ACCOMMODATION

North Carolina's Southern Comfort

By Debra Weiner

Yearning for a dose of old-fashioned southern comfort? (Not the drink ­– the elegance and charm.) These four North Carolina resorts marry modern sophistication with Gilded Age hospitality, preserving a legacy of gracious living.

Inn on Biltmore

High Hampton Inn & Country Club

High in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the village of Cashiers, the 1,400-acre lakeside High Hampton Inn is a throwback to another era, when gentlemen dined in coats and ties and guest rooms didn’t have iPod docks. With chestnut bark siding, shabby chic is the look, reminiscent of a grand Adirondack summer estate.

Of course, things have changed since the Inn & Country Club opened in 1922. A low-key spa now graces the grounds, dining room service is buffet instead of white-gloved and guests can choose to stay in cottages as well as in the lodge. But some traditions never die – like the black-bottom pie recipe that dates back to the inn’s beginnings and the fact that guests can cut flowers from the dahlia gardens for their rooms. It’s this fidelity to custom that has kept the same families coming back for generations.

Inn on Biltmore Estate

When George Vanderbilt, grandson of robber baron Cornelius Vanderbilt and heir to the legendary fortune, constructed his Biltmore House in 1895, luxury knew no bounds. With 250 rooms, this Asheville Xanadu, styled after the French châteaux of the Loire Valley, is still America’s largest private home.

Guests at the Inn on Biltmore Estate, in the heart of the 8,000-acre Frederick Law Olmsted-designed property, get a taste of the opulence that made the Vanderbilts famous. Afternoon tea is served in the two-storey library, the rimless outdoor pool overlooks the winery and the dining room features specialties from the on-site gardens and farm. Off-road driving classes and rafting trips are also available, but a little less consistent with the turn-of-the-century vibe.

Pinehurst

Conceived in 1895 as a health retreat for well-heeled Yankees, genteel Pinehurst, in the Sandhills region southwest of Raleigh, evolved into a fashionable golf resort as the sport caught on in America. 

Eight first-rate courses make this one of the world’s top golf destinations, but duffers can keep busy with 24 tennis courts, a luxurious spa, croquet and lawn bowling courses and a lake for cooling off. For a more downtempo experience, Pinehurst’s regal Carolina Hotel inspires relaxation. White rockers line the veranda overlooking dogwoods, crepe myrtles and pines, and a six-piece ensemble accompanies dinner in the formal dining room. After you’ve recovered from the more strenuous activities, a spin on the hotel’s old-fashioned touring bikes is a lovely way to see the oh-so-civilized Village of Pinehurst.

The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa

“Majestic” is the operative word at Asheville’s 94-year-old Grove Park Inn – or is it “massive”? From the metre-thick granite walls to the two 10-metre-wide fireplaces, Grove Park, as a visiting dignitary once proclaimed, “is built for the ages.”

Though founded as an outpost of decorum, nowadays this architectural marvel – complete with two modern wings – bursts with flamboyance. The subterranean spa flaunts waterfalls and fibre-optic stars, and during the evening, when a band entertains, the lobby is transformed into a lively concert hall.

Neither time nor progress, however, has marred the sweeping views of the city and Blue Ridge Mountains from the Inn’s Sunset Terrace restaurant. Likewise, the historic main inn, with its Arts and Crafts furnishings, retains its original character. Literature buffs can request guestrooms 441 or 443, where F. Scott Fitzgerald stayed while visiting his wife, Zelda, hospitalized nearby.

(Freelance writer Debra Weiner lives with her son, Sam, in Chicago.)

TOP PHOTO: THE BILTMORE COMPANY
HIGH HAMPTON INN: HIGH HAMPTON INN
BILTMORE: THE BILTMORE COMPANY
PINEHURST: (R)PINEHURST, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
GROVE PARK INN: THE GROVE PARK INN RESORT & SPA