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7 reviews for Carolina Inn
I just hosted a customer User Group event at this property last week. We were much more pleased than the hotel we chose in Minneapolis.
The entire experience went much better. Our sales contact wasn't especially responsive, and had we not been in a time crunch might have looked wider, but Alison, head of catering/F&B was super awesome.
This is a charming, classic Carolina's hotel. If you don't like old Southern styles you probably won't like it much. I didn't see a normal room, as they were nice enough to give me a massive suite, as a thanks for the 80 rooms.
Monday night we hosted a cocktail in their garden area. Tuesday night we had a traditional Southern dinner and casino night in their very nice ballroom. Both those events, as well as group breakfast, lunches, breaks, were all very well done, and much higher quality then other places.
I never actually ate in the restaurant other than one breakfast, but I can see how the property would be a great venue for some of their summer events, especially outside.
As another perk, its stumbling distance (one block) to bars on Franklin Street!
I don't know what else is available hotel wise; but for a classic Southern weekend, or a customer/group event, I highly recommend this place.
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My favorite hotel east of the Mississippi. Situated *on* the UNC-Chapel Hill campus, The Carolina Inn is a monument to Southern charm and hospitality. My husband is an alum of the university and we stay here whenever we're in town.
This year, I had some trouble making the reservation. Basically, I booked my reservation during the same 24-hour period when they were upgrading their computer system (figures!). I thought I booked a King Suite when they didn't actually have any available. First thing the next morning, I got a phone call and they told me the bad news. They said that they would call me if a King Suite became available for our nights. I thought "yeah right" and forgot about it. I was totally shocked when the reservations associate called me three days before our stay to let us know that a King Suite was available. Now that's customer service! We paid $349/night (I negotiated the rate from $404).
The lobby is traditional southern decor with a mix of antiques, flowers, and interesting fabrics. Step out onto the "front porch" on a Friday night during the summer and they have a complimentary BBQ with bluegrass music.
The room was exquisite. I've stayed in regular rooms and Junior Suites at the Carolina Inn, and the King Suite is by far the best room this hotel has to offer. This room was about twice as big as my first apartment. The living area and bedroom are two completely separate areas, divided by a hallway and a door. The suite is full of gorgeous antiques, a Bose sound system, two TV's (not plasma), lovely art on the walls, a nice-sized closet, a smallish (but lovely) bathroom, hard wood floors in the living area, a comfy bed, a bar, a fridge, and plenty of room for entertaining. You could probably get 8 people in the living area for a pre-game party. The view from the living area was of the courtyard and from the bedroom we had a campus view.
The check-in area is smallish, so sometimes there is a bit of a wait. The lobby is very comfortable with lots of room for groups to gather.
There is only one major problem that I encountered but it didn't really apply to me. On the Saturday that we checked out, the fire alarm went off (we were on Franklin Street for breakfast, so we weren't inconvenienced by it). The problem was that they could not get the A/C to work in the common areas (lobby, event rooms, etc.) after the fire alarm went off. Lucky for them, I wasn't one of the many brides getting married at the Carolina Inn that day. There were several receptions going on when we left with 100+ people packed in each reception room with 100 degree/95% humidity going on outside. Miserable! OMG I would have gone full-on militant bridezilla on them if my wedding were that day. I hope they got the A/C turned on later that day for the sake of those poor brides!!
There is a ton of stuff to do within walking distance like the Morehead Planetarium and Coker Arboretum. I'm a library nerd, so a stop at Wilson Library is a must. Check out the University of North Carolina Basketball Museum right outside of the Dean Dome, it's free and really fun. Have breakfast at Ye Olde Waffle Shop on Franklin St. and definitely stop for lunch at Sutton's (there's an old-school lunch counter in the back).
The Carolina Inn is a great place to stay for games at Kenan or the Dean Dome, freshman move-in day, a romantic getaway, or just for fun. Book WAY in advance if you want to stay here during a home game. Also, call the reservations desk for the best selection of rooms and for the best rates.
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This is the place to stay for the full Chapel Hill experience - historic, lovely, and decorated to the hilt. You can sit in the lobby and read the paper and still feel deluxe. In the summer, they have "Fridays on the Front Porch" - you can enjoy bluegrass music with a glass of wine...and about 500 of your friends and neighbors. On calmer evenings, you can sit out on the patio with a mint julep and overlook campus and the fraternity houses. The hotel is a short walk to campus and Franklin Street shopping and dining.
Also an excellent place for weddings and other special events - the Hill Ballroom is spacious and set up well for a wedding reception, and the Old Well Room is very striking for a social reception or banquet. Smaller rooms and parlors are nice for meetings or luncheons. One drawback - parking isn't quite as plentiful as one might hope.
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I can only judge the Carolina Inn by the events that I'd been to there, which are all amazing. Unfortunately actually staying in the hotel is beyond my price range by several digits.
The Inn plays host to all sorts of events on a regular basis, including weddings, conferences, and the weekly summer bluegrass sessions, which are fantastic. It's not so much a hotel as it is a traditional haven of all things Chapel Hill... If the Old Well, Davie Poplar, or Dean Dome don't hold the spirit of the university, this place certainly does. It's old and aristocratic and fantastic.
It's going to be hard for you to figure out exactly when events are taking place here... They're so assured of their own superiority that they don't bother to advertise. Do what you have to, though, there's a lot to love.
Nice hotel with a fab location, walking distance to Franklin St. Restaurant was a little stuffy, I felt like I should have been discussing the price of cotton or something while having breakfast with co-workers.
Rooms are nice, bedding was very plush, and the AC brings it (which was huge given I am chubb rock these days and don't do well with humidity).
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My favorite hotel in the south. The place always smells like a slow North Carolina spring day. The lobby's chairs and couches are so comfortable you may pass a few hours without realizing it. And the constant parade of wedding dresses makes for great theater.
Also, the formal and bar restaurants offer the best meal and the best value, respectively, in town.
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A beautiful hotel that I wish I could visit again in warmer weather when they have bluegrass on the porch.
