On the campus of Duke University, this luxurious hotel evokes the feeling of an English country inn. Guest rooms with plaid bedspreads and creamy wall coverings overlook either a park or a Robert Trent Jones and Rees Jones-designed golf course. On display in the public rooms are memorabilia belonging to the Duke family, for whom the hotel and university are named. At the quietly sophisticated Fairview restaurant ($$$$)you can dine on poached tiger shrimp and mango cocktail sauce followed by prosciutto-wrapped monkfish with goat-cheese grits. Pros: well appointed and service-oriented; luxury travelers will feel right at home. Cons: the stately setting may make you feel like you need to mind your p's and q's.
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