• Durham, North Carolina, features about 218,000 residents. The city includes such attractions as Duke University, the Durham Performing Arts Center and the Research Triangle Park, the world's largest research complex. The Durham area plays host to more than 6 million visitors each year and offers approximately 60 lodging facilities, only a handful of which are luxury hotels.
  
  

Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

• The Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club resides on 300 acres amid the Duke University campus. The hotel also sits within the vicinity of the school's 18-hole championship golf course. Guests must secure their tee time reservations at least 30 days in advance. The hotel offers 271 guest rooms, including deluxe, junior, family, master and presidential suites. All of the rooms feature wireless Internet access, a mini bar, high-end toiletries and a digital safe. The hotel also boasts its own fitness center, indoor swimming pool and a walking/running path through the Duke Forest. The hotel offers multiple dining options, including the Bull Durham Bar, two sit-down restaurants and afternoon tea service.
  
  Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club
  
  3001 Cameron Blvd.
  
  Durham, North Carolina 27705
  
  919-490-0999
  
  washingtondukeinn.com
  
  

The Carolina Inn

• The Carolina Inn received a four-diamond rating from AAA and two revered honors: listings with the National Register of Historic Places and the Historic Hotels of America. Dating back to 1924, the hotel resides on the North Carolina University campus, in the midst of downtown Chapel Hill. Guests can easily walk to a host of nearby restaurants, shops and art galleries. The hotel features 184 guest rooms and suites, all of which include free bathrobes, coffee-making facilities, Internet access and complimentary weekday newspapers. In-room spa services, including massages and beauty treatments, are available as well. The hotel also offers business services, meeting rooms, banquet facilities for private events and a fitness center.
  
  The Carolina Inn
  
  211 Pittsboro St.
  
  Chapel Hill, NC 27516
  
  919-933-2001
  
  carolinainn.com
  
  

The Umstead Hotel & Spa

• Located just 20 miles from Durham, the Cary-based Umstead Hotel & Spa offers 12-acres of land filled with gardens and a large lake. The onsite spa features a sauna, steam room, whirlpool and private treatment rooms outfitted with balconies. Such services include massages, manicures, pedicures, and body/facial scrubs. The Umstead plays host to four-star dining at Herons, a southern cuisine restaurant that also boasts vegetarian fare and afternoon tea service. The hotel also features the Umstead Bar and the option of dining poolside in a cabana. The 150 guest rooms and suites come equipped with free Internet access, a plasma television, DVD and CD player, spa robes and a refrigerator filled with gourmet snacks.
  
  The Umstead Hotel & Spa
  
  100 Woodland Pond
  
  Cary, NC 27513
  
  919-447-4000
  
  theumstead.com