As the dog days of summer came upon us, I was in desperate
need of a “parent-cation.” You can’t
find that word in the dictionary, but a good definition is “I want to think of
my children fondly while away at a gorgeous inn and not have any parental
responsibility, i.e., breaking up fights over who gets to sit in the crack of
the sofa, guiding little feet back to bed at 3 a.m., or making breakfast, even
if that does involve just heating up an organic toaster pastry.”
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| King's Daughters Inn in Durham, NC |
Will and I loved packing our overnight bag and having an
effortless car ride to our destination near the campus of Duke University, an
area that we’ve never really explored.
Durham is quickly becoming a mecca for foodies and is getting the
reputation of having some of the best restaurants in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel
Hill area, as well as North Carolina.
The King’s Daughters Inn is only steps away from some of the best
restaurants and from the area’s thriving cultural arts scene in the revitalized
Downtown District. It’s definitely an
urban retreat in the heart of the action.
The King’s Daughters Inn is also rich with history. Built in the 1920s with funds donated by the
Duke family, the King’s Daughters Home provided dormitory-style housing for
single, elderly women. The aging,
rundown facility closed its doors in 2006, and innkeepers Colin and Deanna
Crossman undertook an extensive green renovation to turn this 17,000-square-foot
building into the 17-room luxurious inn that welcomes guests today.
The renovations are magnificent. The inn is so elegant, and
no two rooms are alike, but yet they all complement each other.
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| The Tyree Room at King's Daughters Inn |
We stayed in the Tyree room, which is lush in décor with rich
peach accents, a large walk-in-closet, a good-size bathroom with the best water
pressure I’ve ever seen in a historic property. It is also equipped with its
own iPad, which is actually complimentary for every room, not just ours.
Bed and breakfasts usually have an informal feeling about
them, as if you are staying with family.
In a huge home like this, the Crossmans create intimacy by keeping all
of the unoccupied rooms open for guests to explore. It feels open and gives guests the feelings
of staying with a friend, who just happens to own a mansion. You also can have a simple afternoon tea in
the parlor or on the porch.
Deanna joked with me and said keeping the doors open enables
guests to pick a favorite room for their next visit. I really liked our room and its location on
the second floor, but the room next door did take my breath away. It was occupied when we arrived, but the
guests staying must have been early risers and out the door long before checkout. I got a peek of the Moss Room on my way to
breakfast, and I think it could be my favorite room. Rates for this room, overlooking Duke’s East
Campus and historic Trinity Park, start at $225, depending on the season.
Will and I were the last to arrive to breakfast before
service stopped at 10 a.m. I love the
late breakfast time that the inn has for weekend guests. I like bed and breakfasts a lot, but I don’t
always love having to run down to breakfast by 9 a.m. or earlier. I think we made it by 9:30 a.m. and were
greeted with smiles, coffee, and homemade goodies.
The inn specialty is chocolate chip waffles. Need I say more?
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| Chocolate Chip Waffles are a King's Daughter's Inn speciality |
I honestly did not expect a breakfast this good. I think I
was thinking “continental” with cereal, yogurt, and a few pastries, which would
have been fine, but this breakfast menu was a gourmet showstopper. You can have as much or as little to eat as
you want. I was full all day.
The King’s Daughters Inn is the perfect place to stay while
visiting Duke University, or on business.
The inn offers many packages throughout the season, including a babymoon
package for those parents-to-be who will one day need a “parent-cation” just
like us. Truthfully, I think I’m starting a trend, and the inn needs the
Hines-Sight Blog “Parent-cation” package.
After a luxurious night at the inn, you do go back home the
next day as a rested, better parent.
Even the daily argument of who gets to sit in the sofa crack didn’t
bother me as much after my night at the King’s Daughters Inn.
Will you vote for the "parent-cation" package?
Want to Go:
King's Daughters Inn
AAA Four-Diamond Award and Select Registry Inn
204 N Buchanan Blvd
Durham, NC
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