These 3 hotels in the Triangle made Forbes’ list of the very best in the world
If you’re traveling through the Triangle, you may want to treat yourself to a stay at some local hotels named among the best in the world.
Forbes Travel Guide released the 2025 Star Award winners of the top-rated luxury hotels, cruise ships, restaurants and spas based on ratings from incognito inspectors on the hunt to find “hospitality’s finest across the globe.”
Of the 2,187 total top travel spots in 90 countries, eight hotels in North Carolina were among the winner’s list — including three in the Raleigh area again.
The Fearrington House Inn, The Umstead Hotel and Spa and Washington Duke Inn were recognized made the 2024 Star Awards list, The News & Observer previously reported. Once again, the three spots are being praised among “the most outstanding” in the world.
Pittsboro’s The Fearrington House Inn
Location: 240 Market St. in Pittsboro
Forbes rating: 4-star (“These are exceptional properties, offering high levels of service and quality of facility to match.”)
“Fearrington House Inn anchors a small residential community and retail complex just eight miles south of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Spread out over the picturesque village, each of the 32 rooms and suites has a distinct design and character, yet all are outfitted with luxe touches such as original Southern artwork, fresh flowers, a complimentary mini-bar, and other outstanding amenities like a decanter of port placed by your bedside at turndown,” Forbes Travel Guide’s review says.
“The grounds formerly belonged to a family for two centuries before being converted to a country village, and you can take a trip back in time as you stroll by the old silo, admiring the Tennessee fainting goats grazing in the lush meadows (who were chosen because their black-and-white fur matches the roaming Belted Galloway cows), and dine in the 1927 Colonial revival farmhouse, which is now Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Fearrington House Restaurant, which serves outstanding, innovative seasonal dinners as well as the hotel’s sumptuous breakfasts and afternoon teas.”
Inspector highlights include:
The proximity to the Fearrington Village residential community with local shops and boutiques.
Fresh bouquets and luxurious Frette linens — with a complimentary decanter of port placed beside your bed each evening.
The 4,000-square-foot spa was also rated 4-star.
Cary’s The Umstead Hotel and Spa
Location: 100 Woodland Pond Dr. in Cary
Forbes rating: 5-star (“These properties deliver an outstanding experience and consistently offer a highly customized level of service.”)
“Stylish and contemporary, The Umstead Hotel and Spa leads you down a serene path of art, nature and wellness. While it is tucked away alongside Carolina pine trees overlooking a three-acre lake and adjacent to one of North Carolina’s best nature parks, the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star resort is also less than 15 minutes outside of Raleigh and about five minutes from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport in the suburban town of Cary, North Carolina,” Forbes Travel Guide’s review says.
“The Umstead offers a full-service, sophisticated stay with an upscale restaurant, a graceful spa and miles of trails to hike and explore.”
Inspector highlights include:
The hotel’s rotating exhibits and the permanent collections from local and national artists.
Its Five-Star rated restaurant called Herons, which has a 2,500-bottle wine cellar.
The luxury spa’s “long list of top-notch spa services” including body masks, facials, massages and more.
Durham’s Washington Duke Inn
Location: 3001 Cameron Blvd in Durham
Forbes rating: Recommended (“These are excellent properties with consistently good service and facilities.”)
“Named after the late tobacco maven and philanthropist Washington Duke, this upscale hotel option for campus visitors and area business people has an elegance that resonates back to a simpler time — 19th-century-inspired furnishings in the lobby and old photos of the Duke family throughout the public spaces certainly help in this mission,” Forbes Travel Guide’s review says.
“But in the same breath, the 271-room Forbes Travel Guide Recommended hotel has a cosmopolitan side that struts in the form of in-room gadgetry and an in-cart GPS system for the 18-hole championship golf course that should come with NASA clearance.”
Inspector highlights include:
What could be called true Southern hospitality from hotel staff that “has a friendliness about it that goes well beyond what is required.”
Fairview Dining Room, which is open for breakfast, lunch, brunch, afternoon tea and dinner.
The 18-hole championship course, Duke University Golf Club, designed by Robert Jones Jr.
Most outstanding restaurants in the world
On top of being ranked among the best hotels, all of the hotels’ restaurants were also named 2025 Star Award Winners again, The N&O reported, including The Umstead Hotel and Spa which has held its top-tier status for 14 years.
You can find the full list of the Forbes Travel Guide’s 2025 Star Award Winners online at forbestravelguide.com.
This story was originally published March 3, 2025 at 11:00 AM.
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