In 2009, the Dean Smith Center, located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was the most visited attraction in Orange County. The facility, which is the home stadium of the North Carolina Tar Heels, encompasses 300,000 square feet and hosts sporting events and concerts. Visitors can conveniently stay at one of the nearby hotels that can accommodate guests of all budgets.
The Carolina Inn is a five-minute drive from the Dean Smith Center and located on the campus of the University of North Carolina. The historic facility dates back to 1924, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The eco-friendly facility has 184 guest rooms and seven suites. All rooms come with work stations and free Wi-Fi Internet access. Guests can enjoy in-room spa treatments, and room service is also available. For breakfast, lunch and dinner, the on-site Carolina Crossroads Restaurant can be visited. Guests can explore shops, restaurants and art galleries of downtown Chapel Hill, and historic Franklin Street is also nearby. Sports enthusiasts can experience a Tar Heels basketball game, and visit the Carolina Basketball Museum.
The Siena Hotel is an eight-minute drive from the Dean Smith Center and situated in Chapel Hill. The luxury hotel's decor, features rich colors and fabrics, Italian marble floors and European antiques. The facility has 79 guest rooms, from which no two rooms are the same. All rooms have balconies and French doors. Dogs can be accommodated in the hotel for a fee. Il Palio, the on-site fine dining restaurant, serves Italian dishes, and has an extensive wine list. Nearby attractions include golfing at Finely Golf Course, swimming at the Meadowmont Swim Club, and shopping in downtown Chapel Hill. The nearby towns of Hillsborough and Durham have shops, restaurants and historic sites that can also be visited.
The Hampton Inn Chapel Hill is an eight-minute drive from the Dean Smith Center. The AAA three-diamond rated hotel has 122 smoking and non-smoking guest rooms that each feature custom-made Hampton Beds. A fitness room and pool are available to guests, as is an on-site business center. A daily complimentary breakfast is available, and lunch and dinner can be enjoyed at nearby restaurants such as Aurora, On the Border and Chili's Bar and Grill. Things to do in the area include, exploring the exhibits at the Chapel Hill Museum, touring the plantation homes at Ayr Mount and Poet's Walk and browsing through the more than 300 shops located on Franklin Street.
