North Carolina Hotels Ranked Among 2021’s Best: US News

NORTH CAROLINA — While the pandemic has placed unprecedented strain on the U.S. travel industry, several hotels and resorts in North Carolina continue to ride out coronavirus by offering a memorable or luxurious experience to those who must travel, according to a new ranking released by U.S. News & World Report.

A total of 10 North Carolina hotels earned a nod on this year’s list. Now in its 11th year, the U.S. News ranking evaluates more than 30,000 hotels and resorts worldwide and is intended to help travelers find their ideal hotel, regardless of destination or budget.

In North Carolina, The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Raleigh took top honors, ranking No. 114 among all U.S. hotels.

Rounding out the top five were:

• Old Edwards Inn and Spa, Highlands — Overall U.S. ranking: No. 207
• The Fearrington House Inn, Pittsboro — Overall U.S. ranking: No. 227
• The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte — Overall U.S. ranking: No. 276
• Grand Bohemian Hotel, Asheville — Overall U.S. ranking: No. 331

To determine each hotel’s ranking, U.S. News uses a methodology that combines each hotel's industry awards with its star rating and guest reviews. While U.S. News did not include COVID-19 data in the rankings,
several of the major industry awards factored into the rankings take property cleanliness into account.

Also on the 2021 list are top hotels in countries including Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Caribbean and Bermuda.

According to this year’s ranking, the top hotel in the United States is the Four Seasons Resort Lanai in Hawaii.

Four other locations rounded out the top five U.S. hotels:

• Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach, Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
• The Peninsula, Chicago
• The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills
• The Langham, Chicago

Since the inaugural ranking in 2011, several properties have also earned a gold badge by consistently ranking in the top 10 percent of hotels. These range from brand-backed properties such as the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago and The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, to smaller, more intimate hotels such as The Inn of the Five Graces in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the Wentworth Mansion in Charleston, South Carolina.

Hotels with a gold badge distinction have consistently provided comfortable accommodations, high levels of customer service, and memorable and luxurious experiences for travelers, according to the report.

Ten hotels from North Carolina have earned a gold badge, while 13 earned silver, meaning these hotels consistently ranked in the top 30 percent of all 3.5-, 4-, 4.5- and 5-star hotels in that destination.

To accompany this year’s list, U.S. News also analyzed the ways the pandemic has forced hotels to adapt to keep not only guests but employees safe. From enhanced cleaning protocols to the use of digital keys, the experience of staying at a hotel has dramatically changed.