Hotel Review

BY ALLISON WEISS ENTREKIN

THE CAROLINA INN

The hotel’s entranceA historic Chapel Hill hotel offers an education in luxury.

CHAPEL HILL, NC
(28 miles from Raleigh/Durham) (28 miles from Raleigh/Durham) 211 Pittsboro St 211 Pittsboro St • 919-933-2001 www.carolinainn.com

Take all your notions about university-owned hotels and lock them up with your old textbooks.

The Carolina Inn may be on the University of Chapel Hill campus, but a glorified dorm it most certainly is not. That much is obvious when you enter the French front doors and behold the ornate flower arrangements that glitter under crystal chandeliers. Four small stars and four diamonds on the wall indicate the hotel’s impressive international rankings, and if you sit in the lobby long enough, you may spot John Grisham, Michael Jordan or other famous patrons who consider the hotel their second home.

The Carolina Inn was built in 1924 by a wealthy UNC Chapel Hill alumnus who envisioned a place where visitors and former students could relax in unusual comfort. In 1935, he donated the hotel to the university with one requirement: all of its profits had to go to the campus library. In the 70-plus years since, the hotel has seen its day-to-day operations change hands, its walls expand, and its facilities undergo millions of dollars in renovations, but it has never wavered in its commitment to providing luxurious accommodations for its guests, nor has it forgotten its pledge to funnel all excess dollars to the library.

Each of the 184 rooms is decorated in a genteel Southern style, with antique pieces complementing floral-inspired patterns. Down comforters and feather pillows lull guests to sleep, and morning brings with it stunning views of the university’s manicured quads.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the Carolina CrossRoads Restaurant, a Mobil Four-Star establishment that artfully infuses traditional Southern recipes with modern culinary twists.

Sure, the Tabasco-cheddar biscuits taste almost like grandma’s—but the butter you’re spreading on them is sprinkled with Hawaiian sea salt. Yes, the duck barbecue makes you want to lick your fingers, but its fig-onion balsamic syrup reminds you that you’re in a place where that kind of behavior isn’t appropriate.

Some of Chapel Hill’s most famous attractions are nearby; the shops, restaurants and nightlife of Franklin Street are just a short stroll away, and the Tar Heels’ legendary basketball gym is almost within cheering distance. The beauty of The Carolina Inn is that it offers easy access to these vibrant trappings of university life, yet it never loses its grown-up appreciation for elegance.