The Fearrington House Country Inn's nostalgic Southern hospitality won it the coveted No. 7 spot in this year's Zagat Survey for the nation's best hotels with fewer than 100 rooms.
The inn, nestled in the wooded Pittsboro countryside, was rated by past guests based on the quality of its rooms, service, dining and public facilities.
The Fearrington House received a rating of "extraordinary to perfection" for dining, rooms and service, according to the survey.
"Hotels and restaurants should be proud that their patrons and guests vote on their establishment," said Soraya Conway, Zagat Survey's communications coordinator. "In a sense, it gives them an understanding of how they are viewed and ranked by our surveyors."
The inn includes expansive walking gardens and 32 luxuriously decorated rooms with fine fabrics and Southern art that gives each room a personal feeling, said Phoebe Lockley-Fox, marketing director for the inn.
"Southern hospitality is what we offer, with a twist of European influence," she said. "When you drive off (U.S. 15-501), we take care of guests with the five C's of charm."
The five C's of hospitality are character, courtesy, calm, charm and cuisine. Lockley-Fox described the staff as attentive and pampering, yet unobtrusive.
The inn has received various awards, such as AAA's Five Diamond Award and Exxon Mobil's Five Stars for restaurants. It is also a member of the Relais & Chateaux, an international association of 451 elite independent hotels and restaurants.
Lockley-Fox said the Fearrington Inn is the only five-diamond hotel in the state.
