Highlights: The Carolina Hotel

•A feather-in-the cap, the world-famous golf destination Carolina Hotel has hosted more championships than any other place in America

•Interior areas are classic and inviting, and make you feel like you’re in a friend’s formal parlor

•Traditional yet comfortable décor in guest rooms and suites, detailed with golf and historic memorabilia

• Upscale dining, casual pub-style eatery, and sports theme bar among several eating area options, and all accessible via a free shuttle

•24 meeting rooms with Internet access and support staff to accommodate any size corporate conference or retreat

•Mobil Four-Star Spa at Pinehurst is an attractive, intimate spa offers more than 40 treatments for men and women

Amenities: The Carolina Hotel

• 266 rooms, 4 story. Check-in 4 pm, check-out Noon. High-speed Internet access. Two restaurants, bar. Children's activity center. Fitness room, fitness classes available, spa. Beach. Indoor pool, outdoor pool, children's pool, whirlpool. Golf, 144 holes. Tennis. Business center. Credit cards accepted.

General Impressions: The Carolina Hotel

The Carolina Hotel in Pinehurst, North Carolina feels like a resort village emphasizing golf and spa treatments amongst well-manicured grounds. It’s a stately Southern icon situated at the end of the tree-lined Carolina Vista Drive. When the five-story building with its copper-top cupola and expansive green lawn comes into view, it’s easy to understand why it’s been called the “The Queen of the South” and the “White House of Golf.”

A circular drive takes you to the porte cochere where bellmen/valets, dressed in Pinehurst golf shirts and dress slacks, await to assist in the check-in process. Affable and courteous, they made a good first impression to the property’s atmosphere.

The Carolina Hotel’s interior is sophisticated but not stuffy, and reminiscent of someone’s formal parlor, yet the sofas and chairs are unexpectedly comfortable. I sat for almost an hour enjoying the lobby one afternoon during tea, writing in a journal. The room was filled with light, thanks to large windows on three sides. Viewable from the windows is a large, white wraparound porch, accessible from the lobby’s Ryder Cup Lounge, lined with rocking chairs where guests can have drinks and snacks, or just admire the grounds.

The grounds are beautiful with well-manicured lawns and flowerbeds. Brick walkways throughout the property encourage meandering past the decorative bushes, and towering pines grace the air with their crisp scent.

Getaway travelers will like how the hotel offers 40-plus spa treatments, ranging from body therapies to facials to hair care, as well as a 24-court tennis center, croquet courts, and bike and carriage rentals. This property also is home to eight courses, including its famed No. 2 course, which is the site of numerous golfing events like the 1991 and 1992 PGA Championships, the 1994 Senior Open, and the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Open Championships.

The resort is well suited for romantics who like to play golf. Both individuals would benefit by liking this sport. There are other activities besides golf; however, that would take the "coupleness" out of the weekend.

Business travelers can conduct casual conversation on the green links, or host more formal meetings, conferences, or retreats in any of the 24 meeting rooms that have Internet access. An in-house audiovisual team can help setup any technology needs, and staff can help plan entertainment or itinerary assistance before or after the corporate event. A conference center can help prepare last-minute event needs, too.

Family travelers will find numerous amenities geared toward the young and the young-at-heart. The Kids Club offers half-day and full-day supervised activities from late May to early September, with a nearby state-of-the-art playground. Teens can keep busy with their own adventures group that hosts kayak races, scavenger hunts, paintball, and other high-energy activities. The pool also features a kiddie pool and 30-foot misting pool to keep kids of any age interested in poolside fun. The hotel’s spa offers special kids and teen programs to pamper children as young as age 6.

(+) Traditional Southern setting on well-manicured grounds appeals to all ages

Guest Services: The Carolina Hotel

Guests of all ages will feel pampered at The Carolina Hotel. Its professional and personable staff goes above and beyond to make everyone feel at home and special. A full-services concierge desk will schedule any request, whether it’s additional tee times, a spa appointment, or an advance reservation at a local restaurant or other establishment. Free shuttle service is available to on-site facilities.

Bikes and carriage rentals are available and a good way to experience the numerous paths throughout the property.

If your child needs some help with their golf swing, they can get special training at the Golf Advantage School, which has a low 4-to-1 teacher-student ratio. Family activities with poolside games and music are planned to keep all ages engaged.

While I wasn’t able to experience all of the amenities available, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. Early on I knew that the staff would welcome me with Southern hospitality. The phone reservationist was outstanding, among the best I’ve encountered. She asked questions regarding my interests and plans during my stay, then gave pertinent information about the resort. She offered to schedule tee times, and explained the different rates and degrees of difficulty of the courses.

Check in was swift and the valet did an outstanding job once we were ready to have him unload our bags. The concierge was extremely accommodating when I asked about dinner options and answered all my questions about the property.

When I mentioned it was my spouse’s birthday, staff surprised him at dinner with a handwritten note, a plate decorated with chocolate, and a serenade by the waiters and a jazz trio.

Housekeeping was pleasant to interact with and greeted me with a smile in the hallways. My concern is that they weren’t consistent with tending to my room daily. Used wine glasses weren’t cleared from my nightstand and the ironing board and iron weren’t put away.

(+) Staff overall was professional, considerate, and friendly
(-) Housekeeping services were inconsistent

Guest Rooms: The Carolina Hotel

The Carolina Hotel has 210 rooms, plus 12 suites. While the property feel is traditional, it is obvious that the rooms have been upgraded with new touches, such as flat-screen televisions and desk/work stations, which are especially helpful for business travelers. The rooms include king-size beds with fine linens, hardwood furniture such as an armoire, coffee table, and nightstand, and a wicker chair with upholstered seating. Historic pictures of golfers decorate the walls. The bathrooms are modern, too, with floor-to-ceiling marble tile and rain showerheads.

The room was not well soundproofed, though. Although I couldn’t hear televisions in other rooms, I could hear conversations in the hallways. Because of the old floors, I also heard people walking outside and above me.

(+) Traditional décor accented with golf and historic memorabilia
(-) Noise from outside the room could pose a problem for light sleepers

Facilities & Activities: The Carolina Hotel

With eight world-class golf courses gracing a 2,000-acre landscape and a Golf Advantage School, The Carolina Hotel offers plenty of opportunities to test your skills with a golf club. And, of course, it gives duffers and scratch golfers alike a chance to follow in the storied footsteps of champions such as Jack Nicklaus and Payne Stewart. It has been the site of more championships than any other golf course in the country.

But its championship ties do not end with golf. Its 24-court tennis center was the site of the 1994-96 U.S. Clay Court Championships, and continues to host USTA events annually. Its courts offer night play, and a staff member is on hand to teach or play.

The Mobil Four-Star Spa at Pinehurst is a stand-alone spa located next to The Carolina, so access is easy. It’s tastefully designed in multi-hued greens and browns reminiscent of the Carolina pine forests. Inside are 28 treatment rooms, a co-ed lap pool surrounded by cruise-style “deck” chairs with padded cushions, and a whirlpool and fitness center. There is a spa lunch menu available served poolside or on the outside porch. The fitness center is well-equipped with many cardio machines, circuit-weight training equipment, and free weights.

My self-guided tour of the women’s locker room revealed a well-conceived design including a waiting area with whirlpool, sauna and steam room. Hair gel, hair spray, mouthwash, and deodorant were available.

The outdoor pool area includes a regular size pool, a kiddie pool, a 30-foot misting area and a nearby cabana with a fireplace.

If you prefer more excitement, the hotel is located about half-mile from a quaint shopping village, and other nearby dining options

(+) Prime golfing location with eight golf courses
(+) Quality spa treatments, and tennis and workout options too

Dining & Lounge: The Carolina Hotel

Guests can experience everything from upscale dining to pub-style eating to a sports theme bar.

Upscale dining is offered in the Carolina Dining Room, which serves dinner in a formal setting with live piano music. A free shuttle drive will take you to Pinehurst’s Holly Inn and the 1895 Grille’s Southern-influenced food, where reservations are recommended.

Casual dining is available at The Tavern At The Holly, a pub-style eatery with an authentic Scottish bar that serves lunch and dinner. The Hackers Bar and Grill is a sports theme setting, filled with large TVs tuned into various sports games with sports memorabilia lining the walls.

The Ryder Cup Lounge in the lobby is a lively place, and the staff can be very busy, sometimes hampering the service. This establishment is fitting to the resort and is perfect for those wanting a drink after a round of golf or a pre- or post-dinner libation.

I enjoyed a delightful breakfast buffet in the main dining room. The menu items were extensive and included a Southern flair, with such comfort foods as biscuits and gravy, corned beef hash, and Southern grits. For those who want a more traditional breakfast, there are mini-Belgium waffles. The breakfast was served on beautiful silver chafing dishes with fruit displayed in an elegant fashion. Live piano music added a nice soothing touch.

You can also order breakfast, lunch, and dinner to your room. I took advantage of the room service, and was delighted to find the order taker was well versed on the menu options. The server set up a nice table, even though the room’s layout was a slight challenge, and made sure all my needs were taken care of.

(+) Stylish dinner service at two upscale venues
(-) Ryder Cup Lounge can be very busy, which can slow service

Business Services: The Carolina Hotel

Business travelers will find many amenities available for any size event at the Carolina Hotel.

The business center is manned 7 am to 5 pm daily and has four workstations with high-speed Internet access and a printer. Services include photocopying, faxing, shipping, and office supplies. Travelers with their own laptops are accommodated as well.

The Carolina Hotel has 55,000 square feet of indoor function space, 24 technology-ready meeting rooms with high-speed Internet access, and wireless hot spots in the hotel. An in-house audiovisual team can help with technology needs for events, and a conference services team can help plan any other detail. Staff also can help make plans for entertainment during gatherings, or itinerary assistance before or afterward.

(+) Business center, support staff, and function areas designed to accommodate any size corporate gathering