The Umstead Hotel and Spa

The Umstead Hotel and Spa sits on wooded, lakefront grounds off Woodland Pond Drive in Cary, a luxury hotel with a full spa attached. The setting does much of the work: pine woods, water, and quiet, with the rest of the Triangle a short drive away.

Dining is at Herons, which holds a Forbes Five-Star rating and is led by chef Steven Greene, a James Beard semifinalist in 2019. The kitchen builds its menus around locally grown fruit and vegetables along with farm-fresh meat and seafood.

What to know

• The spa is full service, and heated pools are part of it.
• The hotel is booked for weddings as well as overnight stays.
• Herons has hosted food and wine pairing dinners for guests.
• Some rooms look out over the surrounding forest.