The King's Daughters Inn

The staff were enthusiastic and helpful, and breakfast in the dining room was relaxed and delicious. We rented the whole Kings Daughters Inn for the weekend when my son got married in Durham in March, so family and friends could stay with us and we could host Friday's rehearsal dinner. We felt lucky to find it. The charming inn feels like a grand, comfortable home, and the dinner spread across the first-floor dining room and parlor, with the bar in the sunroom, made a wonderful place to gather before the wedding. Highest recommendation!

A renovated old boarding house beside Duke's east campus, this bed and breakfast offers a different kind of stay when visiting Duke. It was my first visit and I was impressed. Parking and wifi are free, the staff are friendly and attentive, and they bring port wine and chocolates to the room at night. I appreciated the complimentary breakfast, too.

The breakfast was great, the room was clean, and the bed was extremely comfortable. But our arrival around 9:30 PM was a bad start. The attendant didn't greet us or speak while we struggled to the desk with our luggage. She seemed to be on hold, asked only for ID and credit card while still on the phone, and looked visibly annoyed. For a $200-a-night hotel, I could hardly believe it. She showed us to the room quickly and gave us the necessary information. The bathroom ceiling had a hole patched with exposed painted plywood, much less charming than the website photos. I left very disappointed and wondered if being younger meant we got a poor, dingy room.

Each of the roughly 20 rooms and suites has its own decor, striking to look at but still comfortable and welcoming. At bedtime they bring wine and chocolates as part of turndown, and in the morning breakfast is cooked to order with a fabulous spread of sides. Such a distinctive place to stay while visiting Duke or Durham.