STAY: The Kimpton Cardinal in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

The Kimpton Hotel group, which falls under the IHG (also Holiday Inn) umbrella, is a chain of boutique hotels that was started in the 1970's in San Francisco. It was the first boutique hotel and restaurant company started in the US. It's known for: hosting pets of all size or breed for no extra charge, it's nightly complementary wine hour, restaurants using local ingredients and recipes and taking historic buildings and making them into their hotel properties. I experienced the "Kimpton experience" recently myself at my first stay at a Kimpton hotel - The Kimpton Cardinal in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. And I was quickly won over with this delightful hotel.

The Katharine

Housed in the 1920's Art Deco former R.J Reynolds Tobacco Company headquarters (supposedly the model for the Empire State Building), the Kimpton is only one mile from the Old Salem Historic District and within walking distance to a few restaurants in the downtown area. Unless you would like to stay in house to eat and dine at The Katharine Brasserie and Bar.  Named after Katharine Reynolds ( wife of the founder of  the R.J.Reynolds Tobacco Co), The Katharine blends "traditional french brasserie fare with Southern cooking." Included on the menu are such items as escargot, Duck breast, and North Carolina trout. And if you're lucky, you can enjoy $1 local oysters in the bar from 5 to 7pm. 

Recreation Galore So what else is special about The Kimpton Cardinal? Well, for starters there's a bowling alley. Yep, a bowling alley. In the basement rec room, there is a basketball court, lounge for lounging with your pals, a ping pong table, a two lane alley and a twisty slide. If you can't find fun there, then you aren't very good at finding fun.

Nightly Wine Hour As mentioned earlier, the Kimpton chain hosts nightly complementary wine hours. For our evening enjoyment, there were two types of wine available and a hot cider with bourbon topped off with whipped cream. 

Bring Your Fur Baby If  you need to bring Fido or Rover with you, that's not a problem. All dogs are welcome at Kimpton's no matter the breed or size for no extra charge. And there's a jar of dog treats in the lobby for your furry friends.

Yoga anyone? To round out the amenities, there is a yoga mat included in every room along with a mini-bar and umbrella, the fitness center is open 24/7, and there are loaner public bikes available to discover Winston-Salem. What more could you ask for?

So if you'd like to stay at the #3 of the South's Best Hotels by Southern Living or one of Trip Advisor's 2017 Certificate of Excellence recipients, then look no further. I think you'll enjoy your stay at The Kimpton Cardinal. I certainly did.

The Kimpton Cardinal
51 East Fourth Street
Winston-Salem, NC
336-724-1009

Things to do in Winston-Salem:
Old Salem
Reynolda Mile including the Reynolda House Museum of American Art 
Wake Forest University
Pilot Mountain State Park -23 miles from the city
The Winston Cup Museum


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