The Westin Raleigh-Durham Airport

The Westin Raleigh-Durham Airport opened in May 2023 in Brier Creek, three miles from RDU. It has 236 guest rooms and suites, more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space spread over seven rooms, and a grand ballroom that holds up to 500 guests. It is the first Westin in Raleigh. The profile is that of a business hotel. The distance to the terminals, the size of the event rooms and a restaurant serving three meals a day count for more here than any link with downtown Raleigh.

The place

The hotel stands on Macaw Street in Brier Creek, a commercial district in the north-west of Raleigh, roughly three miles from Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Next door is Brier Creek Commons, a shopping and dining centre, so a coffee or an errand does not need a drive into town.

Downtown Raleigh is farther off and the site is not made for walking there. Guests who plan to spend their days in the city centre will need a car or a ride.

The concept

Westin is Marriott's wellness-oriented upscale brand, and this property applies it to an airport-corridor site. The 236 rooms and suites include suites with separate living areas and deep-soaking tubs, and a fitness center is open to overnight guests.

The event side is large for the district. Seven meeting rooms add up to more than 10,000 square feet, and the grand ballroom takes up to 500 people. Listings differ on its exact floor area, from about 6,460 to 6,750 square feet, and on the total of indoor and outdoor event space, so figures vary by source. A tenth-floor room opens onto an indoor-outdoor space with views, and local press mentions a rooftop pool.

Dining & wellness

Il Falò is the hotel's Italian restaurant and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its menu was created by chef Bradford Thompson, who won the James Beard Award for Best Chef, Southwest, in 2006, and it is built around wood-fire cooking and locally sourced ingredients.

A Starbucks completes the offer on site.