Welcome to UNC Hotels! Our goal is to provide the best options for your hotel stay in the beautiful areas of Chapel Hill, NC! Whether your trip is for business or pleasure, we strive to provide exceptional service from the start of our secure online reservation system to the last night of your hotel stay! Our top-rated hotels ensure a comfortable atmosphere, and are often located near popular attractions, shopping centers, and local night-life activities! Whatever your visit to Chapel Hill entails, we're sure you'll find our informative Chapel Hill Guide and hotel booking options useful!
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the nation’s first state university to open its doors and the only public university to award degrees in the 18th century. Authorized by the N.C. Constitution in 1776, the University was chartered by the N.C. General Assembly Dec. 11, 1789, the same year George Washington first was inaugurated as president. The cornerstone was laid for Old East, the nation’s first state university building, Oct. 12, 1793. Hinton James, the first student, arrived from Wilmington, N.C., Feb. 12, 1795.
The Town of Chapel Hill is a community where a diversity of ideas, people, and opportunities converge. It is a place where its citizens feel a vitality and pride that stem from Chapel Hill's history, traditions, and unique characteristics. Nicknamed the "Southern Part of Heaven," Chapel Hill was named after New Hope Chapel which stood upon a hill at the crossing of two primary roads (where The Carolina Inn currently stands). Town lots were auctioned in 1793 when work began on the first University building, although it was 1795 before any residents occupied permanent homes.
