Boutique Hotel Downtown Moves Ahead

Cary, NC – The talk about a luxury hotel in Downtown Cary took on a more definitive tone with the announcement last week hearlding The Mayton Inn, a planned 45 room property on one acre of land at the corner of Academy and Park. 

Mayton Inn Sets Plans for Downtown Cary

Here’s the text of the press release announcing the Mayton Inn:

45 Room Boutique Hotel

Colin and Deanna Crossman, owners of the King’s Daughters Inn in Durham, NC, will be expanding their hotel business to include a new 45 room boutique inn in downtown Cary, North Carolina.

The Town has been collaborating with the Crossmans to develop a project that will blend with the historic character of the area while also increasing downtown density.

2 Historic Homes Part of the Parcel

The site is a 1-acre parcel on the corner of S. Academy St. and Park St. and will include the new construction hotel, as well as 2 historic homes that will be moved to the site – the Waldo Rood House and the Mayton House.

Opening Planned for April 2014

Construction plans schedule the ground breaking for April 2013 and date of completion is projected for April 2014.

While the upper two floors will consist of 33 spacious rooms and 11 deluxe suites, the first floor will boast over 13,00 sq. ft. with a library, full bar & restaurant as well as event spaces including meeting rooms and an outdoor terrace that will be open to the public. A high tech gym facility and spa rooms will be on the ground floor and available for guest use.

High Tea and Port

To create the luxury atmosphere, the Crossmans will work with Center Studio Architecture to develop the Georgian-style inn and will implement green technologies in all aspects of the building.

To create the Art Deco style of the Mayton Inn, the Crossmans will work with Megliola Beal Interior Design for interior design and aesthetics.

The Inn will offer High Tea, as well as turndown service with port and chocolates. A gourmet hot breakfast will be served every morning in the full service restaurant. In addition, the Inn will offer complimentary wireless Internet, in-­room iPads, and 42” HDTVs .

22 replies
  1. Sallie Deaton
    Sallie Deaton says:

    I have been a Durham resident for 30 years but, was born and raised in Cary. I would like to commend the Crossmans on the fine job they did on the King’s Daughter’s Home in HIstoric Trinity Park here in Durham. It is beautiful and they captured all the fine qualities of the historic building and surrounding neighborhood. When you drive through Trinity Park it is a joy to see that the essence of what was the King’s Daughters Home has been retained.
    That being said. To try to compare the proposed Mayton Inn with the King’s Daughter is an insult to that beautiful building. This Inn looks nothing like the KIng’s Daughter and trying to dress it up and pass it off as such is sad. I did consider the adage of “lipstick on a pig” but, I’ll try not to be any more insulting than I have to. I can assure you if you had tried to put something that looked like the Mayton on Buchanan Blvd. you would have been run out on a rail. Thank God the historic landmark restrictions kept you under control.
    The Crossmans should try to understand that Cary, Old Cary. Wants to look like what you did in Trinity Park. Retaining the beauty that is old classic homes. A hotel that blends in with what is already there. We all understand that you have your funding and you’re going to do what you want to do. Just know that any thought I or my peers might have of spending money for weddings, luncheons, reunions etc.. will be done at another establishment. By the way, The King’s Daughters Inn used to be an “Old Ladies Home”. With the Mayton Inn, looks like you have another.

  2. Vicki Joyner Thompson
    Vicki Joyner Thompson says:

    I moved to Cary in 1960. I grew up in Cary and my mother still lives there. The small town is gone but the downtown still has charm. Please think twice about the design of this new hotel. It does not fit. It is too commercial and stark. Downtown Cary is being bulldozed too quickly. Academy Street coming down to the Elementary School ( excuse me) the art center, should retain it’s homey fell. The Art DECO would be fine as a stand alone building but it does not blend with the old Cary. Unless you’re going to bulldoze everything and then it won’t be a problem. Which I would not be surprised. New Cary has a bad reputation of tear down and think about it later. Stop the construction and redesign a charming inviting Inn for downtown Cary.

  3. Kathy Lewis Blake
    Kathy Lewis Blake says:

    I grew up in Cary and loved the small town atmosphere. When I heard that an inn was going to be built on Academy, I had a picture in my mind of how it would look. Of all the ideas in my head, none of them even remotely resembled the monstrosity that is represented by the Mayton Inn. This building looks institutional. It looks nothing like a bed and breakfast, an inn or anything boutique. Please reconsider a design that will properly reflect the warmth and unique character that was and should still be Cary, N. C.

  4. Matt Miller
    Matt Miller says:

    By the way, brick is not the problemn brick is a low maintenance, highly durable product that can be beautiful. It is sensible to build with, but it is obvious that the architect/ designers lacked imagination. They are trying to transplant the style of their property in Durham to Cary. That design is not contemporary with the Academy Street buildings and is not from a neighborhood that was ever anything like this part of Cary. There really needs to be some changes in the facade…brick can do so much more than is being offered here.

  5. Matt Miller
    Matt Miller says:

    What about this structure “blends” with the historic look of the area?! Nothing else in this area is Georgian. It’s going to stick out like a clown at a funeral. I have heard it referred to by the owners as a bed & breakfast, an inn and luxury or boutique hotel. It certainly doesn’t remotely resemble a B&B and the only inn it resembles is La Quinta. Who did the market research here? Anyone wanting a spa experience or fine dining experience is going to go to The Umstead. Cary is not a destination that realtime requires lodging in this part of town; at least, no more than is already available in a “real” bed & breakfast in an authenticly historic house on Academy Street. So, with two large churches nearby, there’s the lodging for people coming in for weddings and there are wedding receptions. I’ll bet the owners if the Matthews House, another existing, historic structure, just love that the Town of Cary solicited and collaborated with the couple that is building the Mayton Inn. The overall developement of the so-called “opportunity area” is going to be a hindsight nightmare. We don’t need a vibrant nightlife and hipster hangouts filling this area and attracting the noise and crime associated with that atmosphere to this area that is the last square mile of Cary that recalls our small town history.

  6. Pam
    Pam says:

    Well, it is now April 2013 and my views on the appearance of the building of the proposed Mayton Inn have not changed one bit. I still feel very sick when I imagine this structure on the corner of Academy and Park Street. If they are going to call it the “Mayton” why not follow the design of the original Mayton House on Academy Street that the innkeepers plan to live in? I wish the town council and the Crosmans would listen to what the citizens of Cary have to say about this building. Seems to me that our town coucil which I think consist of less than 10 people made a huge mistake on this one . Still hoping and praying that the Crossman’s will change their design.

  7. Wendy Purser
    Wendy Purser says:

    I thought at first that this was about a new rest home after seeing the picture. Not very appealing in my quaint hometown. I would like to see character of a building which has a presence of “Welcome to Cary..come stay awhile with us”.

  8. Robin
    Robin says:

    I agree wholeheartedly with George and others who have expressed concerns over this project. I grew up in Cary and have cherished it through the years because of it’s small town charm and warmth. This proposed structure is so stark and uninviting and does not reflect the Cary that many of us know and love.

    The town of Apex has done a far better job of maintaining a small town feel, holding on to the wonderful historical charm of the era of it’s beginnings. There are restaurants and little shops all along the downtown way, concerts in the summer, and at Christmas time, Salem St. is bustling with shoppers, lights and music. It is wonderful!

    Watch out Cary — you are losing yourself.

  9. Steve
    Steve says:

    Please reconsider the exterior architecture of the proposed Mayton Inn. It does not fit the character of S. Academy Street. It is not too late to make these changes. I personally prefer southern charm with a porch facing E. Park & S. Academy over stark institutional appearance.

  10. Ron Stopp
    Ron Stopp says:

    Has anyone involved in this project really looked at this sketch and said, “wow”? I doubt it. It looks like some sort of rest home or reform school. Please reconsider this design before building in my hometown.

  11. george sullivan
    george sullivan says:

    Everyone I’ve spoken to in downtown Cary says the same thing and that is that they can’t believe what the hotel will look like. Its so plain and stark. hard looking brick front with no historic details. So I went to this site to see for myself. It looks terrible. Almost like Cary was on a tight budget and decided to create a no frills hotel building that resembles an apartment building in the low rent district.
    Is it too late to make changes and dress the thing up. I think the shape and style of this building will ruin the quaintness of our downtown and send people back to Apex. What a disapointment.

  12. Deanna Crossman
    Deanna Crossman says:

    Hal – happy to be here!

    Gary – thanks for noticing our reviews! Great news – the Mayton Inn is going to look like the King’s Daughters! Please remember – this is just a conceptual sketch to get an idea of scale and massing. It’s not showing all the architectural and decorative details that will be in the real building. And of course, there will be much more fabulous landscaping!

    We used the King’s Daughters as inspiration, but we didn’t want to build an exact replica. A couple things we changed to help it fit into it’s own surroundings – instead of two stories and a full hipped/gabled roof for the third story, we designed the third story as a half-wall and all hipped roofs. This helps give the guest rooms a little more room, and also to help it look/feel more residential — it’s going to be a big building, but we didn’t want to feel like the church or Cary Arts Center.

    Also, instead of the two-story porch, we did the porte cochere – this helps in a couple ways: practically, we wanted guests to have a way to get checked in and bring in their bags under protective cover from the weather, since our parking is on the side and back. Also, it helps anchor the massing of the building on the ground floor and focus attention at street-level.

    For reference, the Mayton Inn will be approximately the same height as the Yarborough and Ogle houses across the Park St from the Inn.

    Feel free to contact us if you’d like to talk more – we’ve had several conversations with Pam offline.

    Thanks!
    Deanna
    info@mayton.com

  13. Gary
    Gary says:

    My wife’s 1st remarks to me on seeing the picture were an exact echo of Pam’s remarks!

    Maybe, Cary could harvest some NCSU architecture talent (via student interns?) to give their views on what they see in the proposal.

    http://design.ncsu.edu/academic-programs/architecture

    In fact, matching what is shown in this photo would be excellent!

    http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g49092-d1441198-Reviews-The_King_s_Daughters_Inn-Durham_North_Carolina.html

    Nice reviews, too!

  14. Deanna Crossman
    Deanna Crossman says:

    Hi Dean – thanks for the comment! Yes, this is where the parking is now, but we have designed parking behind the Inn (you can see the edge of it – it’s cut off in the picture above) along new entrance to the park, so it will work for Farmer’s Market parking, park visitors, and Inn visitors. We’re excited to be working with the citizens and Town of Cary, and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions! info@maytoninn.com

      • Steve
        Steve says:

        Hal,
        Please revisit this issue. Many of us “Old Cary” folks are not opposed at all to the Inn on S. Academy just the stark exterior appearance. Please do a comparison on the thoughtful ideas Pam Cotten Payne has shared. Better yet do an interview with Pam. She grew up on S, Academy.
        Thank you for Cary Citizen and keeping us informed,
        Steve

  15. Brent
    Brent says:

    @Pam, I’m not sure I understand how this doesn’t fit. If we go up and down Academy Street, there are some Victorian & Queen Anne structures, to be sure. But we also have a Tudor Revival cottage, an early American frame cottage, a Colonial Revival cottage, a Greek Revival/Colonial Revival Church and a Craftsman style house, to name a few. With the existing diversity of styles, adding a Georgian building to the mix doesn’t seem so bad to me.

  16. Dean
    Dean says:

    Isn’t this where the parking for the Farmer’s Market is? I’m guessing that’s not going to work when the hotel is there.

  17. Pam Payne
    Pam Payne says:

    Every time I look at the proposed Mayton Inn to be built on Academy Street I just want to cry. It just does not fit with downtown Academy Street. The building is too intrusive . . they need to reconsider this one. Perhaps a victorian theme with wrap around porch with rocking chairs and swings along with hanging baskets of flowers in season. Anyone with any sense at all can drive down Academy street, observe the homes/businesses and see that this is not going to work! What is Cary thinking?

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