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                                                                    EXHIBIT 31.1

                                CEO CERTIFICATION

I, Robert W. Winston, III, certify that:

1.       I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Winston Hotels, Inc.
         (the "Company");

2.       Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue
         statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
         to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which
         such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
         covered by this annual report;

3.       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
         information included in this annual report, fairly present in all
         material respects the financial condition, results of operations and
         cash flows of the Company as of, and for, the periods presented in this
         annual report;

4.       The Company's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
         establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
         defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the Company and we
         have:

         a)       designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure
                  that material information relating to the Company, including
                  its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others
                  within those entities, particularly during the period in which
                  this annual report is being prepared;

         b)       evaluated the effectiveness of the Company's disclosure
                  controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to
                  the filing date of this annual report (the "Evaluation Date");
                  and

         c)       presented in this annual report our conclusions about the
                  effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based
                  on our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date;

5.       The Company's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on
         our most recent evaluation, to the Company's auditors and the audit
         committee of the Company's board of directors (or persons performing
         the equivalent function):

         a)       all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of
                  internal controls which could adversely affect the Company's
                  ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
                  data and have identified for the Company's auditors any
                  material weaknesses in internal controls; and

         b)       any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
                  or other employees who have a significant role in the
                  Company's internal controls.


Date:    March 12, 2004                 /s/ Robert W. Winston III
      -----------------                 -------------------------
                                        Robert W. Winston, III
                                        Chief Executive Officer


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