21 Best Hotels in Central North Carolina, North Carolina

This sprawling 6-acre property dates to 1775, with rooms spread across the Manor House, a Garden Cottage, and a cabin, all amidst gardens and green space. Its surroundings are as lovely as its accommodating owners. All rooms are filled with antiques and feature a working fireplace, and many have whirlpool tubs and steam showers.

In the center of this hotel, three floors of rooms overlook a carpeted basketball court, where guests can shoot hoops with soft basketballs handed out at the front desk. It's one very notable touch among many that compel both heavy and casual UNC fans to stay at this boutique hotel that pampers with posh amenities like marble bathrooms. Guests can people-watch from room balconies or mingle with the after-work crowd at the Trophy Room, the cushy ground-floor bar and patio, where the honey used in cocktails is sourced from beehives on the roof. Service is spot-on, from the friendly hosts behind the counter to the well-versed bartender. The setting and the luxury combine to make guests feel both part of the college scene and far removed from their everyday lives.

If booking far in advance, request Room 23, a reconstruction of Michael Jordan's dorm room.

This boutique hotel (named for the renowned short-story writer, who grew up in Greensboro) was constructed in the late 1990s but evokes old-world European charm; expect lots of wood paneling, mohair club chairs, and an extremely friendly staff. Rooms are elegant and spacious, with many featuring dining areas, living rooms, and bathrooms fit for royalty. The period furnishings are complemented by modern luxuries like dimmable lighting and surround-sound speaker systems. A complimentary breakfast buffet is served in a sunny pavilion overlooking a small garden. For lunch or dinner, grab a table in the courtyard of the Green Valley Grill, a European-style restaurant with a wood-fired oven. The hotel's checkered cab and London taxis are a fun touch.

O. Henry employs an in-house artist, Chip Holton, whose framed landscapes hang in every room. Look for his murals and embellishments throughout the hotel and restaurant.

With its high ceilings, big windows, and exposed beams, this modern hotel makes you feel like you're in the future—or perhaps just in a loft in a bigger city than Greensboro. A sister hotel to the more traditional O. Henry, Proximity features the same checkered cab and London taxis, but it's much more sleek and modern (the design was inspired by memories of old textile mills). Abstract but approachable large-format paintings hang in each room, balancing the iron-and-wood furniture, much of which is built by the hotel group's in-house craftsmen. Proximity holds the distinction of being the first LEED Platinum certified hotel in the country, a status evidenced in the guest experience by small touches like filtered water dispensers on every floor. The on-site restaurant, Print Works Bistro, echoes the eco-sensibility with its farm-to-table sourcing and the healthy creek flowing past the patio seating, a natural restoration project by the hotel's developers.

This boutique hotel in the heart of downtown displays mid-century modern decor and emphasizes everything local, from its overall design to the in-room snacks. The rooms are bright, service is friendly, and the hotel restaurant and bar are run by one of the best chefs in the state. The rooftop bar offers sweeping views of the city and is a favorite nightspot.

The lobby coffee shop is one of the city's best, and is known for its coffee soda.

This luxury inn sits on a nearly 250-year-old farm that has been remade to resemble a country hamlet. Belted Galloway cows, which are black on the ends and white in the middle, roam the pasture near the entrance. The rooms have views of a courtyard, garden, or pastures and are individually furnished with carefully chosen antiques. Some suites have a whirlpool or fireplace. The Fearrington House Restaurant serves up swanky, contemporary fare. An elaborate made-to-order breakfast and afternoon tea are included in the room rate. A two-story spa offers treatments to guests and the public.

No two rooms are the same in this historic, affordable, and very pleasant lodging, built within two former cotton mills dating to 1837. The interior, with its exposed rafters, high ceilings, and brick walls, retains its historic character. A "graffiti wall," where young female factory workers left their mark, has been carefully preserved. There's a wine and cheese reception in the breakfast room each evening, as well as cookies and milk before bed.

The Art-o-mat machine in the lobby is one of the first in the world. Artist Clark Whittington created the concept in Winston-Salem.

Experience a taste of Italy at this fanciful and friendly hotel, where the lobby and rooms are filled with imported carved-wood furniture, fabrics, and artwork that conjure up the Renaissance. European-style sophistication is king here, and thanks to an impressive outdoor fountain, that's clear upon arrival. Tuscan cuisine is the hallmark of Il Palio, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

There's a sumptuous sense of escape at this modern, luxurious hotel where wall-sized portraits and sculpture (including a large-scale Chihuly) balance the gorgeous outdoor surroundings, including a 3-acre lake (with walking trail) and an infinity pool framed by comfy chairs and cabanas. Expansive limestone and granite bathrooms, comfy beds with 330-count sheets, a full-service spa, and balconies with lake views add to the luxury. Herons, a celebrated five-star restaurant that sources produce from its own farm, serves food around the clock.

This 1844 inn right on Old Salem's Main Street has a way of transporting guests back several centuries; it's also made a name for itself as a romantic getaway. The rooms and common areas are filled with reproduction antiques of the 18th and 19th centuries, and every room has pleasant views of the well-preserved town or the inn's period gardens, framed by a large magnolia tree. A generous breakfast with homemade muffins, biscuits, eggs and more is served each morning.

On the campus of Duke University, this luxurious hotel evokes the feeling of an English country inn. Many of the guest rooms—all with classic furnishings and creamy wall coverings—overlook either a park or the golf course, designed by Robert Trent Jones and redesigned by his son, Rees Jones. The inn feels a bit like staying in an upscale golf clubhouse—there's a pro shop in the hotel lobby. On display in the public rooms are memorabilia belonging to the Duke family. In the lobby, you'll find the quietly sophisticated Fairview Dining Room.

If you're in town for a special event and the inn is full, the new JB Duke Hotel is just across the street.