Understated Elegance
The Umstead Hotel and Spa attains high luxury in Raleigh/Durham
Lush natural surroundings are embraced and reflected with this newly opened property. A new sense of opulent peacefulness has come to North Carolina.
A new star is sending out radiant beams of elegant ambiance from the wooded lands of Cary, North Carolina– the Umstead Hotel and Spa.
Opened in January of this year – the Umstead brings to the burgeoning Raleigh Durham region a supreme level of service in luxurious accommodations, epicureal wonders and sublime spa treatments.
As one of The Leading Hotels of the World the Umstead, named for the bordering State Park of the same name, is dedicated to combining the beauty of the Piedmont with the latest technology and the incredible richness of North Carolinian arts and crafts.
Enter the 150-room property and immediately staff whose sole purpose is to make your experience memorable surrounds you. Smiles and greetings are friendly and genuine and any need or desire is addressed immediately.
The Unstead’s colors reflect nature and tranquility often seemingly absorbing the glory from right outside the windows. 12 acres of lush landscape offers a 1/3 mile- walking trail around a lake with its own sprouting water fountain. Built from Texas limestone – the facility accents instead of distracts from its indigenous settings. The effect is so real rabbits can be seen calmly contemplating life on a regular basis near one of the entrances.
Once inside Mother Nature’s glories are celebrated with original artworks in hallways, public and function spaces and guest rooms. Many from North Carolina’s prestigious artistic community, among other world-renowned artists, are displayed. The ceramic vases of potter Mark Hewitt, sculpture by Dale Chihuly and Kay Hutchinson’s murals are among those specially commissioned for the Umstead. Should something catch your eye – specialists on the property can assist you in obtaining similar work.
With the talents of Executive Chef Phil Evans at the helm Herons Restaurant endeavors to blend world-class cuisine, southern flavorings and progressive culinary skills into meals both memorable and refined and never haughty. Complementing any entrée would be a wine selection from the 2500 bottle wine cellar.
The Umstead Spa’s menu seeks to combine the tranquility of nature with the relaxation of soothing treatments. Among the multi dimensional selection of services a favorite is the 50 minutes Babassu Sugar Scrub. 100% organic the raw sugar and Babassu palm oil will leave your skin smooth and glowing. The Spa Within a Spa Suite allows a couple or four to six friends to enjoy a private suite with full amenities.
Inside the guest rooms, well-appointed enhancements enchant and relax the soul. Again native floras and faunas inspired the color palette and tactile selections as each floor highlights a different season or sub season - like Indian summer. Large rooms, between 540 to 570 square-feet, offer furnishings in deep honey toned Anegre wood, lush linens, a 42” Plasma television, CD and DVD players and views of gardens or woodlands.
Should you already live the in the area – the Umstead can still delight.
Many locals enjoy the facilities from the spa, restaurants or the afternoon tea served from 2:30 to 4:30 Monday through Saturday with live harpist accompaniment.
Less than a 10-minute drive from the Raleigh Durham airport -the Umstead transports you quickly to a gentle quietness.
The Umstead Hotel and Spa is upscale and urbane in a non-urban setting.
For more information see: www.theumstead.com/
For more to see while in Raleigh see:north-carolina-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/mummy_dearest
For more to see while in North Carolina see:seustravel.suite101.com/article.cfm/lighthouses_of_the_outer_banks
