Startle

The soft, inviting beds at The Fearrington House Inn just may give you the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had. It all begins with a pillow-top mattress from Kingsdown. Then a featherbed adds another layer, making the mattress even more cloud-like. Finally, the bed is wrapped in crisp, 300-thread-count white Frette sheets.

For those with allergies, ask to have the 50 percent goose-down pillows replaced with foam ones. After your sublime slumber, you can order the entire mattress-and-bedding ensemble from the nearby Dovecote boutique and have it delivered to your home so you can sleep like a rock every night.

The Fearrington House Inn offers a stellar outdoor pool within The Fearrington Swim and Croquet Club. In addition to accommodating guests of the Five-Star hotel, the club serves as a members-only pool for residents of Fearrington Village, the residential portion of the property. Take a dip in the leisure swimming area, exercise in the lap lane or bring your little one to the baby pool. Plenty of chairs and chaises are peppered around the pool, and a bin full of water noodles and other toys sits ready in the corner.

When the weather turns colder, you can use an indoor pool at the nearby Duke Center for Living’s Health and Fitness Center at Fearrington. The 25-yard pool is mostly used for lap swimming and group exercise classes.

The rooms at The Fearrington House Inn are done up in the style of a genteel English country inn with plenty of floral prints, oil paintings and bursts of flowers. It’s like stepping into a toned-down Merchant Ivory film. As you check in, you will receive a heavy brass keychain, which holds your key to your picturesque cottage — one of several nestled among impeccably maintained gardens and towering oak and magnolia trees. Each room is decorated differently, but you’ll find that the window drapes, bedding and upholstery are saturated with English-garden checks and toiles in pale greens, peach, rose, light yellows. French windows and doors give the rooms an airy feel. The occasional furniture piece will show its age, but only because it is authentically antique.

Simply decorated with original paintings and fresh flowers, all the bathrooms in The Fearrington House Inn grand suites have both showers and bathtubs — which are free-standing, air-bubble tubs with jets. The grand suites’ bathrooms are larger than the rest of the pack. Black-and-white, heated tiled floors — an idea that general manager Theresa Chiettini picked up while traveling in Europe — is perhaps the best feature of the bathrooms; you’ll especially appreciate them during the winter months. All suite bathrooms have good water pressure, along with a heated towel rack. The towels are Turkish, and the amenities are British — part of Molton Brown’s Body Remedies line.

You can have the garden wedding of your childhood dreams at The Fearrington House Inn, which is known for its serene, scenic setting. The pure white blossoms and vine-draped arbor make the White Garden a picture-perfect backdrop for a ceremony, while a large Garden Terrace and barn give wedding parties a place to gather for a reception. Winter weddings can come indoors, where couples can exchange vows fireside.

The Fearrington House Inn also has two wedding coordinators to manage all of the details; in turn, they tap a battalion of onsite professionals — a floral designer, cake designer, catering manager and executive chef — to make your big day happen.

If you want to take some fitness classes, head to the gym at The Fearrington House Inn. Managed by Duke University, the Duke Center for Living’s Health and Fitness Center is located in Fearrington Village. Its exercise studio serves as hub for a full roster of classes, including yoga, zumba, senior Pilates and belly dancing. In the heated indoor pool, join a brisk water-walking class or do aqua strengthening. A team of exercise physiologists and personal trainers is on hand if your routine needs fine-tuning.

Several shops sit near The Fearrington House Inn within Fearrington Village. McIntyre’s Books is an independent store with an entire room devoted to cooking and gardening titles, and yet another for author readings (on average, the shop hosts three readings per week). Plan to fall into one of the plump chairs in the deep-green “library” and peruse a book by the fireplace.

Dovecote carries a well-chosen collection of home décor items and accessories — everything from scarves to glassware. At Haven, you’ll find the Frette sheets, Kingsdown mattresses, robes and Molton Brown body-care products from your room at the inn. And Belted Goat in the heart of the village is where you can pick up a Fearrington T-shirt, a bag of house-roasted coffee beans or a scoop of Maple View ice cream, made at a nearby dairy.

There’s more than one jogging route near The Fearrington House Inn, since the hotel sits at the entrance of a 640-acre plot that was once a farm owned by the Fearrington family. When you check in, ask for a map that shows the network of walking paths. Though, even without a map in hand, you can carve out a pleasantly rural-feeling route that takes you past lush meadows where Belted Galloway cows — a rare breed from Scotland — and Tennessee fainting goats roam. One mapped-out route, six miles long, takes you on a run that incorporates the best of both running worlds: Hilly and flat surfaces.

While this picturesque country inn is beautiful year round, we think spring and fall are the best times of the year to visit The Fearrington House Inn. In spring, which is usually from mid-March through the end of April, flowers and crabapple trees on the hotel’s sprawling grounds begin to pop with color, and mosquitoes have yet to make an appearance. In fall, the towering oak, pecan and magnolia trees turn vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red. Sip on your afternoon tea in a rocking chair on the front porch of the inn’s restaurant and watch the Belted Galloway cows make their daily migration across the meadow while colored leaves practically glow in the distance.

The gym at The Fearrington House Inn is not just your regular hotel gym; it’s the Duke Center for Living’s Health and Fitness Center, located in Fearrington Village. As a guest of the hotel, you can work out in the gym for free. Opened in 2005, the facility is managed by the Duke University Healthcare System and specializes in medically-based wellness programs.

A main room holds shiny treadmills and other cardio equipment, Cybex weight benches, multiple racks of handheld weights and raised mats for stretching. In adjoining rooms, you’ll find a heated 25-yard pool, a cushioned indoor track and an exercise classroom.

When you stay at The Fearrington House Inn, you can use the cardio equipment at the Duke Center for Living’s Health and Fitness Center, located in Fearrington Village. Built in 2005, this gym offers plenty of cardio machines. Whether you want to jog on a treadmill, get your heart rate up on a NuStep cross trainer or pedal into fitness bliss on the recumbent bike, this hotel gym can accommodate you.

In the mainroom, you’ll find cardio equipment galore with treadmills, StairMasters, elliptical cross trainers, stationary bikes and rowing machines. If you aren’t the kind of fitness fiend who uses machines, head to the 25-yard indoor pool or the cushioned indoor track to get your dose of cardio.

Wines served at the bar in The Fearrington House Inn’s restaurant are hand-selected by sommelier Max Kast. You’ll always find sparkling wines, reds and whites on the by-the-glass menu. If you don’t have your palate set on a particular pour, ask Kast. He will try to introduce you to wines you likely won’t see elsewhere, such as a South African bottle that was a favorite of Napoleon and Jane Austen.

Prices range from $7 to $12 by the glass. The menu leans toward sparkling and white wines over the summer, but rebalances toward reds in winter. In total, the Four-Star restaurant’s cellar stocks around 3,000 wines, with 850 unique labels.

If you want the signature breakfast dish at The Fearrington House Inn, order the Fearrington House English Breakfast. In the style of our relatives across the pond, this meal is brimming with fresh farm eggs, sausage, mushrooms and roasted fingerling potatoes (though no stewed tomatoes). On the not-so-heavy side, the restaurant hits a home run with its steel-cut oatmeal, served with candied lemon and other fresh toppings.

While we waited for our orders to arrive, our server delivered a peaches-and-cream smoothie, along with fresh breads and a variety of homemade preserves — among them, lemon and Fearrington honey (harvested from onsite hives) as well as blackberry, rosemary and vanilla. We almost forgot about our entrée with all of the gratis goodies.

When hunger strikes, The Fearrington House Inn offers two restaurants, The Fearrington House Restaurant and The Fearrington Granary, and one deli, The Belted Goat. At The Fearrington House Restaurant, which is housed in Fearrington Village’s original 1927 colonial revival farmhouse, you will enjoy your complimentary breakfast and afternoon tea. During your morning meal, soak up views to the magnolia trees, rhododendron bushes and vine-covered trellis. You’ll probably want to return in the evening; the Four-Star restaurant is the best place for dinner at the luxury hotel.

The interior and menu of The Fearrington Granary underwent a facelift in 2011, allowing it to grow up from its youthful sandwich-and-salad days into sexy bar-and-grill adulthood. The Fearrington House Restaurant’s executive chef revamped the menu. And The Belted Goat offers salads and sandwiches, which can be delivered by inn staff to you at the pool or the spa.

With a Four-Star restaurant on the grounds, it’s easy to find something delicious to order at The Fearrington House Inn. But if you want the five best things to eat and drink at the Five-Star hotel, try these:

1. Buttermilk pancakes. Breakfast comes with a stay at the inn, and you can hardly go wrong with anything on the menu — even the oatmeal is memorable. Our favorite breakfast entrée was the delicate buttermilk pancakes with blueberries, candied pecans, lemon and cream cheese frosting flavored with honey gathered from beehives at the hotel.

2. Savories and sweets at afternoon tea. Also included in your overnight stay is afternoon tea in The Fearrington House Restaurant. Nibble on finger sandwiches, like ham with tomato jam; traditional scones; house-made chocolates; and mini-tarts with fillings like caramelized banana mousse.

3. House-made chocolates and truffles. Made by Fearrington’s own chocolatier, these sweets are delivered to your room at turndown service and served during the afternoon tea. If you can’t get enough, buy an assortment of chocolate truffles from the Belted Goat shop next door to the inn.

4. Dinner at The Fearrington House Restaurant. At the luxury hotel, you could opt for more casual dining at The Fearrington Granary, which recently got a renovation and a menu facelift by The Fearrington House Restaurant’s executive chef. But it would border on negligence to pass up the opportunity to dine at the Four-Star The Fearrington House Restaurant, one of the godfathers of Southern fine dining.

5. Anything the sommelier offers at the bar. And we mean anything. Sommelier and wine director Max Kast served cucumber martinis during a hot summer week and crabapple martinis when the crabapple trees on the inn grounds were bearing prolific fruit. Both libations hit the spot.

The bathrooms in rooms at The Fearrington House Inn are attractively lit, soothingly painted and tastefully decorated with original paintings and fresh flowers. A large showerhead and commendable water pressure, along with the heated towel rack — which will keep the Frette towels nice and toasty while you shower — are the best features. Some rooms have bathtubs; so if you have a preference, make it clear when you book your reservation. The Five-Star hotel stocks Molton Brown’s Body Remedies products—a limited line, only found in 10 resorts worldwide. With a spacious vanity, you’ll have plenty of room to spread out all your toiletries. The overall simple elegance of the bathroom outweighs even an occasional chip on the vanity.

The soft, inviting beds at The Fearrington House Inn just may give you the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had. It all begins with a pillow-top mattress from Kingsdown. Then a featherbed adds another layer, making the mattress even more cloud-like. Finally, the bed is wrapped in crisp, 300-thread-count white Frette sheets.

For those with allergies, ask to have the 50 percent goose-down pillows replaced with foam ones. After your sublime slumber, you can order the entire mattress-and-bedding ensemble from the nearby Dovecote boutique and have it delivered to your home so you can sleep like a rock every night.

The rooms at The Fearrington House Inn are done up in the style of a genteel English country inn with plenty of floral prints, oil paintings and bursts of flowers. It’s like stepping into a toned-down Merchant Ivory film. As you check in, you will receive a heavy brass keychain, which holds your key to your picturesque cottage — one of several nestled among impeccably maintained gardens and towering oak and magnolia trees. Each room is decorated differently, but you’ll find that the window drapes, bedding and upholstery are saturated with English-garden checks and toiles in pale greens, peach, rose, light yellows. French windows and doors give the rooms an airy feel. The occasional furniture piece will show its age, but only because it is authentically antique.

The Fearrington House Inn offers a stellar outdoor pool within The Fearrington Swim and Croquet Club. In addition to accommodating guests of the Five-Star hotel, the club serves as a members-only pool for residents of Fearrington Village, the residential portion of the property. Take a dip in the leisure swimming area, exercise in the lap lane or bring your little one to the baby pool. Plenty of chairs and chaises are peppered around the pool, and a bin full of water noodles and other toys sits ready in the corner.

When the weather turns colder, you can use an indoor pool at the nearby Duke Center for Living’s Health and Fitness Center at Fearrington. The 25-yard pool is mostly used for lap swimming and group exercise classes.

Of course, the only way to really know what The Fearrington House Inn is all about is to experience it firsthand. That being said, it helps to learn a few facts about a hotel before you book. Here are five things you should know about the North Carolina hotel:

1. It’s country-chic. The Five-Star hotel is done up in the style of a refined English country inn with plenty of floral prints, oil paintings and bursts of flowers. It’s like stepping into a toned-down Merchant Ivory film.

2. It’s part of a vibrant village. Though it’s a far cry from city life, the inn anchors Fearrington Village, a small, bustling community. That means there’s plenty of things to do in its immediate vicinity. The small cluster of shops and casual dining spots that loosely flank the village center are accompanied by a large residential neighborhood beyond. Explore the village on foot or via the inn’s bikes.

3. If you want high-tech, this isn’t the best choice. While you will have Wi-Fi access and a TV in your room with a fine lineup of cable channels, that’s about the extent of the available technology. It’s actually one of the reasons that we love The Fearrington House Inn. The peace and quiet is enough to make you quit that tech addiction.

4. Kids are welcome, but they’ll be far outnumbered. With the exception of wedding parties and other celebrations, people tend to come to The Fearrington House Inn for its peaceful atmosphere. Only plan on taking your child to the stately The Fearrington House Restaurant if he’s extremely well-behaved, as you’ll be surrounded by couples looking for a romantic meal.

5. Kids get top treatment. Sure, The Fearrington House Inn isn’t crawling with children, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t spoiled when they stay the night. Kiddies will have fun playing on the croquet lawn, in the outdoor swimming pool and with the farm animals. But the hotel really shows off its Southern hospitality at turndown service, when little ones get milk and cookies.

There’s lots to love about the picturesque The Fearrington House Inn, from the cute striped cows that dot the pastures to the delicious teatime treats. The five things we love most about the North Carolina hotel are:

1. It’s refined country-chic. You won’t be surprised to find fresh bouquets on nearly every table and luxurious Frette linens on the beds. But the black-and-white Belted Galloway cows grazing in the meadow and several towering whirligigs — made by local folk artists — dotting the grounds will catch your eye. The balance between the refined luxury and country-chic touches is what makes it a unique Five-Star hotel.

2. A moonlit stroll through the garden. At the risk of sounding clichéd, a moonlit stroll through the romantic garden is a must-do. As crickets are tuning up, step under towering pecans and oaks, through the all-white White Garden, past fountains, an herb garden and crabapple trees. Orbs of bundled grapevines strewn with lights hang from branches and illuminate the garden and set the mood.

3. The ultimate relaxation retreat. Opened in fall 2010, the 4,000-square-foot spa has a Swedish farmhouse feel with eye-catching artwork and silver-gray tones that evoke a winter sky. Elegant linen-upholstered wingback chairs and sofas keep you comfortable while you wait for a couples massage or steamless facial in one of the private rooms bearing names like “Sage & Thyme.”

4. A former dairy farm. The vast grounds formally belonged to a family for two centuries before being converted to a country village, anchored by the inn and restaurant. Take a trip back in time as you stroll by the old silo, attend a special event in the dairy barn, admire the Belted Galloway cows and Tennessee fainting goats grazing in the lush meadows, and dine in the 1927 Colonial revival farmhouse, which is now the Four-Star The Fearrington House Restaurant.

5. Afternoon tea. A stay at this country inn includes afternoon tea service in The Fearrington House Restaurant. You won’t want to miss the tasty lineup, which includes traditional and inventive finger sandwiches such as ham with tomato jam, scones, house-made treats by the Fearrington’s chocolatier and mini-tarts, like one filled with caramelized banana mousse. If it’s a bit chilly, snag a sofa by the fireplace.

The special amenities offered at The Fearrington House Inn pool start with transportation: Call the front desk to request to be dropped off at or picked up from the pool, which is just a short drive away. Alternately, make your way to the pool by using the walking paths or borrow one of the several bikes the inn parks outside the front office.

If you get a hankering for lunch or a snack while you are poolside, attendants can place an order at any of the restaurants at the Five-Star hotel — just remember that there is an additional $10 delivery fee. Drinks are covered; you’ll receive complimentary bottles of water if you hang by the pool.

When you want a break from the water, dry off with one of the provided towels and check out the adjacent croquet lawn and spectator area, gracefully surrounded by daylilies. Fully stocked with mallets and equipment, the croquet lawn is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Play a round and then jump back in the water to cool off again.

As soon as you pull through the gate and make your way up the long driveway, you’ll know that The Fearrington House Inn is different from other Five-Star hotels. This adorable inn was constructed as the anchor of a small residential and retail “village” in the country. A stroll out the doors of the North Carolina hotel takes you past a cluster of boutique shops, an independent bookstore, brimming gardens with flagstone paths, black-and-white Belted Galloway cows, whirligigs, and a shady village center where you can lounge at a table and read a newspaper or sip a craft beer. Though luxurious, the charming inn is far from pretentious.

Situated just eight miles south of Chapel Hill, The Fearrington House Inn feels a world away from the busy life of the college town. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the inn also feels like home. In fact, it is home to nearly 2,000 residents. This picturesque North Carolina retreat is a unique experience in itself. Add in the cows, goats and Four-Star restaurant and you’ll see how this Five-Star hotel stands out from the rest.

Several shops sit near The Fearrington House Inn within Fearrington Village. McIntyre’s Books is an independent store with an entire room devoted to cooking and gardening titles, and yet another for author readings (on average, the shop hosts three readings per week). Plan to fall into one of the plump chairs in the deep-green “library” and peruse a book by the fireplace.

Dovecote carries a well-chosen collection of home décor items and accessories — everything from scarves to glassware. At Haven, you’ll find the Frette sheets, Kingsdown mattresses, robes and Molton Brown body-care products from your room at the inn. And Belted Goat in the heart of the village is where you can pick up a Fearrington T-shirt, a bag of house-roasted coffee beans or a scoop of Maple View ice cream, made at a nearby dairy.

If you want to take some fitness classes, head to the gym at The Fearrington House Inn. Managed by Duke University, the Duke Center for Living’s Health and Fitness Center is located in Fearrington Village. Its exercise studio serves as hub for a full roster of classes, including yoga, zumba, senior Pilates and belly dancing. In the heated indoor pool, join a brisk water-walking class or do aqua strengthening. A team of exercise physiologists and personal trainers is on hand if your routine needs fine-tuning.

If you want the signature breakfast dish at The Fearrington House Inn, order the Fearrington House English Breakfast. In the style of our relatives across the pond, this meal is brimming with fresh farm eggs, sausage, mushrooms and roasted fingerling potatoes (though no stewed tomatoes). On the not-so-heavy side, the restaurant hits a home run with its steel-cut oatmeal, served with candied lemon and other fresh toppings.

While we waited for our orders to arrive, our server delivered a peaches-and-cream smoothie, along with fresh breads and a variety of homemade preserves — among them, lemon and Fearrington honey (harvested from onsite hives) as well as blackberry, rosemary and vanilla. We almost forgot about our entrée with all of the gratis goodies.

When hunger strikes, The Fearrington House Inn offers two restaurants, The Fearrington House Restaurant and The Fearrington Granary, and one deli, The Belted Goat. At The Fearrington House Restaurant, which is housed in Fearrington Village’s original 1927 colonial revival farmhouse, you will enjoy your complimentary breakfast and afternoon tea. During your morning meal, soak up views to the magnolia trees, rhododendron bushes and vine-covered trellis. You’ll probably want to return in the evening; the Four-Star restaurant is the best place for dinner at the luxury hotel.

The interior and menu of The Fearrington Granary underwent a facelift in 2011, allowing it to grow up from its youthful sandwich-and-salad days into sexy bar-and-grill adulthood. The Fearrington House Restaurant’s executive chef revamped the menu. And The Belted Goat offers salads and sandwiches, which can be delivered by inn staff to you at the pool or the spa.

With a Four-Star restaurant on the grounds, it’s easy to find something delicious to order at The Fearrington House Inn. But if you want the five best things to eat and drink at the Five-Star hotel, try these:

1. Buttermilk pancakes. Breakfast comes with a stay at the inn, and you can hardly go wrong with anything on the menu — even the oatmeal is memorable. Our favorite breakfast entrée was the delicate buttermilk pancakes with blueberries, candied pecans, lemon and cream cheese frosting flavored with honey gathered from beehives at the hotel.

2. Savories and sweets at afternoon tea. Also included in your overnight stay is afternoon tea in The Fearrington House Restaurant. Nibble on finger sandwiches, like ham with tomato jam; traditional scones; house-made chocolates; and mini-tarts with fillings like caramelized banana mousse.

3. House-made chocolates and truffles. Made by Fearrington’s own chocolatier, these sweets are delivered to your room at turndown service and served during the afternoon tea. If you can’t get enough, buy an assortment of chocolate truffles from the Belted Goat shop next door to the inn.

4. Dinner at The Fearrington House Restaurant. At the luxury hotel, you could opt for more casual dining at The Fearrington Granary, which recently got a renovation and a menu facelift by The Fearrington House Restaurant’s executive chef. But it would border on negligence to pass up the opportunity to dine at the Four-Star The Fearrington House Restaurant, one of the godfathers of Southern fine dining.

5. Anything the sommelier offers at the bar. And we mean anything. Sommelier and wine director Max Kast served cucumber martinis during a hot summer week and crabapple martinis when the crabapple trees on the inn grounds were bearing prolific fruit. Both libations hit the spot.

The bathrooms in rooms at The Fearrington House Inn are attractively lit, soothingly painted and tastefully decorated with original paintings and fresh flowers. A large showerhead and commendable water pressure, along with the heated towel rack — which will keep the Frette towels nice and toasty while you shower — are the best features. Some rooms have bathtubs; so if you have a preference, make it clear when you book your reservation. The Five-Star hotel stocks Molton Brown’s Body Remedies products—a limited line, only found in 10 resorts worldwide. With a spacious vanity, you’ll have plenty of room to spread out all your toiletries. The overall simple elegance of the bathroom outweighs even an occasional chip on the vanity.

There’s lots to love about the picturesque The Fearrington House Inn, from the cute striped cows that dot the pastures to the delicious teatime treats. The five things we love most about the North Carolina hotel are:

1. It’s refined country-chic. You won’t be surprised to find fresh bouquets on nearly every table and luxurious Frette linens on the beds. But the black-and-white Belted Galloway cows grazing in the meadow and several towering whirligigs — made by local folk artists — dotting the grounds will catch your eye. The balance between the refined luxury and country-chic touches is what makes it a unique Five-Star hotel.

2. A moonlit stroll through the garden. At the risk of sounding clichéd, a moonlit stroll through the romantic garden is a must-do. As crickets are tuning up, step under towering pecans and oaks, through the all-white White Garden, past fountains, an herb garden and crabapple trees. Orbs of bundled grapevines strewn with lights hang from branches and illuminate the garden and set the mood.

3. The ultimate relaxation retreat. Opened in fall 2010, the 4,000-square-foot spa has a Swedish farmhouse feel with eye-catching artwork and silver-gray tones that evoke a winter sky. Elegant linen-upholstered wingback chairs and sofas keep you comfortable while you wait for a couples massage or steamless facial in one of the private rooms bearing names like “Sage & Thyme.”

4. A former dairy farm. The vast grounds formally belonged to a family for two centuries before being converted to a country village, anchored by the inn and restaurant. Take a trip back in time as you stroll by the old silo, attend a special event in the dairy barn, admire the Belted Galloway cows and Tennessee fainting goats grazing in the lush meadows, and dine in the 1927 Colonial revival farmhouse, which is now the Four-Star The Fearrington House Restaurant.

5. Afternoon tea. A stay at this country inn includes afternoon tea service in The Fearrington House Restaurant. You won’t want to miss the tasty lineup, which includes traditional and inventive finger sandwiches such as ham with tomato jam, scones, house-made treats by the Fearrington’s chocolatier and mini-tarts, like one filled with caramelized banana mousse. If it’s a bit chilly, snag a sofa by the fireplace.

Of course, the only way to really know what The Fearrington House Inn is all about is to experience it firsthand. That being said, it helps to learn a few facts about a hotel before you book. Here are five things you should know about the North Carolina hotel:

1. It’s country-chic. The Five-Star hotel is done up in the style of a refined English country inn with plenty of floral prints, oil paintings and bursts of flowers. It’s like stepping into a toned-down Merchant Ivory film.

2. It’s part of a vibrant village. Though it’s a far cry from city life, the inn anchors Fearrington Village, a small, bustling community. That means there’s plenty of things to do in its immediate vicinity. The small cluster of shops and casual dining spots that loosely flank the village center are accompanied by a large residential neighborhood beyond. Explore the village on foot or via the inn’s bikes.

3. If you want high-tech, this isn’t the best choice. While you will have Wi-Fi access and a TV in your room with a fine lineup of cable channels, that’s about the extent of the available technology. It’s actually one of the reasons that we love The Fearrington House Inn. The peace and quiet is enough to make you quit that tech addiction.

4. Kids are welcome, but they’ll be far outnumbered. With the exception of wedding parties and other celebrations, people tend to come to The Fearrington House Inn for its peaceful atmosphere. Only plan on taking your child to the stately The Fearrington House Restaurant if he’s extremely well-behaved, as you’ll be surrounded by couples looking for a romantic meal.

5. Kids get top treatment. Sure, The Fearrington House Inn isn’t crawling with children, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t spoiled when they stay the night. Kiddies will have fun playing on the croquet lawn, in the outdoor swimming pool and with the farm animals. But the hotel really shows off its Southern hospitality at turndown service, when little ones get milk and cookies.

As soon as you pull through the gate and make your way up the long driveway, you’ll know that The Fearrington House Inn is different from other Five-Star hotels. This adorable inn was constructed as the anchor of a small residential and retail “village” in the country. A stroll out the doors of the North Carolina hotel takes you past a cluster of boutique shops, an independent bookstore, brimming gardens with flagstone paths, black-and-white Belted Galloway cows, whirligigs, and a shady village center where you can lounge at a table and read a newspaper or sip a craft beer. Though luxurious, the charming inn is far from pretentious.

Situated just eight miles south of Chapel Hill, The Fearrington House Inn feels a world away from the busy life of the college town. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the inn also feels like home. In fact, it is home to nearly 2,000 residents. This picturesque North Carolina retreat is a unique experience in itself. Add in the cows, goats and Four-Star restaurant and you’ll see how this Five-Star hotel stands out from the rest.