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Wake Forest · Hotel shortlist

High end hotels near the main square in Wake Forest

Stefan Bauer

Stefan Bauer The American west

Updated 1 September 2026 · 12 Wake Forest hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Wake Forest, out of the 12 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.9124184 down to 4.4.

The City Cottage, pet friendly, walk to shops, food NCSU is the one I would book myself.

The City Cottage, pet friendly, walk to shops, food NCSU

Highest rated of the five

The City Cottage, pet friendly, walk to shops, food NCSU

★★★★★4.9124184 from 306 reviews

The City Cottage, pet friendly, walk to shops, food NCSU comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.9124184 from 306 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 found under the main square and around $471 a night on the dates we checked.

12 hotels in Wake Forest qualified for this list and five made it. NC STATE, Cameron Village-Wake Med-dogs ok-fenced is the one I would book if the first is full.

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All five, ranked

  1. The City Cottage, pet friendly, walk to shops, food NCSU1

    The City Cottage, pet friendly, walk to shops, food NCSU

    ★★★★★4.9124184 from 306 reviews

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    • NC STATE, Cameron Village-Wake Med-dogs ok-fenced2

      NC STATE, Cameron Village-Wake Med-dogs ok-fenced

      ★★★★★4.883137 from 306 reviews

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      • Hampton Inn & Suites Raleigh Midtown3

        Hampton Inn & Suites Raleigh Midtown

        ★★★★★4.6 from 458 reviews

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

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      • Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel4

        Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel

        ★★★★★4.4 from 1,237 reviews

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

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      • The Perky Pineapple; Quiet Ranch; 2 King Beds; Well Appointed; Centrally Located5

        The Perky Pineapple; Quiet Ranch; 2 King Beds; Well Appointed; Centrally Located

        ★★★★★5 from 90 reviews

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        How this list was put together

        12 Wake Forest 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.

        Stefan Bauer

        Stefan Bauer The American west

        Chases total solar eclipses. Seven of them on four continents, from Wyoming to a fishing town in Chile. Banks days off through the on-call rota and books the trips years ahead, because eclipse dates do not move.

        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.