This hotel opened in March 2001 on an 8,000-acre estate of a National Historic Landmark: "The top reason to pick the inn is the location." Rooms face the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains and are "tastefully decorated and spacious" with sensibilities skewing toward English and French manor houses. The new spa offers treatments like a rose-petal facial. Staff at the Dining Room, which serves beef and lamb raised on the estate, "go out of their way to ensure that your needs are met."
(210 rooms)
Also featured on the: Gold List for 2005, Gold List for 2006, Gold List for 2007, Gold List for 2008, Gold List for 2009, Gold List for 2011