The Umstead - Cary, NC
Jan 21, 2007, 10:27 am
I just wanted to give any of you a head's up who may be in the RDU/RTP area for business/pleasure. The Goodnights (of SAS) opened up what is the first true luxury hotel in the area, and possibly the state, in Cary. It is right off of I40 between Raleigh and Research Triangle Park/the airport. Location is quite good if in the area for RTP.
It just opened on Monday. I pass it everyday and can say that it looks beautiful from the outside. Nice stone, elegant design. I haven't been inside (I'm going to try to stop in for a drink in the next couple of weeks and can report then), but supposedly it uses North Carolina pottery and art (for example, there are four HUGE pots from a very well regarded NC potter that they purchased). It sounds like it will be very attractive.
website: www.theumstead.com
Intro rates appear to be around 300 with rates getting higher as it gets better established.
I'm not sure how well it will be known and, as it just opened, thought it might be of use.
If I can help anyone with RDU/RTP/Raleigh/Cary advice, please feel free to PM me.
Hope this helps if you need to be here and we annoyed with our total lack of luxury (or even particularly nice - our previous best in Raleigh/Cary was a Marriott) hotels.
Feb 23, 2007, 8:14 am
Feb 23, 2007, 9:48 pm
I wonder if a guest reservation would get "overruled" if SAS decided to have a corporate event there?
Mar 10, 2007, 11:14 pm
Staff when I drove up was willing to please, in fact, a little overeager but friendly. I'd recommend the hotel on the same basis as aa4ever did above.
Mar 30, 2007, 3:49 pm
May 23, 2007, 8:13 pm
Basically, it is a good, solid hotel. Rooms are, as noted above, quite large and of a 5* standard (the ubiquitous plasma TV has quite a few digital channels, which is a nice bonus.) High speed internet costs, which is annoying. I had in-room dining for lunch and it was fabulous - it showed up literally within sixty seconds of the promised time, was exactly as ordered, nicely presented, and of a very high quality. The food at the conference was, by the standards of conference / large meeting food, also extremely good, and the meeting spaces are all very attractive, as is the lobby and bar. The website depictions of the property are, by and large, a fair representation. The service was attentive, helpful, and extremely prompt. For whatever it is worth, it seemed that there were very few guests there other than our group, which wasn't nearly large enough to fill up the hotel.
Pool area is lovely; exercise room is windowless but has a nice complement of state-of-the-art equipment. I didn't visit the spa but it clearly is a big part of the property.
My only issue was that the staff had clearly been told to reply to all guests by name ... unfortunately, I've got one of those names that people in certain parts of this country (the midwest and the south, especially) just don't see all that often. At the last property I stayed at (the FS Boston) most of the staff got it right and the ones who didn't either plowed on through and mispronounced or would ask ... at the Umstead, I'd get this "Yes, Mr. <long pause>" and if I wanted to actually move the encounter forward, I'd have to tell them my name - a very small annoyance, but a consistent one. There must be a solution for this, so hopefully they'll come up with it (only allow guests named Smith?)
Also, I asked for a WSJ (both at checkout and on a door hanger) and was delivered a USA Today. Small thing, but still ...
All in all, a lovely property with good service, by all accounts easily the best in the area and maybe even worthwhile as a "destination" in its own right (although they don't have a golf course.)
Nov 11, 2007, 3:56 pm
As an example, in my room, one of the overhead lights in the bathroom was burned out. As a test, I didn't mention it and it still is burned out three days later. Amenities are house branded and the soap is nice but the rest don't stand out. Minor room amenities (pens, etc) are not replaced if taken, and the recumbent bike I used in the gym needed repair even though the hotel has only been open 6 months or so -- this latter I did mention to the desk. There is a concierge desk but it is often unstaffed.
I tried Heron's (the hotel restaurant) once, for Sunday lunch, when the almost empty dining room had only a fixed price brunch service. This meant that people wishing to choose from a menu, were relegated to the bar. The bar location might explain why service was only fair, with food arriving warm rather than hot and several pieces of silverware needing to be rejected because they were dirty. Food was mostly very good -- I had an excellent lobster bisque soup, but the fries with my sandwich weren't as good or as fresh as the fries at Five Guys (Five Guys seems to have sprouted all over RDU since I was last here).
There are other things definitely needing some work. Despite that, this is clearly the best place to stay in the RDU area. Maybe things will get better with time (this is particularly required in the rooms department) but I see no reason to expect that at this stage.
Nov 12, 2007, 1:43 pm
As an example, in my room, one of the overhead lights in the bathroom was burned out. As a test, I didn't mention it and it still is burned out three days later. Amenities are house branded and the soap is nice but the rest don't stand out. Minor room amenities (pens, etc) are not replaced if taken, and the recumbent bike I used in the gym needed repair even though the hotel has only been open 6 months or so -- this latter I did mention to the desk. There is a concierge desk but it is often unstaffed.
I tried Heron's (the hotel restaurant) once, for Sunday lunch, when the almost empty dining room had only a fixed price brunch service. This meant that people wishing to choose from a menu, were relegated to the bar. The bar location might explain why service was only fair, with food arriving warm rather than hot and several pieces of silverware needing to be rejected because they were dirty. Food was mostly very good -- I had an excellent lobster bisque soup, but the fries with my sandwich weren't as good or as fresh as the fries at Five Guys (Five Guys seems to have sprouted all over RDU since I was last here).
There are other things definitely needing some work. Despite that, this is clearly the best place to stay in the RDU area. Maybe things will get better with time (this is particularly required in the rooms department) but I see no reason to expect that at this stage.
On a different note, if you're still at the hotel, maybe try An for a meal. It's across the street (in very back of the Arboretum mall). It's an incredibly spacious Asian-fusion restaurant, half owned by the Goodnights (owners of the Umstead) and half chef-owned. It's quite good, I'd say, although service is abysmal.
Nov 12, 2007, 7:28 pm
I saw An but it wasn't open the time I passed by. Next time! The other "good" restaurant in that same mall is a Ruth's-Chris and I would go for An way before that!
Nov 12, 2007, 9:12 pm
I saw An but it wasn't open the time I passed by. Next time! The other "good" restaurant in that same mall is a Ruth's-Chris and I would go for An way before that!
You're probably right, though, that they need some decent managers. It's probably not easy to recruit to the Triangle, but also it might have to do with the lack of competition. Or maybe it's the frontline employees who don't really have much, if any, experience? Who knows...last I looked (months ago), their rates were pretty high, so I'd expect good service.
Oct 20, 2016, 11:20 am
The Umstead Hotel and Spa
100 Woodland Pond Cary, NC US 27513
Umstead Hotel, Cary, NC: An outstanding stay with a few check-in/out hiccups (9 Photos)
The Umstead Hotel and Spa
I had always wanted to stay at the Umstead, and finally got my chance earlier this week with a 2 night stay for meetings in nearby Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh.
My stay was brilliant. The property is comparable to a very good city/suburban Four Seasons in terms of decor, amenities, service, and food/beverage. Aside from 2 minor hiccups with check-in and check-out, I was mightily impressed and had an almost flawless stay.
Check In
Check in and check out clearly are the weak points for this property. On arrival, I walked in and waited 10 minutes for anyone to appear at reception. I tried to get the bellman's help, but he was occupied, and there was no one in the vicinity of reception to assist.
Finally, a receptionist appeared and took care of my check-in. She could tell I was annoyed by waiting and perhaps was a bit haughty to me in defensiveness for her or someone else not being where they were supposed to be. Otherwise, check-in was fine. I was told I'd have to call the last morning for a late check-out request.
Room
My Premier Room (#233) was towards the end of the 2nd floor hallway. It was a great room. Spacious for 1 person, pretty spacious even had there been 2 (though I might have liked a bigger room were I with my husband).
The entry was nice and well lit:
The room really was spacious and comfortable and very well appointed:
View outside:
Bath area was spacious and with plenty of closet space (not shown):
All in all, I really found the room very comfortable and appealing. The bed was great, soft and plush. The air con worked very well, holding a pretty constant temp of 66 F even though it was quite hot (80+ F) outside. The room was completely blacked out for sleeping with great heavy shades. The shower pressure was great. Not a single complaint, really!
Service
Aside from the hiccups with check-in and check-out, service was exemplary. Everyone was incredibly warm, welcoming, and eager to assist, from the bellmen, housekeeping, room service attendant, room service delivery, bar, etc.
The in room dining service really was extraordinary. They got it right--100%--both mornings. That's a rarity for me. I asked for extra Splenda, extra heated syrup, a side of salsa for my scrambled egg whites, warmed butter, and they delivered EXACTLY that. The first deliverer even apologized because she sightly spilled a tiny bit of my juice. It was incredible room service, the equal I've not had often outside an Aman or Peninsula or top StR/FS hotel, to be honest.
Service at the bar was equally outstanding.
And housekeeping service was so detail oriented, they even wrapped up my charger cord--this was adorable and memorable:
Dining
My room service was wonderful. The banana pancakes were so good, I ordered them both mornings, even though I rarely eat so heavy. The homemade salsa they "whipped up" per my request was also delicious. Not a single complaint about room service, which is the only dining I did at the hotel.
Location
The location for me was perfect, just a short 5 min drive to my client location (I could have walked in 20 min but it was too hot!), 10 min drive from my close friends, about 20-25 min drive into Chapel Hill, 15 min drive into Durham, and 15 min into Raleigh. It also was just 5-10 min drive to the RDU airport!
Overall
What a wonderful hotel stay! This was a surprising highlight of my business trip. I am a UNC grad, so I almost always stay in Chapel Hill (at the Carolina Inn or the Frankling Hotel). But the Umstead was so amazing that I might have to reconsider for the future!
Highly recommended!
Jan 5, 2023, 10:57 am
Last edited by danlee200; Jan 5, 2023 at 11:04 am