13 Best Hotels in Central North Carolina, North Carolina

The former estate of RJ Reynolds executive Bowman Gray and his wife, Nathalie, is now a luxurious inn 2 miles north of downtown, near the Wake Forest campus. The expansive yet welcoming stone building includes many architectural wonders, such as the elaborate ironwork and intricate wood panels imported from Europe during the Roaring Twenties. Most rooms are spacious, stocked with every amenity (as well as a communal ice-cream refrigerator), and well soundproofed. Antique furnishings—in private rooms and the billiards room, butler's quarters, and the library—give the feel of abiding within a living museum. It's like staying in a real-life game of Clue, with all of the luxury and none of the murder mystery.

To understand Winston-Salem in the 2020s, consider that the former RJ Reynolds headquarters—an Art Deco, tiered-top architectural masterpiece that inspired the design of the Empire State Building—is now a modern hotel where (of course) smoking is not allowed anywhere on the premises. Instead, the luxury hotel honors the history of Winston-Salem with tartan fabrics that echo the area’s textile past. Guest rooms exude elegance and masculinity, while the basement-level rec room is all fun, with touches like a two-story slide, bowling lanes, and a small basketball court. There's also a fabulous French brasserie on-site called the Katharine.

What was once a run-down mid-century motor lodge is now downtown's coolest place to stay, thanks to an overhaul with retro-chic furnishings, trellises with climbing vines, and a sage-and-neutrals color scheme that extends to the lobby coffee shop and lounge. The bar's patio is a hot spot for locals on weekend evenings.

Once a 1960s motor lodge, this fun and quirky boutique hotel has been transformed with a (tiny) rooftop pool and lots of retro touches. The rooms are bright, colorful, and very '60s mod—but with smart TVs and other modern necessities. The top two floors have exterior corridors and open directly on to the pool and bar area. On the bottom floor, the lobby area is a comfy place to hang out with a coffee or cocktail from the in-house café. The central location means you're steps from everywhere, including Cheeni's Indian restaurant and Pour Taproom just downstairs.

This innovative hotel, housed in a historic bank building, is the perfect fusion of art museum and boutique hotel. Its signature colorful penguins can be spotted throughout, and rotating art exhibits are on display in place of a traditional lobby. Guest rooms are similarly modern and very comfortable. The Counting House restaurant serves creative cocktails and Southern-inspired entrées, pastas, and small plates, and the small hotel spa offers massages. Even if you don't stay here, be sure to tour the edgy galleries and visit the underground bank vault and its eerie series of passageways.

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 features local producers. 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.

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.

One of the last remaining Green Book–recommended establishments in the area, Magnolia House is a piece of history you can sleep and eat in. The Green Book was a publication in the mid-20th-century for Black travelers about welcoming places to stay and dine during Jim Crow law restrictions, and Magnolia House hosted such luminaries as Tina Turner and Ray Charles. The thoughtfully restored inn has touches of modern design in its four themed rooms: Baldwin, inspired by intellectuals like James Baldwin; the masculine Legends, for sports heroes like Jackie Robinson; Carlotta, a pink room dedicated to icons like Lena Horne; and Kind of Blue to celebrate Miles Davis. The restaurant serves soul food favorites like fish and grits and smothered pork chops, a decadent brunch, as well as live music. 

Built into the renovated art deco–era Pepper Building in the heart of downtown, this locally owned 2019 addition to the city's lodging doubles as a gathering place—the wide windows overlooking the street beckon passersby into the stunning lobby-level bar and restaurant, Sir Winston. Rooms are spacious and modern, with touches that nod to the building's century-long history.

With its grand staircase, richly carved moldings, and marble fireplaces, the stately coral-colored 1918 Adams Mansion is home to this boutique inn where each room is designed for comfort. Many of the suites are named for North Carolina furniture makers and feature their craftsmanship. An extended continental breakfast is served daily and there's also a restaurant and wine bar on-site.

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 and dinner.

Well positioned for university visitors, conference and concert attendees, and IKEA shoppers, the Marriott hotel opened in 2021 with sleek, modern rooms overlooking UNC Charlotte campus. There's a light-rail stop outside that takes guests to Uptown in 30 minutes but most guests opt to valet park their car or park in the nearby garage to explore Charlotte. The Golden Owl Tavern is busy day and night for business lunches, pre-dinner drinks, and late-night snacks. While leisure guests can usually bypass the activity at the ground-floor conference center, elevators can be slow when many people are checking in or going to the restaurant on the second floor. A large fitness center overlooks an outdoor heated pool that's open until early fall. The University City shopping center across the street has many options for a quick bite, and it's two miles from IKEA, the only store in the Carolinas.

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 JB Duke Hotel is just across the street.