Charlotte Resorts

As North Carolina’s largest city and metropolitan area, there are several great resorts in Charlotte, and the surrounding area. Unlike other large cities on the east coast such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC, you can find relaxed country settings within an hour drive from the downtown area of Charlotte. And of course, there are many entertainment options within the city proper itself.

Sports fans will enjoy professional basketball during the NBA season at the home of the Charlotte Bobcats, the Time Warner Cable Arena. Located at on Trade Street in Uptown Charlotte, the facility opened in 2005 and includes over 30,000 off-street parking spaces within a 15-minute walk of the arena. The Bobcats’ season runs from early November through mid-April, and tickets range in price from around $25 to well over $500. The arena also plays host to a large variety of other sports and concerts. Check with the front desk at your Charlotte resort for a current schedule of events during your stay.

Also located downtown are family-friendly attractions like the Discovery Place IMAX Theater, Charlotte Natural Museum, and Charlotte Museum of History. Again, most downtown Charlotte, NC resorts are within walking distance of these locations, and hotel staff can probably provide more detailed information relevant to your dates of stay.

There are several downtown Charlotte Resort options you should consider.  Each is unique in their style and design, and you should review each based on your length of stay, party size and purpose of visit.

The Omni Charlotte Downtown is located on Trade Street and just two and half blocks from the Convention Center.  The Omni is the hotel of choice for most large scale Charlotte business meetings as well as traveling sports teams.  The Omni Hotel boats of its unique rooftop pool and sundeck, free high-speed internet and over 16,000 square feet of meeting space.  On our random check, standard room rates ranged from $98 weekdays to just over $200 for weekend nights.

Part of the “W Hotels” group, the Aloft in downtown Charlotte is a newer, and more contemporary hotel than we’ve seen before.  Also on Trade Street, the hotel is in close proximity to the Convention Center, Time Warner Cable Arena, the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Bank of America Stadium.  The Aloft Resort was built as much more than just a group of comfortable rooms.  The designers went out of their way to create some very unique public spaces including a 24-hour gym, multiple lounges where working on your laptop in easy AND enjoyable, and even on-site pet lounge.

If you are looking for a more traditional, even historic, resort hotel we recommend the Dunhill Hotel.  Originally opened in 1929 as the Mayfair Manor Hotel, it is part of the registry of Historic Hotel in America.  The ten-story building has recently been totally renovated in a way that mixes today’s required luxuries and keeps the Dunhill’s antique sophistication.  On-site dining and meeting rooms are available, but don’t look to be super-crowded here; the hotel only has 60 guest rooms.

Located a short two-hour drive from Charlotte is the luxury golf resort of Pinehurst. Golf lovers will immediately recognize the name as one of the most respected, and difficult courses to play in America. Home to multiple professional “majors”, including the 1999 US Open and upcoming 2014 US Open, Pinehurst is many a golfers’ dream course. Hotel accommodations are flexible from several different buildings and facilities to more private villas and condos. These larger accommodations are perfect for family outings or small reunions.

And one cannot even begin to speak about golf resorts in and around Charlotte without putting the Ballantyne Resort at the top of the list. Located at 10000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway in Charlotte, the resort comprises an entire world of luxury including golf, a spa, dining and even shopping. The golf course at Ballantyne is designated as an official PGA course, and received a 4.5 out of five starts rating in Golf Digest. The Par 71 course is designed to be enjoyable for casual golfers, yet VERY challenging for those with anon-existent handicap. As you would expect from a resort of this quality, there are award-winning dining option on-site as well as a pool, fitness facility, multiple meeting rooms and a twenty-four hour concierge service.

If you and your family want to have fun and find comfortable accommodations all in the same place, you should consider the newly opened Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, NC.  Just a quick drive from the Charlotte airport, the Great Wolf Lodge & Water Park is part of the national chain of the same name.  This resort features kid-themed rooms with tree house sleeping quarters and more “adult” rooms with luxury king beds and high-speed internet.  The park itself has rides and swimming attractions for all ages including the River Canyon Run, where the whole family can pile onto one raft and ride “down the canyon”.

While these are some of our favorite Charlotte, North Carolina resorts, please know there are many more. From upscale high-rise hotels in the heart of downtown Charlotte, to relaxed and casual country settings, the Charlotte area is a great option for your next vacation. We have also included more information on several of these resorts, and others on our Charlotte Resorts website.