From its beaches to the Blue Ridge Mountains, cosmopolitan cities to quiet rural towns, there’s something for everyone in North Carolina, at any time of year. And with four major airports — Charlotte Douglas, Greensboro, Raleigh-Durham and Wilmington — and plenty of smaller ones, it’s easy to get to and around the Tar Heel State.
If you’re looking for a North Carolinian escape, we’ve got you covered. Here we take a look at three destinations where you can relax in the lap of luxury, starting in Asheville.
When the Grove Park Inn opened 100 years ago this summer in the hills of Asheville, it quickly became a popular vacation spot for travelers to enjoy the clean mountain air. During his keynote address to the 400 guests at the opening banquet on July 12, 1923, then Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan proclaimed that the inn “was built for the ages.” How right he was.
The Omni Grove Park Inn is just as popular now as it was at its opening, perched in a neighborhood atop Sunset Mountain with sweeping views of Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains. In addition to explorations of the vibrant city with its dynamic culinary and arts scenes, the resort also offers plenty to do, from its 18-hole Donald Ross-designed golf course to six tennis courts (three indoor, three outdoor), two pickleball courts, racquetball courts, a fitness center, guided history tours and more.
The crown jewel of the Grove Park Inn may very well be its 43,000-square-foot subterranean Spa. The 20 water features — including hot tubs, mineral pools, therapeutic waterfalls and lap pool with 6,500 stars and underwater music — are reason enough to spend a day floating, soaking and relaxing all your cares away. To that end, The Spa maintains a completely electronics-free environment, so you can truly leave the real world behind.
Besides The Spa’s massages, facials, body treatments, and manis and pedis that are available year-round, this time of year is perfect for a gingerbread pedicure. After all, the resort hosts the National Gingerbread House Competition annually; the 200 entries were on display through Jan 2.
Arrive at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary and leave the buzz of the Research Triangle — Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill — in the rearview mirror. Tucked into a woodland setting and just steps from the 5,400-plus-acre William B. Umstead State Park, the 150-room boutique hotel distinguishes itself by having been named one of only five properties in the U.S. to achieve Forbes Travel Guide’s Triple Five-Star ranking in 2023. It also received a AAA Five Diamond award.
There is much to recommend at The Umstead — from the exquisite, privately curated fine art found throughout its public spaces and luxuriously appointed guest rooms; to guided nature walks with a naturalist; afternoon tea in the elegant lobby; and the recently refreshed 16,000-square-foot spa, featuring a fresh and modern aesthetic and a renewed focus on health and wellness. New spa treatments include Abhyanga and Udvartana massages, a Shirodhara treatment and an Herbal Rejuvenation Wrap, among a handful of others.
When making reservations to stay at The Umstead, be sure to include dinner at its signature restaurant, Herons, with its seasonal menus filled with regional dishes created by Executive Chef Steven Greene and Chef de Cuisine Spencer Thomson. Choose from a decadent, four-course prix fixe menu or an elaborate “Art Tour” tasting menu, through which the chefs and their culinary teams create dishes that bring the hotel’s art to life. Either way, you will enjoy exemplary five-star service throughout the evening. The sommelier can guide you through the expensive wine list, consistently recognized with an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator for a dozen years.
Find an English-inspired village in North Carolina’s countryside, just south of Chapel Hill, at The Fearrington House Inn. The 32 guest rooms and suites at this Relais & Châteaux luxury inn are each unique, with individual layouts and designs featuring 300-count Egyptian cotton bed linens, Boca Terry robes, Frette bath towels and fresh flowers, many cut from Fearrington’s gardens. Some rooms have fireplaces, while others boast outdoor seating. Whichever you choose, you’ll feel right at home.
But which came first — The Fearrington House Inn or The Fearrington House Restaurant? When owners R.B. and Jenny Fitch went to Paris in the mid-1980s for their restaurant to become a Relais member, they were told that they did not qualify because they did not have an inn. So they built the inn, which opened in 1986. The Fearrington House Inn and Restaurant became members of Relais & Châteaux in 1988.
Dining at The Fearrington House Restaurant is a must-do, whether staying overnight in the inn or not. The seasonal four-course prix fixe menu is divine, taking guests on a culinary journey from the first bite of canapé to dessert. Speaking of dessert, don’t miss the restaurant’s signature chocolate soufflé — worth every decadent bite.
Elsewhere in Fearrington Village are a handful of boutiques, a spa, a casual eatery with grab-and-go bites and cups of coffee, and a beer garden. And if you just can’t pull yourself away, you can live in Fearrington — the planned community is home to nearly 2,000 residents.