Five North Carolina resorts rank among best in South. Why visitors love to stay there
Visitors love staying at five North Carolina resorts. So much so, the hotel destinations now rank among the best the South.
The Swag — a retreat in the mountain town of Waynesville — was named the region’s No. 1 place to stay. Other resorts in North Carolina weren’t too far behind on the Travel + Leisure list, including:
- Skyline Lodge in Highlands at No. 2
- The Fearrington House Inn in Pittsboro at No. 3
- Old Edwards Inn and Spa in Highlands at No. 6
- Half-Mile Farm in Highlands at No. 8
Travel + Leisure published the list July 11 as it revealed the winners of its “World’s Best” awards. To come up with the findings, the magazine said it conducted an “extensive” survey that allowed readers to vote on their favorite vacation destinations “based on a number of characteristics for which they could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor.” More than 100,000 readers responded from Oct. 24 to Feb. 27.
In the survey, the magazine categorized each accommodation as a “resort hotel, city hotel, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities.” The survey focused on several aspects, including service, food and costs.
Why travelers love the NC resorts
On the resulting list, North Carolina resorts made their mark, sweeping up half of the top 10 spots in the South.
The Swag, roughly 40 miles west of Asheville, topped the list after travelers raved about the resort’s mountain scenery and activities, which range from yoga to wine tastings, according to Travel + Leisure and the resort’s website.
Also in Western North Carolina, the town of Highlands “has fewer than 2,000 full-time residents but is home to three ranked resorts.” Those properties — Skyline Lodge, Old Edwards Inn and Spa, and Half-Mile Farm — all received nods for their picturesque settings and amenities.
Rounding out the list of North Carolina winners was The Fearrington House Inn in Pittsboro, roughly 30 miles west of Raleigh. Travel + Leisure described the hotel as a “countryside getaway with 32 guest rooms, a spa, perfectly manicured gardens, and shopping and dining at the English-inspired Fearrington Village.”
The accolade comes a year after the village’s Fearrington House Restaurant ranked among the “most outstanding” places to eat in the world, McClatchy News reported.
In the more recent rankings, Travel + Leisure also named the best resorts in the country. The top spot went to Goldener Hirsch in the skiing hot spot of Park City, Utah.
The Southern rankings were based on votes for hotels in the following states: “Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia” and West Virginia, the magazine wrote in its report.
