SpringHill Suites by Marriott Charlotte City Center is steps away from the Spectrum Center arena and just blocks from the Discovery Place Science museum, Truist Center, and Belk Theatre.
When Good Travel Plans Get Even Better
My trip to Charlotte, North Carolina started out as a 7-1/2 hour road trip to visit our cousins but it quickly turned out to be something unplanned. You see, the Spectrum Center is literally steps from the hotel we booked. And while the Charlotte Hornets NBA basketball team was “on the road,” I was also “on the road” heading to Charlotte and by sheer luck I was able to book last minute tickets to see singer Brandon Lake perform live at the arena.
Brandon Lake’s Christian pop song, “Gratitude” is one of my favorite go-to songs for motivation. And like the song, I was “grateful” for unexpectedly catching his Charlotte concert and happy we selected accommodations at the SpringHill Suites by Mariott Charlotte City Center, a fun metro location.
Ideally located Marriott Brand Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city of North Carolina so you can imagine that there were many hotels to choose from. Based on a recommendation from our cousins, the Charlotte Springhill Suites Charlotte City Center sparked our interest and the affordable rate met our travel budget.
This hotel is a newer property that is modern and near many famous attractions. All of the 195 rooms are spacious and have many amenities to make each guest feel comfortable and welcome.
While we drove north on I-95, the hotel was about 15 minutes from the interstate. If you’re flying to North Carolina, the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is 7.6 mi from the hotel. Concord Regional Airport (JQF) is 15.7 miles from the hotel.
The hotel is in such a great uptown location, nearby to the Spectrum Center, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Time Warner Cable Arena, and Bank of America Stadium (home of the NFL Carolina Panthers.)
Hotel Amenities
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Charlotte City Center features a restaurant, complimentary breakfast, a fitness center and the 3 Eleven Bar and Lounge that serves light fare. And it’s popular for their local craft beers and special cocktails.
The fitness center features a nice variety of workout equipment including cardio machines and free-weights. The hotel offers a 24-hour front desk, meeting rooms, and a business center. Free Wi-Fi is available and convenient valet parking ($55.00 daily fee.) Pets are not allowed with the exception of service animals.
We had an easy check in and check out at this hotel. The front desk staff were consistently kind and helpful to us. The valet team, also very kind, provided quick and timely responses. We barely waited at all for our vehicle to be brought to us. Honestly, $55 a day is a bit pricey for parking but typical these days for city hotel parking.
Spacious Accommodations at SpringHill Suites
While this trip was for a mini family reunion with cousins, if you’re visiting Charlotte for business or pleasure, the SpringHill Suites Charlotte City Center hotel offers everything a person needs for a comfortable stay. We were certainly impressed by the exceptionally clean hotel from the public areas to inside our suite.
Our brightly lit room was a studio designed suite with a king bed plus a sofa trundle bed and desk with adjustable lighting, and lots of outlets and charging ports. The décor is uptown modern with soft carpeted floors, offering spacious accommodations thoughtfully designed for relaxation and work productivity.
Our suite had plush bedding, complimentary Wi‑Fi, high-speed internet, 37-inch flat-screen TV with HBO® film channels, mini fridge, microwave, and a coffee/tea maker. The view from our room overlooked the entrance to the Spectrum Center. The bathroom had a hair dryer (I never pack a hair dryer anymore!) and complimentary toiletries.
One thing to note: Being in the City Center, there’s a train nearby so you will hear train sounds throughout the day. Definitely not a dealbreaker by any means.
Hotel Dining and Nearby Restaurants in Charlotte City Center
So, after a great night’s sleep in the very comfortable bed, we started each day with the complimentary hot breakfast before exploring nearby Charlotte attractions.
The 3 Eleven Bar, located in the lobby, was a fun way to end the day with a craft beer, cocktails, and some appetizers.
Two notes: the 3 Eleven Bar is closed on Sunday. There is no room service offered at the hotel.
Down the street from the hotel, we dined at Luce Ristorante and the Spaghetti alla Carbonara, Gnocchi alla Sorrentina, and Tiramisu were as extraordinary as you’d expect from an Italian restaurant in any big city.
At Aria Tuscan Grill, we opted for the Pork Osso Buco and Pan Roasted Oro King Salmon dishes followed by a Chocolate Torte for dessert – an amazing meal for us.
We enjoyed lunch at the Cowbell Burger & Whiskey Bar and I highly recommend “The Bluto” that consisted of a fried chicken breast, spicy chipotle aioli, dill pickle chips, on a toasted brioche bun. The Parmesan Fries and the Sweet Potato Tots w/Cinnamon Sugar made for the best side dishes!
Things to Do in Charlotte
Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina has a lot to keep you busy (day and night), like exploring local shops, restaurants, parks, museums, and art galleries.
And staying at the SpringHill Suites by Mariott Charlotte City Center makes the perfect hotel for anyone attending an event in the area whether seeing a concert or Charlotte Hornets game at the Spectrum Center, Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium, or a Broadway-style play at the Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. The hotel is also walking distance from Discovery Place Science and NASCAR Hall of Fame.
If you want to venture further into Charlotte to visit NoDa (short for North Davidson that is a vibrant arts and entertainment district), South End, and UNCC (University of North Carolina at Charlotte), you can take the LYNX Blue Line at the 7th Street Station, nearby the hotel.
No strangers to the Daytona International Speedway, we thoroughly enjoyed the NASCAR Hall of Fame with fascinating racing history and 50 interactive exhibits. You can even get behind the wheel of an iRacing simulator on the track of your choice to see how you perform in the Pit Crew Challenge. No, I did not try this activity but it was fun watching others do it.
Discovery Place Science is an interactive science museum with engaging exhibits for all ages. At this museum, the Charlotte IMAX Dome Theatre where we watched a 45-minute 3D movie about butterflies was the highlight of this attraction for me, and well worth the $8.95 added to the museum admission.
At the Wells Fargo History Museum we learned the history of banking and gold mining in North Carolina. The Mint Museum Uptown featured contemporary art and the Levine Museum of the New South provided interesting facts about the local area.
When we needed a break, we headed over to Romare Bearden Park to relax in the gardens and enjoy the views. We had visited this park a while back, and wanted to again see the play area with interactive digital chimes and huge fascinating waterfall with changing colors.
Takeaways/Final Thoughts
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Charlotte City Center is a hidden gem in uptown Charlotte. We will definitely consider staying there again when we make a trek to North Carolina next time.
- Located in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, NC
- Spacious suites and great amenities
- Complimentary breakfast and free coffee in lobby
- 3 Eleven Bar in our lobby
- Fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment
- Not pet friendly but service animals are welcome
- Spectrum Center is across the street, ideal for attending an event
- City Center area is filled with restaurants, museums, and much more
Author Bio: Originally from Long Island, New York, Donna Wright now calls Deland, Florida her home. An avid traveler, she has journeyed by air, land, and sea, to many cities in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean to exciting destinations like California, Arizona, Las Vegas, San Diego, Myrtle Beach, Lake Tahoe, Reno, and more.
This content is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered travel or consumer advice. Inn amenities, prices, policies, and availability may change. Readers should verify all details independently and use their own judgment when planning travel.