K B.
Yelp
I took a chance on this B&B and was glad to have stayed here. I stayed for 4 nights and it was a great experience. With a B&B, you never really know what you're getting until you see it in person, and I was not disappointed by Avalon. I was most impressed that a lot of time and effort has been put into maintaining and improving the property. Although this is an old building, it is very well maintained and put together. While eating breakfast on the front porch, I got a good look at the woodwork, paint, and general fit and finish of the place and there was no rotting wood, old paint, or anything in need of repair. My room was equally well done with a very expensive new sliding glass door system on the shower. The original wood walls and ceilings, while showing some old paint texture from decades gone by, were clean and well painted. The air conditioner was modern, quiet, and cooled the room well. There was enough storage space for my clothes and other items. The furniture was good quality. The bed was comfortable and the mattress did not sag. The accomodations and overall quality of the experience strike a great balance between a cookie-cutter hotel and a B&B because the Avalon offers a quality experience with the uniqueness of being in an old building. The included morning breakfast was OK but not great, but the service was fine. You're getting factory-made baked goods but fresh fruit. The eggs were passable but I did not try the bacon or sausage. I loved the all day long Kurig coffee and free afternoon fresh-baked cookies. The service was friendly and welcoming. The B&B is very up front about being located on the "quiet" end of Duval street and having quiet hours which I love. True to that, I did not hear any loud noises overnight or at odd hours. The one thing you must be aware of is the parking situation: The staff at the Avalon are very up front that they do not offer any parking. Your options are to park in on a nearby street but those are easily filled up with cars, or park on the street in front of the B&B and pay the hourly parking meter fee which is $4 an hour, or $40 a day maximum. I visited during a non-peak time and was easily able to park in front of the B&B, but the $20 to $40 a day for parking added a measurable cost to my trip. One glimmer of hope here is that the large hotel/condo that surrounds the Avalon on both sides and the rear has its own parking, so those people are not directly competing for the parking space on the street in front of the Avalon. In spite of the parking situation, I would easily stay here again.
