<PAGE>
                                                                    EXHIBIT 24.1

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

I, Edwin B. Borden, a resident of Wayne County, North Carolina, of legal age and
legally competent for all purposes, do hereby grant this Power of Attorney to
Robert W. Winston, III, Chief Executive Officer of Winston Hotels, Inc. (the
"Company") and Joseph V. Green, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer, who are of legal age and who are legally competent for all purposes,
and with full power of substitution so that they, or either of them, may perform
any and all acts and things which said attorneys-in-fact, or any of them, deem
necessary or advisable to enable the Company to comply with the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. I expressly authorize the said attorneys-in-fact, or any
of them, to execute and deliver to the Securities and Exchange Commission or
other appropriate entities on my behalf an Annual Report pursuant to Section 13
or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2002, including specifically, but not limited to, the power
and authority to sign for me in my name in the capacity indicated on the Annual
Report and any and all amendments thereto.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of this 20th day of December, 2002.



/s/ Edwin B. Borden                 [SEAL]
------------------------------------
Edwin B. Borden



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

I, Richard L. Daugherty, a resident of Wake County, North Carolina, of legal age
and legally competent for all purposes, do hereby grant this Power of Attorney
to Robert W. Winston, III, Chief Executive Officer of Winston Hotels, Inc. (the
"Company") and Joseph V. Green, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer, who are of legal age and who are legally competent for all purposes,
and with full power of substitution so that they, or either of them, may perform
any and all acts and things which said attorneys-in-fact, or any of them, deem
necessary or advisable to enable the Company to comply with the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. I expressly authorize the said attorneys-in-fact, or any
of them, to execute and deliver to the Securities and Exchange Commission or
other appropriate entities on my behalf an Annual Report pursuant to Section 13
or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2002, including specifically, but not limited to, the power
and authority to sign for me in my name in the capacity indicated on the Annual
Report and any and all amendments thereto.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of this 20th day of December, 2002.





/s/ Richard L. Daugherty            [SEAL]
------------------------------------
Richard L. Daugherty

<PAGE>


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

I, Thomas F. Darden, II, a resident of Wake County, North Carolina, of legal age
and legally competent for all purposes, do hereby grant this Power of Attorney
to Robert W. Winston, III, Chief Executive Officer of Winston Hotels, Inc. (the
"Company") and Joseph V. Green, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer, who are of legal age and who are legally competent for all purposes,
and with full power of substitution so that they, or either of them, may perform
any and all acts and things which said attorneys-in-fact, or any of them, deem
necessary or advisable to enable the Company to comply with the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. I expressly authorize the said attorneys-in-fact, or any
of them, to execute and deliver to the Securities and Exchange Commission or
other appropriate entities on my behalf an Annual Report pursuant to Section 13
or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2002, including specifically, but not limited to, the power
and authority to sign for me in my name in the capacity indicated on the Annual
Report and any and all amendments thereto.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of this 20th day of December, 2002.





/s/ Thomas F. Darden, II            [SEAL]
------------------------------------
Thomas F. Darden, II



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

I, David C. Sullivan, a resident of Shelby County, Tennessee, of legal age and
legally competent for all purposes, do hereby grant this Power of Attorney to
Robert W. Winston, III, Chief Executive Officer of Winston Hotels, Inc. (the
"Company") and Joseph V. Green, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer, who are of legal age and who are legally competent for all purposes,
and with full power of substitution so that they, or either of them, may perform
any and all acts and things which said attorneys-in-fact, or any of them, deem
necessary or advisable to enable the Company to comply with the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. I expressly authorize the said attorneys-in-fact, or any
of them, to execute and deliver to the Securities and Exchange Commission or
other appropriate entities on my behalf an Annual Report pursuant to Section 13
or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2002, including specifically, but not limited to, the power
and authority to sign for me in my name in the capacity indicated on the Annual
Report and any and all amendments thereto.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of this 20th day of December, 2002.





/s/ David C. Sullivan               [SEAL]
------------------------------------
David C. Sullivan




<PAGE>


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

I, Charles M. Winston, a resident of Wake County, North Carolina, of legal age
and legally competent for all purposes, do hereby grant this Power of Attorney
to Robert W. Winston, III, Chief Executive Officer of Winston Hotels, Inc. (the
"Company") and Joseph V. Green, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer, who are of legal age and who are legally competent for all purposes,
and with full power of substitution so that they, or either of them, may perform
any and all acts and things which said attorneys-in-fact, or any of them, deem
necessary or advisable to enable the Company to comply with the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. I expressly authorize the said attorneys-in-fact, or any
of them, to execute and deliver to the Securities and Exchange Commission or
other appropriate entities on my behalf an Annual Report pursuant to Section 13
or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2002, including specifically, but not limited to, the power
and authority to sign for me in my name in the capacity indicated on the Annual
Report and any and all amendments thereto.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of this 20th day of December, 2002.





/s/ Charles M. Winston              [SEAL]
------------------------------------
Charles M. Winston



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

I, James H. Winston, a resident of Duval County, Florida, of legal age and
legally competent for all purposes, do hereby grant this Power of Attorney to
Robert W. Winston, III, Chief Executive Officer of Winston Hotels, Inc. (the
"Company") and Joseph V. Green, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer, who are of legal age and who are legally competent for all purposes,
and with full power of substitution so that they, or either of them, may perform
any and all acts and things which said attorneys-in-fact, or any of them, deem
necessary or advisable to enable the Company to comply with the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. I expressly authorize the said attorneys-in-fact, or any
of them, to execute and deliver to the Securities and Exchange Commission or
other appropriate entities on my behalf an Annual Report pursuant to Section 13
or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2002, including specifically, but not limited to, the power
and authority to sign for me in my name in the capacity indicated on the Annual
Report and any and all amendments thereto.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of this 23rd day of December, 2002.





/s/ James H. Winston                [SEAL]
------------------------------------
James H. Winston