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Raleigh · Hotel shortlist

Hotels with a spa downtown in Raleigh

Ellie Brandt

Ellie Brandt Southeast Asia

Updated 1 September 2026 · 29 Raleigh hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Raleigh, out of the 29 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.6 down to 4.4.

Courtyard by Marriott Raleigh Cary Crossroads is the one I would book myself.

Courtyard by Marriott Raleigh Cary Crossroads

Highest rated of the five

Courtyard by Marriott Raleigh Cary Crossroads

★★★★★4.6 from 474 reviews

Courtyard by Marriott Raleigh Cary Crossroads comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.6 from 474 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 3 star property, found under downtown and around $244 a night on the dates we checked.

29 hotels in Raleigh qualified for this list and five made it. Raleigh Marriott City Center is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Gymopen to guests, not a partner pass down the road

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. Courtyard by Marriott Raleigh Cary Crossroads1

    Courtyard by Marriott Raleigh Cary Crossroads

    ★★★★★4.6 from 474 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  2. Raleigh Marriott City Center2

    Raleigh Marriott City Center

    ★★★★★4.4 from 3,430 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

  3. Hampton Inn & Suites Raleigh Midtown3

    Hampton Inn & Suites Raleigh Midtown

    ★★★★★4.6 from 454 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

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  4. Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley4

    Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley

    ★★★★★4.4 from 1,916 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

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  5. Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel5

    Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel

    ★★★★★4.4 from 1,229 reviews

    • Spa
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

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How this list was put together

29 Raleigh hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Ellie Brandt

Ellie Brandt Southeast Asia

Works weekends at an animal shelter and saves the pay for off-season flights. Hostels, night buses, and volunteering at animal sanctuaries for a bunk. Six countries in three years.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.