everything that you needed. The kitchen was well equipped, large selection of DVD's and LOTS of books to read! Little extras that were provided made it even better! Andy provided us with a jug of spring water from Black Mountain, condiments in the refig., paper products, etc. Andy was super nice and so accommodating! My mom and I really enjoyed our conversations with him being we have mutual interests. The Highland Cows were also a big hit with my daughters! We will return on our next trip to the Asheville area! Thank you Andy!

We stayed at the Bee Hive end of July 2018. The house was as described by Andy, the owner, but it had much more inside than we expected. It was great to have the two bathrooms, and the new mattresses were in fact very comfortable for two people who have very fixed ideas of what is comfortable! There were plenty of pillows, bedding, and towels ,shampoo, and paper products and the kitchen with new appliances had a huge amount of things in it, we only needed to buy basic groceries. The lighting inside was varied with things like colorful mini lights and lots of table lamps, so you can get just the right amount of light or ambience. Everything seemed clean and in great condition, there is a new deck that is uncovered but has plenty of furniture and a brand new gas grill. The yard is very large, with a mowed way down to the river and sitting places at the river. A very short ride down the road you can go to lakes and a path that is part of the Warren Wilson property and hike in the woods there. On the property of the house, are two resident Scotland cattle, that I fed biscuits to though the fence. Plenty of parking is available, both in front of the house if you want only a few steps to the door , and in the side and back. The property is not far from Black Mountain restaurants and also a short ride to Asheville and the Biltmore House. I don't like properties that sit on high steep roads and hills, or driveways, but this house is easy to get to with low elevations and is not in an isolated area. Andy, the owner is very friendly and answers all questions promptly. There are many books and a huge numbers of DVD's that you can watch on the "smart" TV in the living room. The WiFi worked well here for our devices. I do recommend this house which has everything you need and more!