The only downside to these stunning hotels, inns, and B&Bs: You can’t stay forever.
About the Author
Jess Hoffert
Jess is the Senior Projects Editor of People Inc. Travel Content — a division of the largest digital and print publisher in America — and has been the project manager for The Official North Carolina Travel Guide since 2016.
Introduction Text
The only downside to these stunning hotels, inns, and B&Bs: You can’t stay forever.
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Featured by: Mitchell County TDA
Mitchell County TDA
Springmaid Mountain Resort
Spruce Pine
Tucked away on 400 acres along the North Toe River in Spruce Pine, Springmaid Mountain is your escape to tranquility. With 16 cabins ranging from one bedrooms to a bunkhouse perfect for large groups, it’s ideal for family getaways, reunions, weddings and group retreats wanting to bask in mountain beauty. Hiking, fishing and horseback riding are all available onsite, and the Blue Ridge Parkway sits just 1.5 miles away. If stargazing is part of your ideal evening (whose isn’t?), the nearby Bare Dark Sky Observatory is home to one of the largest public telescopes in the Southeast and offers two-hour viewing events.
After globe-trotting to overnight stays in celebrated lodgings, Sarah and Jeff Shepherd envisioned transforming their neighborhood’s sleepy 1860 mansion into a similarly desired destination. Their dream evolved into a painstaking two-year transformation of the Italianate Heights House, now back to its original glory — and then some — with gleaming wood floors; a stained-glass-topped cupola; and nine guest rooms outfitted with fireplaces, vintage rugs and gold-framed televisions that display works of art. An original piece by Salvador Dali hangs in the airy dining room, where guests enjoy pastries from Boulted Bread, another Boylan Heights neighborhood treasure.
Renowned designer Jonathan Adler brings midcentury modern splash to 14 guest rooms at this new-in-2024 hotel on the Outer Banks. In-room wellness baskets feature yoga mats, a percussion massager and more. Continue the self-care routine at the hot tub, sauna and nearby beach.
The Old Marshall Jail Hotel transforms a fully restored 115-plus-year-old jail into a six-room art hotel that doubles as a living history experience. Part boutique stay, part museum, the property blends original architecture, local art and modern comforts. Choose from thoughtfully designed suites or simple bunkrooms (with jail-themed names, of course), all rooted in the stories of this tight-knit Appalachian river town.
A board game bed and breakfast? Game on. With a library of more than 800 games waiting to be played — plus mountain views, game-themed rooms and made-to-order crepes for breakfast — a weekend at Tabletop Inn is ideal for a playful getaway. Keep your eye out for the secret hidden games or the games that were created by the hosts themselves.
A freezer stocked with ice cream around the clock is just a taste of the perks at this 1920s-era estate, now a hotel and conference center. Guests feel like they’ve arrived at Downton Abbey when a butler greets them at the castle-like Manor House. Intricate details include hand-painted tile marble tubs in some rooms.
A fresh look — including a complete interior renovation — has given these nine apartment-style suites a serious glow-up. The only thing that hasn’t changed at The Lighthouse: unbeatable views of the Atlantic Ocean. Watch the tide roll in from a private balcony or follow the boardwalk to the sandy beach and Kure Beach Pier.
Mountaintop experiences await at The Swag: gourmet picnics served with Great Smoky Mountains vistas, yoga on a deck above the trees, and ridgetop horseback rides and hikes — for starters. Finely presented four-course dinners put an elevated spotlight on Appalachian cuisine, with barbecue feasts and live bluegrass performances every Thursday.
Talk about lodgings that blends into their surroundings. These luxury mountain cabins come wrapped with reflective exterior panels that mirror the natural beauty of the secluded setting, rendering the structures nearly invisible. Each cabin has a custom kitchen and bath, a terrace for morning yoga and late-night stargazing, and 15-foot-tall windows that maximize views of forests and mountains. For the utmost guest privacy, each unit also includes its own hot tub, pergola, patio with firepit and alfresco pizza oven. The cabins can fill up quickly, so sign up for email updates to stay in the know.
Totally customize your overnight or multiday experience aboard a timeless yacht sailing along the NC coast. You'll float in comfort on a yacht that includes restrooms, showers with hot water and a climate-controlled space. Make this trip whatever you wish by hand-picking the destinations, stops, food and extras. Rather stay on land? On the site of the old Wilmingtonian Hotel (once damaged by an escaped circus elephant a century ago), ARRIVE rolls out a fresh welcome mat with vintage-radio-style Bluetooth speakers, cushy robes and neighborhood field guides in each room.
Freshly cut flowers from The Fearrington House Inn courtyard gardens accent rooms designed for ultimate comfort — think heated towel racks and 300-thread-count Egyptian cotton bed linens. The garden’s herbs infuse the prix fixe menu at the on-site restaurant, serving entrees like seared flounder with saffron and golden beets.
If pop art took the form of a hotel, it would be this throwback delight with Route 66-style neon signage, retro furnishings, and a pool with multicolor lights that glow among the surrounding palm trees and miniature golf course. Reopened in 2017, the motor lodge is just steps away from sister establishment Mother Earth Brewing.
Hip meets history on the grounds of a longtime haven near the Cape Fear River. New glamping tents have joined The Cabin (built in 1874) as overnight options. The Cabin features a chef’s kitchen and private bath with a walk-in shower, while the glamping tents come with dedicated bathhouses, hot water, gas cooking and firepits.
