ROOMS & SUITES: 150

A member of Leading Hotels of the World, the resort offers golf, spa, weddings and meetings.

Even during planning, founder Ann Goodnight announced she was going after five stars with Umstead Hotel & Spa. The project took three years to plan, two years to build, and it now looks as if she just may pull it off. To do so will mark a first for North Carolina.

Known for her exquisite taste and love of art, Goodnight is wife to North Carolina's richest man, Jim Goodnight, founder of SAS, a world leader in "business intelligence and predictive analytics software" that is consistently ranked one of the best companies to work for in America. The independent hotel sits on the edge of the SAS campus.

Ann Goodnight hired designer Frank Nicholson, who also worked on one of her favorite hotels, the Four Seasons San Francisco. During construction, she actually had scale-size rooms built in order to study every detail from furniture to wall color to linens. She even visited a quarry in Texas personally to choose the hotel's exterior limestone. The Umstead opened January 15, 2007, to stellar reviews.

Where she and her team have set this property apart is in the incredible art work, beautiful imported woods used throughout the property on walls, floors and in furniture pieces, plus the hotel setting - against a bucolic backdrop near as wooded as the neighboring state park. Yet, its location just off Interstate 40 offers easy access from the region's main airport, RDU, a five-minute drive away.

Umstead Hotel & Spa sits on 12 acres of park-like surroundings with a three-acre pond with center fountain and a walking/jogging track that circles it. Next door is Umstead State Park, named for a former state senator and governor because of his conservation efforts. He would have been impressed by the property's 5,600 shrubs and 800 trees, most indigenous to North Carolina.

Inside, lush surroundings in muted shades provide elegant comfort for relaxed viewing of an art collection many small cities would love to call their museum. More than 90 paintings, sculptures and ceramics grace the open areas and room halls. Specially designed lighting beautifully illuminates Ben Owen pottery, Kim Kauffman photography, dozens of paintings and the Dale Chihuly glass centerpiece in the lounge depicting herons (the name of the highly-touted hotel restaurant). Many of the artists are from North Carolina and the South, and many of the works depict nature.

With keen attention to detail, design blends with function here to maximize guest comfort and privacy. For instance, room entrances are set into alcoves - each housing artwork on the walls - so when looking down a hallway, no doors are seen.

There are no door hangers. Guests push a do-not-disturb button inside that turns a light outside from green to red signaling staff. When a finished food try is set outside the door, its automatic sensor alerts room service for pick up. Even luggage carts take a separate elevator so as not to intrude on the guest experience.

Guiding this hotel to the pinnacle she desires, Goodnight has relied not only on critical selection of design and materials, but staff, culling management from several continents and other major hospitality players. They in turn have given their staffs power to solve customer issues, often on the spot.

From spa to restaurant to luxurious accommodations, natural setting, and striking art, the Umstead Hotel & Spa is making a name for itself.

Hotel Review by J.S. Fletcher and Kathy M. Newbern

AFFILIATIONS

Leading Hotels of the World

ACCOLADES & ARTICLES

The Umstead Hotel & Spa is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World

WOW FACTORS

Sense of seclusion on 12 acres of wooded grounds.
Impressive art collection, with 95 pieces of commissioned artwork.

INSIDER TIPS

Outdoor heated pool is seasonal, open March through November.

ACCOMMODATIONS

The Umstead's 123 guest rooms include king rooms, 537 square feet with king-sized bed, some with lakeside balcony, and double rooms at 566 square feet rooms with two double beds, some with lakeside balcony.

The 27 suites include patio suites and studios, including:
- Presidential Suite on the key-accessed 6th floor, 1,725 square feet overlooking lake below and woods beyond
- Governor Suite, 1,208 square feet with patio close to the spa, fitness studio and heated outdoor pool
- One Bedroom Lake View with Balcony Suite of 1,078 square feet with furnished balconies overlooking the lake, fountain, lawn and woods
- Executive Lake View with Balcony Suite, with separate sitting area, has 922 square feet and faces the three-acre lake
- Patio Suites have 650 square feet with furnished patio overlooking the landscaped gardens,and are close to the spa, fitness studio and heated outdoor pool.
- Studio Suites have 785 square feet with an expanded sitting area.

LEISURE

Outdoor heated, non-chlorine, pool with wait service; complimentary iced water; four poolside cabanas
on-site spa with meditation courtyard
tennis courts
walking/jogging trail
hiking at Umstead State Park
golf available at Prestonwood Country Club (5 miles)
shopping at
- Streets of Southpoint Mall (Nordstrom) (12 miles)
- Crabtree Valley Mall (7 miles)
- Downtown Raleigh (12 miles)
- Triangle Town Center Mall (Saks Fifth Avenue) (17 miles)

14,000-square-foot, adults-only spa with a philosophy of simple elegance and tranquility
Signature spa products
More than 50 treatments including varied massages, facials, body masks, body polishes, exfoliation treatments, hydrotherapy baths and showers, hand and foot treatments, manicures/pedicures
Nail care studio
Complimentary steam, sauna, whirlpool, foot soak
Meditation court and outdoor relaxation garden
10 treatment rooms, including a twosome spa suite with treatment tables, specialty shower and air jet, color therapy treatment tub
Half-day/full-day spa suite rental, four-person minimum, with private lounge area and refreshments (Evian water, champagne, cheese plate, whole fruit)
Men's and women's areas feature spa concierges and wet and dry lounges, plus co-ed waiting/relaxation lounge.
State-of-the-art fitness studio operates 24/7 with Cybex strength training equipment, free weights, treadmills, elliptical machines and stationary bikes. Individual entertainment systems feature 15-inch TV and DVD/CD/MP3 players; bottled Evian water.
Personal training offered

EXPLORE

Nearby Raleigh, the state capital, has:
- the North Carolina Museum of Art (4 miles)
- North Carolina Museum of History (9.4 miles)
- North Carolina State Capitol (9.4 miles)
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (9 miles)
- Raleigh Convention Center (14 miles)
- Memorial Auditorium, home to Broadway Series, NC Theatre (14 miles)
- Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts (Carolina ballet) (14 miles)
- Meymandi Concert Hall (NC Symphony) (13 miles)
- Artspace, downtown Raleigh (9 miles)
- Marbles kids' museum and play space plus IMAX, downtown Raleigh, (9 miles)
- Historic Raleigh Trolley Tour operates every Saturday March - December (9 miles) with stops at Mordecai Historic Park, State Capital at Bicentennial Plaza, Glenwood South, Joel Lane House

AIRPORT

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)

AIRPORT DISTANCE

5 minutes

GETTING THERE

Transfers from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) are approximately $45 per person, each way, and can be arranged through the property.

Taxis are approximately $25 per car, each way.

CHILD POLICY

Children 17 and under are permitted at no additional cost using existing bedding within maximum occupancy.

PET POLICY

Pets are permitted at an additional cost of $200 per night.