We told you last week that Counting House restaurant was open for business in downtown Durham, and now, a short week later, the hotel in which it resides has had its grand reveal. If you haven’t checked out the inside of the 21c Museum Hotel, you’re in for a treat.
The old Hill Building was built in 1937 and served as a bank. Even though the building has now undergone a modern art deco transformation, elements of its former life have been preserved, including the old vault and safety deposit boxes turned into a unique lounge area and the old bank lobby, which is now a beautiful ballroom.
It’s such an entertaining space to walk through because there is art everywhere. It’s easy to forget your are even in a hotel at all. Guided docent tours are given every Wednesday and Friday at 5 p.m. for free. The main galleries will rotate out every five months or so.
Some of the art is place-specific and will remain a permanent part of the hotel decor, such as Durham map coffee tables in the restaurant lounge and a large-scale mosaic by artist Duke Riley that upon close inspection is actually made of cigarettes and mini cigars (in reference to the ubiquitous role that tobacco played in the development and history of Durham, as well as the decline of its influence).
The restaurant is gorgeous. It has a sleek bar, semi-private and private dining space as well as a chef’s table next to all the action in the kitchen, which can seat up to 10 people and is perfect for birthday parties.
Counting House has a full dinner menu, and in the near future, it will be open for lunch and for brunch on weekends.
The best part of it all is that it’s smack in the middle of all the action in downtown Durham. It’s just another cool place to show guests, to take a date, or to wander through on the weekends. From the rooms above, you can see the whole city. Overlooking DPAC, American Tobacco Campus and all the new businesses around, it’s clear what an exciting time it is to be here.
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