By Tom Crosby

(April 2008) The luxurious Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club in Durham, NC was named for Washington Duke, an impoverished former Confederate soldier who amassed his fortune in tobacco and helped relocate Trinity College to Durham, NC in 1890. (It was later renamed Duke University in his honor in 1924).

The Duke University Golf Club followed in 1957 after being delayed by World War II. The final jewel in a famous three-piece set that defines elegance, southern hospitality and an unending quest for excellence was the Inn & Golf Club, which opened its doors October 24, 1988.

Today, the five-story, 271-room Neo-Gothic Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club seems older, given the extraordinary history of the Duke family and the longstanding, excellent reputation of Duke University. The AAA Four Diamond rating has been bestowed upon both the Inn and its restaurant, the Fairview.

Easily reached one mile from NC 15-501 at 3001 Cameron Boulevard, the Inn's entrance is at Science Drive, which leads to the University's West Campus.

Guests enter between a pair of impressive stone gates identifying the Inn and descend through an alley of oak trees and blooming seasonal flowers leading to the Inn's porte cochere. The gracious exterior gives it a look of antiquity that fits the feel of the Old South.

The parking area is to the west, as is the indoor swimming pool and a downhill entrance to the golf cart area. (The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones and redesigned by his son, Rees Jones). The east wing of the Inn contains the Duke Gallery, a windowed walkway displaying Duke memorabilia that leads to conference rooms and ball rooms.

Visitors enter the Inn through massive mahogany doors bracketed by two concrete lions, each resting next to a six foot potted English Ivy topiary.

Entering the alcove, the valet desk is to the left and on the right is the staging area for portable brass and red carpet luggage carriers. Inside the lobby, the entrance is flanked by a pair of potted Raffus palm trees.

The lobby's frequently polished and shiny gray slate floor is highlighted by a Persian rug underneath a circular oak table adorned with a Chinese porcelain vase that overflows with seasonal exotic florals. Overhead hangs an 18-light chandelier. Mahogany crown moldings add Old World charm and warmth.

On the right, the reception area's marble-top, chest-high counter is manned by a reception staff back-dropped by four oil pastel wall paintings.

The east side of the lobby contains the Duke Gallery entrance and the concierge's partners desk (drawers on both sides) fronting a credenza beneath a wall-mounted 1895 portrait of Washington Duke.

PUBLIC AREAS
With a 16-foot high ceiling and four square mahogany fluted columns, the lobby exhibits both grandeur and subtlety. Half a dozen high back chairs are strategically located in the lobby and an antique highboy containing Duke family heirlooms of China figurines and tableware guards the leaded glass doors leading to the Bull Durham Bar next to the Four Diamond Fairview Dining Room.

The Duke Gallery contains busts of the Duke family, gowns worn by Duke women, family photographs and Washington Duke's 1850 antique wooden desk made of American walnut and bird's eye maple.

To the right of the lobby is a hallway that leads to the golf shop, fitness studio and the swimming pool. Like the Duke Gallery, there are family portraits on the walls, along with old English landscape prints. Rooms off the hallway include the Duke University Room that accommodates up to 40 people and the Inn's gift shop.

Heading straight through the lobby, marble-top credenzas with Oriental footbaths sit beneath beveled mirrors with Ormolu frames leading to the elevator lobby. Inside, the elevators sport brass railings above a patterned red carpet with mahogany walls and mirrors.

Beyond the elevators, the Sunroom awaits with an overstuffed couch, four stuffed chairs and two sets of Queen Anne armchairs. English tapestries hang on each side of the entrance. Opposite the tapestries are French doors and a bay of mullioned windows offering a panoramic view of two outside terraces, the golf course's 18th hole, and the putting greens. Potted ficus trees and an inlaid coffee table complete the room.

On the grounds, the semi-circular, flagstone upper terrace offers Brown Jordan wrought iron and glass furniture under awnings. They overlook the golf course and a lower terrace landscaped with seasonal flowers and plants in bloom. Majestic Willow oaks, maples, crape myrtles and the like provide a shady haven for guests to enjoy the gentle Carolina evenings.

Cigar and cigarette smokers can enjoy the scenery here with cocktails from the Bull Durham Bar.

During the day, afternoon tea is served from 3 pm to 5 pm featuring teas from Taylor's of Harrogate, tea sandwiches, scones and sweets or The Tea Royale that adds a glass of Roederer Estate sparkling wine. Reservations are requested and hats and gloves optional.

While all AAA rated Four Diamond restaurants provide exceptional service, the Washington Duke staff has an international flavor. Graduates or students of hospitality and tourism programs are culled from candidates from 22 countries.

Hired for entry-level positions, interns remain for as long as 18 months, receiving training and gaining experience in hospitality operations and leadership development. Several have stayed to begin their hospitality careers at the Inn.

ROOMS
The Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club offers elegantly-appointed guest rooms and suites that boast new décor and convey a feeling of residential elegance. First-class linens grace beds and baths, and plush robes invite relaxation. Handcrafted English armoires have been installed in new rooms and new executive desks and chairs are in all rooms. New artwork features images of Duke's East and West Campus and the venerable Duke Chapel. High-speed and wireless Internet access is standard in guest rooms, suites, conference spaces and public areas, making it easy to stay in touch with work or home while away on business or pleasure.

Many rooms, including the Presidential Suite, overlook the 18-hole championship Duke University golf course, designed by Robert Trent Jones or the Inn's beautifully landscaped front grounds. Each room and suite offers nightly turndown, extra-thick towels, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, mini-bar, safe, Gilchrist & Soames soaps, shampoo and lotions. Non-smoking and handicapped rooms are available.

The palatial new Presidential Suite, with a gracious walkout balcony overlooking the first tee, putting green and ninth and 18th greens, can be reserved as a one- or two-bedroom living space. Italian marble flooring has been installed in the foyer and marble vanities decorate the powder room and luxurious bath. Bedrooms decorated in crimson and indigo, a well-appointed living room and a spacious dining room with butler's pantry complete the plush accommodations.

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