The Brookstown Inn
by
Terry Sullivan
In the 1800s, the Fries Mill Complex consisted of the Salem Cotton Manufacturing Company and the Arista Cotton Mill. The buildings stand today, repurposed, a reminder of the textile industry in the middle of the nineteenth century. The oldest of the buildings, the Salem Cotton Manufacturing Company was constructed in 1836, built by members of the Moravian congregation.
Today, the buildings are the home of the Brookstown Inn. A hotel that offers simple elegance in an historic setting. We found the hotel easily following our GPS. Traffic in this area of Winston-Salem was sparse even during rush hour. This makes getting to and from the hotel easy. Check-in was efficient and we were off to our room noting the area behind the reception desk where a wine reception and morning continental breakfast would take place.
We had a suite that was very roomy and comfortable. The suite was on two levels. The entrance was in an open hall-like area leading to the bedroom and bath and a living room area on a lower level. Along the hallway, a refrigerator and microwave were in the corner. We noted that there were no tea or coffee cups or ingredients. The living room area included a decorative fire place, desk, sofa, table and chair. The flat screen television was on a wood cabinet. A half wall and wood wardrobe separated the living room area from the bedroom area. Sitting on the sofa, one gets a sense of the immenseness of the space. The ceiling looks to be about twenty feet high. Hugh beams cross the room, and the ceiling is the exposed floor boards from the next level. Two pillars were attached to the beams, one in the living room area and the other in the hallway area.
The bedroom offered a queen size bed, two nightstands and a wardrobe cabinet. It was comfortable. The bathroom was next to the bedroom.
Since there was no tea or cups we headed to the breakfast area, in an adjacent building to hunt down tea bags and cups. Coffee and hot water is available in the breakfast area. The hot water was coffee tainted though, so we had to heat water in our microwave to make the tea. Breakfast is served in the breakfast room. The fare is light, a few pastries, bagels, yogurt, cereal and fruit.
The wine reception takes place in the parlor, a comfortable area with a sofa and chairs. It is a nice area to relax if you want to escape your room. The wine reception had the potential to offer elegance to our hotel stay; however, wine was served in plastic cups. There were two reds, one a local Cabernet Sauvignon that exhibited the flavor profile of Cabernet Sauvignon harvested prior to phenolic development and a local Chardonnay that was quite nice. There was also a Merlot and Chardonnay from California. Many of the guests readily joined or started conversations with the other guests.
The ease of driving to and from the hotel makes the Brookstown Inn an ideal place to explore the wineries in the Yadkin Valley. Many of the wineries are just a half-hour to an hour drive from the hotel. There are several restaurants within walking distance from the hotel and a bakery just two blocks away. Old Salem is only blocks away from the inn. Visitors will have a unique hotel experience at the Brookstown Inn. Experience nineteenth century American history in a comfortable setting.
The Brookstown Inn
200 Brookstown Ave
Winston Salem, North Carolina 27101
GPS: N36º 5.438' W80º 14.724'
