Down the road in Winston-Salem, they make it easy to travel back in time.

We visited three historic hotels that date back to the 19th century with direct ties to families and industries that have had a profound impact on the city as we know it today.

Our first stop is historic Brookstown Inn.

[warm music] - The Brookstown Inn is very unique.

It's a part of our community.

The history to the mill really was, in my opinion, the beginning to the town of Winston-Salem.

The Fries family was compiled of many business leaders.

This family basically started the cotton mill.

They brought the railroad here to town for the cotton.

The inn consists of two different mills and they are conjoined by a courtyard.

We have 70 rooms on property, all of which are different.

You walk into a room and the ceilings are 12 to 20 feet high and you see the original wooden beams to the mill.

All the brick that surrounds you is also original to the mill.

You really just experience the cotton mill itself.

We offer a complimentary hot breakfast buffet.

We do an evening wine-and-cheese in the lounge every evening, we do cookies and milk at bedtime.

People remember staying at the Brookstown.

They remember how it made them feel.

The best way for me to describe it is a home away from home.

[Sally meows] Come on, Sally.

[soft bright music] - When we think about the story of Winston-Salem and we think about the history and where we've been, we have to consider the Gray family.

Mr. Gray was the original CEO of Reynolds Tobacco.

He was the right-hand man to Reynolds, R.J. Reynolds, who lived across the street, Mrs. Gray had a vision when she thought of moving out here to the country with Mr. Gray.

The goal was to build a manor house that had its own rolling hills up front that gave the same feel of a European-style home.

We have five historic buildings on property.

Each has their own individual unique feel from the Manor House that we're in now, in Mr. Gray's suite, to The Mews.

The Graylyn second floor is the original sleeping rooms of the Gray family.

We still have those bedrooms intact and sell them for a guests to stay in so they can experience what it was like back in 1932 when the Grays first moved into the Manor House.

We do not put new holes in walls.

We find new ways to hang pictures.

If we tear a floor up, we put it down with what was there in 1932.

Our guests love talking to staff and as they walk through the home, they don't realize that the Persian Card Room walls are from the 17th century and they can touch and feel 'em and have breakfast right next to them.

In many museums, that would be an unavailable area.

We want this to be a home that everybody can enjoy as if they were truly just a guest of Mrs. Gray.

If you're coming to Winston-Salem and you're looking to understand its history and its rich legacy, you have to stay at Graylyn to truly see what one of the founders of this area built.

Mr. Gray was part of what has become Winston-Salem.

[exuberant music] - The Reynolds Tobacco Company came in with the attempt to build a modest building, but in reality, built this grand, beautiful building that sits, almost a hundred years later, still intact.

It was the tallest building on the East Coast.

And the Empire State Building was built because of how much they loved the design of our building.

They operated as their headquarters.

Eventually they outgrew the building and they moved next door into a bigger building, which they built as well.

Kimpton came in with our ownership group and reimagined the building and really transformed the space.

Being built in 1929, it's very much Art Deco inspired, so you'll see a lot of the brass and the straight lines, the metal, the tobacco-brown plaster ceiling, the gold leaf accents.

So there's a lot of kind of pizazz to the Art Deco basis.

We are pet friendly, so no matter what size, shape, or really anything, we joke, "as long as it can fit through the door, we'll take it" and there's no additional fee for that.

Yes, we can provide a bed to get a good night's sleep, but there's also some amenities that you can enjoy while you're here.

[exuberant music continues] The restaurant is named Katharine after R.J. Reynolds' wife, Katharine Reynolds.

You know, you have the R.J. Reynolds building, you have the Katharine Brasserie and it would be French inspired because of their love for travel, and then the special place that France played in their relationship.

Within walking distance we have Bailey Park behind us, which is a great green space, Innovation Quarter's over there as well.

There's a lot of walkable bars and restaurants, breweries.

- There are unique features about historic hotels that you can't find.

You are experiencing something that has a special connection to this place that says Winston-Salem.

- To find out more about the historic inns and hotels of Winston-Salem, go to visitwinstonsalem.com.