Courtesy the Umstead Hotel and Spa


The Umstead Hotel and Spa
Cary, NC 919-447-4125
www.theumstead.com

What’s new: In the past two years, the hotel has renovated its spa, guest rooms, Herons Restaurant and public spaces.

Kudos: The hotel and its restaurant have earned Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond ratings.

Rooms: 123 oversized guest rooms with garden, woodland or water views; 27 suites that range in size from 650 to 1,725 square feet.

Meeting space: More than 10,000 square feet in six meeting rooms; lakeview terrace with fireplace; 6,000-square-foot lawn.

Amenities: A 16,000-square-foot spa; Herons Restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner; a lounge with live music and light menu; afternoon tea and Sunday brunch; a wine cellar; an art collection; a fitness facility; spa steam room, sauna and whirlpool; a three-acre lake; a heated outdoor pool; walking and bicycle trails; complimentary transportation in electric vehicles; a 24-hour business center and free wireless Internet access.

Getting there: The hotel is eight minutes from Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Cary is also easily reached from interstates 40, 85 and 95 on U.S. Highway 1. The area has three Amtrak stations.

Location: Cary is in North Carolina’s Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area. Four universities, including Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, are nearby.