Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Escape to Graylyn for a safe, unforgettable getaway with one of our leisure packages. Feel worlds away, if only for a stay.
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Nestled in a serene setting that's close to cultural sites, Graylyn offers a blend of historical allure and scenic beauty that's particularly enchanting during the holiday season. While guests are charmed by the hotel's atmosphere and well-maintained grounds, some feel the rooms could benefit from modern updates and express concerns over the value, citing a mismatch between price and service.
The amenities and service generally receive compliments for their quality and professionalism, yet inconsistencies, especially noted in dining experiences, suggest room for refinement.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Dated
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Meticulous
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Top-notch
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Graylyn is a spectacular property, architecturally, the landscaping of its grounds, and service. It's an experience as much as it is a destination. Breakfast in particular was very classy and expansive -- white table cloths, silver, and a wide variety of offerings, including omelets and breakfast meats.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2020
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Mark_McFetridge, Director of Rooms at The Graylyn Estate
Responded Jan 8, 2020
Wonderful to have you and I was delighted to read your review! Thank you!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We arrive for our three night stay and we received a prompt, friendly greeting and assistance with our luggage. Heck in was a breeze and we received an overview of the accoutrements of our stay… including afternoon cookies and ice cream available 24/7.
Our three night stay was in room 213, a Manor House Antique Guest Room. The room was good sized, very clean and well furnished. The bed was very comfortable. The bathroom was…. marvelous. Marble wall and floor with original large tub and a separate shower with a 17 head system, large rain head and 16 body jets. The shower was luxurious. To top off the luxury of this time gone by room, a scale built into the floor with the face embedded in the wall above.
The manor is exquisite. Request a butler tour and take in all this magnificent property has to offer and hear about the history and the wonderful architecture.
The one slight disappointment was the scaled back dining offered at the Manor during our visit. Covid clearly has impacted dining in North Carolina. That said, the food had was very well prepared, dining room is beautiful and the wait staff great.
The location provides easy access to surrounding sites and an easy drive to downtown.
A superlative, relaxing stay and we will return.
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Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Ask for a Manor House Antique Guest Room. Fantastic.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Graylyn Estate is a special place. The grounds are impressive beyond words and the Manor House is both historic and charming. The staff are attentive and make all feel special. Now for the "but" part. Given the historic nature of the facility the rooms are unique and varied. The manor house rooms are gorgeous but other reviews occassionaly complain of smallish beds, dated bathrooms and thin walls...so we opted for the recently renovated Mews. The mews is the old horse stable that was converted to rooms; its incredibly charming area BUT the lighting in many of the rooms is awful. We stayed in Estate Suite 704 and it was simply a joke to call a suite. It's the only room on the property that you step down into which gives it a dungeon feel. One tiny window on the wall (and another in the dend end hall corner) and no ceiling lights. I suggested to management that this room be converted to storge or at the very least not upcharged as a suite (its slightly larger and they put a couch in to call a "suite"). Regardless of our dissapointing room the stay was wonderful and staff is off the charts. I highly recommend staying and we'll be back.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: May 2021
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
When you pay upper level prices for a hotel you expect to be staying in decent accommodations. With the Graylyn you don’t get that. My room had a leak in the ceiling the sink would leak out of the cabinet and the bathroom was about the size of a coat closet. I don’t expect a 5 star hotel experience, but at least something better then a Best Western. Absolutely not worth the price unless you are desperate for the location of the property which is very convenient.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2021
Value
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Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Mark McFetridge, Guest Services / Front Office at The Graylyn Estate
Responded Mar 3, 2021
This is unfortunate to read. We certainly have our challenges with this historic Estate but would never want to leave a guest with the impression you are describing here. We will use this review and the survey you provided to investigate your experience in detail. Thank you for your time and the opportunity to improve.
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We stayed here for the first time in June 2022 and were really looking forward to it. Reflecting on our stay, I felt the need to warn others about how one can be misled. I have traveled the world, so my opinion has some basis of comparison. For well over $300 per night there was a certain level of expectation for my wife and me. When they asked if it was our first time there, I should have lied and said yes, we want the very best as before. Instead, I was honest and said no. Well, I am astounded that we were placed in a very plain, almost Motel 6 room in the very back corner of the property, called the Mews. Our room smelled like a combination of must and cleaning products. Our bathroom smelled earthy, like clay. Both were equally unimpressive, modestly decorated, with well-yellowed switch plates and electrical coverings. There was paint and glue on the bathroom toilet (which was commercial) and tub and the sink drain was polished chrome, while the sink faucet was oil rubbed bronze. Looked like a remodel on a budget. The small dungeon-like stone patio had last falls' rotting leaves on it, even though it was almost summer of the following year. The pillows for the bed were postage stamp-sized and the sheets barely fit the bed such that the next morning, the sides of the sheets had been completely pulled out from the bottom of the mattress. Access to the main floor of the hotel and the grill were not available to us because there was a wedding party there. The following morning for breakfast, we waited 30 minutes to be served because "there was a wedding party of 20 ahead of us". If you like to spend top dollar for only limited access and you like to sit for 30 minutes with a cold cup of coffee and you like to stay in a refurbished Motel 6 room, the the Mews at Graylyn is for you. I will never stay there again and I feel like they should refund or discount my stay because it didn't deliver. So beware. Make sure you know which room they want to put you into and make sure to find out if there's a wedding party there, because even a small wedding party apparently cripples their ability to deliver. The property is owned by Wake Forest University, so maybe the people who stay there are accustomed to dormitory life and its standards.
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Date of stay: June 2022
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Do not stay in rooms 700-708 of the Mews.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Mark McFetridge, Guest Services / Front Office at The Graylyn Estate
Responded Jun 8, 2022
Thank you for detailing your experience with us. I regret to have missed the mark on your expectations. I understand your perspective and position. You have provide some valued feedback here and in your survey. All of your points will be taken seriously and addressed appropriately. Travel safely.
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I booked a one night stay in an Antique Manor room to celebrate my birthday and babymoon with my husband. The pictures on the website are very deceiving. While the room we were given had some antique aspects, it was pretty basic. The website also describes the bathrooms as having special features like hand crafted marble, luxury tubs, etc. The bathroom honestly looked like one from a 1990s Holiday Inn. Shortly after checking in we mentioned to the front desk that we were a little underwhelmed. They offered us one other room, but it was still basic with the ugly almost gross bathroom and was smaller, so we declined. There was also a wedding being held the night we were there. This meant some of the common areas were overtaken by wedding guests and somewhat inaccessible to regular guests. We also had to listen to the booming music from the reception until 11 PM. Overall, this was not the experience I envisioned in celebrating 2 special occasions, and it was ABSOLUTELY NOT worth the $330 price tag.
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Date of stay: November 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The property is incredible, a historic work of art. Unfortunately the rooms on the website do not represent the majority of the rooms on the property. Our room, which was 179 per night, more depicted what you would expect at a motel 6. Our room had a crumbling ceiling, sloaping floors, no dresser, outdated fixtures, radio, and electrical, and no heated bathrooms.. (must turn on timered ceiling heater) no water, no coffee maker, no amenities whatsoever. When we did request an upgrade they promised us a better room, then later in the day called to let us know our request couldn't be fulfilled. We had no choice but to take a double queen suite or nothing so we checked out and relocated to a downtown hotel. We were most disappointed in the fact that we felt decieved by the reviews and the descriptions on the website. For some, these things may be overlooked or acceptable but when I stay somewhere for 3 days and pay the equivalent of a half months mortgage, we have come to expect more.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2020
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Mark_McFetridge, Director of Rooms at The Graylyn Estate
Responded Jan 27, 2020
I appreciate and value your feedback. I do regret to read some of your details and hope you will return so we can regain your trust. Although we do not have coffee in the rooms we do have complimentary coffee, infused water and free ice cream on property and open to guests 24 hours a day. Other complimentary amenities include a full breakfast buffet, wifi and valet parking. I worry you may not have been shown or explained these options and I will be certain it is not missed in the future for any guest. Again, thank you staying with us and I do hope you will return.
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I cannot say enough good things about the Graylyn Estate and everyone who works there. Everything was perfectly tailored to our anniversary weekend from the booking process, to making special arrangements for our anniversary (we even got a room upgrade!). We were greeted personally by very welcoming staff members and were so touched when they told us they upgraded our room to the gorgeous Everhart Suite in the Mews (converted farm buildings in a French style). When we walked in the room we had roses, chocolate strawberries and prosecco. The Manor house itself is breathtaking to walk through. We spent hours each day just wandering about finding new details about the home and its history. The staff is so friendly and they genuinely care about their guests and the Estate itself. Any staff member we asked was able to tell us interesting facts about the Estate and even show us some fun features we would not have seen ourselves such as the hidden liquor cabinets in the walls since the home was there during Prohibition. They even worked with me to plan a special anniversary dinner in a private room. I was blown away by the attention to details when we walked in; the table was set beautifully, they even had a custom menu printed our for us with our names and Happy Anniversary written on it! The food was so good we ate every meal at the Estate that weekend. I highly suggest dining there even if you cannot stay the night (but you should do that too!!). The scallops were the best we have ever had! Overall, I wish I could give the Graylyn Estate higher than a 5 start. Everything was perfect from the minute we arrived and I am so grateful to every single staff member there who went above and beyond to give us a memorable anniversary. We cannot wait to go back!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: June 2022
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A lovely, atmospheric hotel and especially beautiful around Christmas. Though the third-floor rooms in the main hotel are somewhat smaller than some of the rooms external to the main hotel, and short on view, they are elegantly appointed, with a delightful array of items in the bathroom and a large, attractive shower. That shower might be made even better if a stone or wood seat were placed there for older or weaker guests. The temp in the winter stays a tad cool, but comfortable, and the beds are comfortable and inviting. We slept well! Quiet rooms!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2022
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
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Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is probably the first experience I’ve had at Graylyn that was not 5 stars. I’m guessing that service here is suffering with the same staffing issues that seem to be everywhere right now. I live locally but needed to book lodging during a renovation for myself and some family that came to visit. Booking over the phone was easy and we were able to select the room types that we preferred. Check in went smoothly and our rooms were large and clean. Breakfast was delicious and the waitstaff was very friendly and attentive.
My issue is primarily with the main desk/greeting area and lobby. This was during Christmas and I felt like the usual hospitality and warm feeling was gone. The desk clerks were always preoccupied and weren’t helpful in giving direction. Coffee and treats that were usually out were missing or impossible to find. One day, my children and I were with their grandparents for afternoon coffee/tea and cookies. We wandered around looking for this and it was nowhere to be found…so we asked a man working by the desk and he curtly waved us off saying it should be in the lobby. Again, we couldn’t find anything so we inquired again. This time he radioed someone and told us it hadn’t been out out yet but was coming (an hour late) and we sat down to wait. It never appeared and no one checked on us so we finally gave up. A hotel like this should have tea and cookies out in the afternoon, especially over the holidays. And don’t make us feel awkward for asking if you publicize that it’s available! We chose Graylyn for the location and atmosphere but I feel like there are several downtown hotels though further away from where we wanted to be, have better customer service, afternoon tea (or wine!) Etc. Add to that the shuttle service isn’t the same and we had no bellman to carry our bags. After many events and staycations here, I felt a little embarrassed for recommending Graylyn to my family this trip. I hope things improve after the pandemic.
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Date of stay: December 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Graylyn Estate welcomes two pets of any size for an additional fee of $100 per stay. However, pet friendly rooms are extremely limited. Guests traveling with pets must call (877) 411-3436 prior to booking to verify availability of a pet-friendly room or risk not being able to check in with a pet and/or incurring any associated cancellation penalties. Please note Antique Manor House rooms are not pet friendly. Both dogs and cats are allowed. Pets may be left in the room unattended, but housekeeping services will not be provided unless pets are crated. There is a grassy area for pet relief on the property but dogs must stay leashed. Additional pets may be allowed with prior hotel management approval. [Found this on a website called Bring Fido.]
Lexington, North Carolina8 contributions5 helpful votes
If you stay at Graylyn, try to get an antique room. The Mews is a beautiful place on the grounds, it is farm buildings transformed to guest rooms. I prefer staying in the manor house to truly get the whole experience of this beautiful estate.
There are more places to choose from in the Winston Salem area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
graylyn international hotel winston salem
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Graylyn International Conference Center
LOCATION
United StatesNorth CarolinaWinston Salem
NUMBER OF ROOMS
85
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about The Graylyn Estate
Which popular attractions are close to The Graylyn Estate?
Nearby attractions include Salem God's Acre Cemetery (3.1 miles), Reynolda House Museum of American Art (0.5 miles), and Old Salem Museums & Gardens (3.3 miles).
