Pinehurst Resort’s youngest hotel got a facelift, and now The Manor Inn is back open for business. The resort spent seven months starting in February 2019 renovating the property, marking the latest in a series of projects designed to refresh and reimagine the home of American golf. Guests now can stay at the 96-year-old Manor Inn along with the Holly Inn (opened in 1895) and the Carolina (1901), the resort’s other two hotels.
“Our intention was to improve upon and modernize the guest experience while still preserving the Manor’s unique charm,” says Bob Dedman Jr., Pinehurst Resort’s Chief Executive Officer. “I think we’ve accomplished that in fine fashion.”
The Manor Inn has 43 guest rooms, all of which were updated with new interiors. Walls were knocked down, with just 15 percent of the interior framing remaining after the renovation. The hotel has a new bar which borrows from classic influences with a modern design and look. The club rooms and lobby have been reimagined as well, retaining the welcoming aura that is a trademark of Pinehurst Resort, including two private hospitality suites, the Library and Club Room, which can be reserved during a stay and each accommodate 12-20 guests.
The original lobby was the vision of the Manor Inn’s original owner, Emma C. Bliss, who built the hotel on the same ground as the former Lexington Hotel. Bliss hoped for a lobby where guests could gather, play games, talk and convene after a long day. That spirit guided the update.
The new North & South bar will open in early December and will feature beer from the nearby Pinehurst Brewing Co. and an extensive whiskey selection. Adorning the bar’s walls will be memorabilia and photography honoring the North and South Amateur Championship, which has been played at Pinehurst since 1901. On the ceiling is an illustration from approximately 1922 of the original routing of Donald Ross’ first four courses at Pinehurst.
The only untouched component of the original Manor design is the Kellastone exterior, which is a stucco-style material new for the Roaring ’20s when the hotel was opened in 1923.
The Manor Inn project joins the work done to Pinehurst No. 2 and No. 4, the opening of The Cradle par-3 course, the expansion of the Thistle Dhu putting course and the founding of the Pinehurst Brewing Co.
