West Virginia’s Hampton Inn Charleston Southridge is steps away from the Southridge Shopping Center, and a few miles from Downtown Charleston and the Kanawha State Forest.
Business Trip to Charleston, West Viriginia
The last time I visited West Virginia, it was a “girls trip” to the Stonewall Resort in Roanoke. We didn’t do much exploring outside of the resort, but we met many travelers during that trip that recommended we go hiking at West Virginia’s Kanawha State Forest. We didn’t have time to do so but I kept that forest on my wish list of travel destinations.
So, when we heard that we’d be traveling to Charleston, West Virginia for a brief 2-day business trip, it seemed like the perfect time to visit Kanawha State Forest.
Charleston is the capital and largest city of West Virginia. We would be spending two days there for some meetings and then we tacked on two additional days to go hiking in the forest and enjoy some fresh air.
Another Trip, Another Hampton Inn
We have stayed in our fair share of Hampton Inns and appreciate that the hotels are part of the Hilton brand, but not all Hampton Inns are Hilton quality. This Hampton Inn Charleston-Southridge was a nice surprise.
This budget-friendly hotel offers rates starting as low as $112, but it’s in very good shape and guest rooms have been recently renovated. Its surroundings are picturesque as the hotel sits on a hill, offering a serene atmosphere and a scenic mountain backdrop. Inside, the design is contemporary with comfortable public spaces that add to the welcoming and inviting feel of a Hampton Inn.
You can travel to the destination by flying to Yeager Airport or by taking Amtrak’s Cardinal train. The Amtrak station is located near downtown Charleston. If you’re driving, the hotel is a bit off the main highway so you would benefit from using your GPS. We may have made a few extra U-turns until we found it.
The hotel is off Route US-119, set right in the Southridge Centre, convenient to several restaurants in walking distance. It also offered us the ideal location to go hiking through the Kanawha State Forest. The downtown area, including the East End historical district, is also easy to get to.
Hotel Amenities
I’ll start off by saying that the hotel staff worked hard to ensure that we were completely satisfied with our stay, helping us with dining recommendations and advice for visiting the forest. This included the breakfast staff that were super friendly and diligent to ensure we found everything we needed.
We started each morning with the free buffet breakfast. It featured enough breakfast items, both hot and cold, like waffles, eggs, and yogurt. It was nothing fancy, not the best hotel breakfast we’d ever eaten but still good.
There is no restaurant onsite, so we ventured out of the hotel for all lunches and dinners. As I’ll explain more later, the food in the Charleston area was very good. In fact, the hotel is right next door to the highly recommended Quaker Steak & Lube restaurant among other options.
The other hotel amenities included an indoor pool with a hot tub as well as an outdoor sun terrace patio area with a fireplace, and a children’s play area. The patio area was a nice perk, but we only stepped out there during a few breaks from our meetings.
There was a well-equipped fitness center, and the onsite parking was free with plenty of parking spots. I must also mention that check-in was easy since we could digitally check in through the hotel’s app.
The meeting rooms fit our business group comfortably and although the hotel was crowded, it was quiet in the room.
And if you’re visiting the area, it’s a pet-friendly hotel. But as expected, fees and a pet policy apply.
Highlights of Guest Rooms and Suites
One of the best parts of the hotel is the recently renovated guest rooms. There’s nothing greater than walking into an updated, clean, and well-designed room.
We had a King Bed room that was spacious. It was situated towards the end of the hallway, so it was very quiet. The bed was especially comfortable with a firm mattress and squishy soft pillows.
The desk area offered us ample space to charge both of our laptops. There were multiple USB charging ports. The room had a microwave, mini refrigerator, tea/coffee maker, and hairdryer. There was plenty of counter space in the bathrooms and it offered free toiletries.
The housekeeping staff was meticulous as was evident not only in our guest room but in the lobby and meeting rooms as well.
Where We Dined in the Area
We had a few quick lunches out on the town including the always reliably good Olive Garden Italian Restaurant and Panera Bread. But for dinner, we followed the recommendations from the Hampton Inn staff and dined at Quaker Steak & Lube, Las Trancas, and Pies and Pints.
At Quaker Steak & Lube, located within walking distance of our hotel, the menu was huge! The fried cauliflower wings as a starter was so unique. We followed up with the Caeser Salad with Garlic Cheese Curds, the Mac & Cheese Burger, and a Cheesy Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries side dish. All food tasted as good as they sound.
Dinner at Las Trancas was delicious. We ordered Tacos de Carne Asada, the chalupas, and the chicken nachos. For dessert, the churros with vanilla ice cream and fried apples in a pastry shell was amazingly great, as was the attentive service.
But the star of the weekend was … Pies and Pints … they serve sandwiches, salads, and you guessed it, “pies.” The pies are what they’re known for. Pizza Pie, Brunch Pie, Meatball Pie, Black Bean Pie, Chipotle Chicken Pie and many more “pie” options!
60 Miles of Hiking Trails and Birdwatching
Also known as “Charleston’s Mountain Playground”, the Kanawha State Forest is located just seven miles from downtown Charleston. The forest is HUGE, covering 9,000+ acres of the Appalachian Mountains and hardwood forests with more than 60 miles of hiking and biking trails, campsites, picnic areas, and playgrounds.
We were pleased that the area is FREE admission. We spent about six hours each day hiking the easier trails in the forest. There are so many trees that it’s like walking under a canopy of leaves, so we never had to worry about getting too much sun exposure.
While the Kanawha State Forest is known for featuring various trees and wildflowers, it also makes for the perfect place to go birdwatching. With my binoculars in hand, it was so much fun to stop and try to identify the different kinds of birds specific to the region.
I must note that there are also black bears and deer roaming the forest. Hiking among wildlife will never get easier for me. Every sound I hear (like the rustling in the leaves), makes me jump and howl louder than a wolf at night.
And while visitors are encouraged to take lots of photos throughout the forest, they are asked to not touch or pick the wildflowers. Of course, we were told not to disturb wildlife, which was not an issue for me.
Here’s an interesting fact: The Spotted Salamander Trail in the Kanawha State Forest is a paved trail for mobility and visually challenged outdoor enthusiasts. It’s a quarter-mile paved trail that runs through the habitat of the spotted salamander, one of the most common amphibians in West Virginia. The trail even includes braille signs and guide ropes.
Takeaways/Final Thoughts About the Hotel
If you’re planning to visit Charleston, West Virginia, the Hampton Inn Charleston-Southridge provides a comfortable stay and is set among a picturesque mountain backdrop. To be frank, it’s not fancy or upscale by any means, yet it’s an affordable Hilton brand hotel that you won’t find much to complain about. It was a praiseworthy stay for us.
- Check-in on the app was a breeze
- Staff was friendly and accommodating
- Well maintained property
- Newly renovated guest rooms
- Quiet meeting rooms helped productivity
- Relaxing outdoor patio for fresh-air breaks
- Decent hot/cold breakfast buffet
- Plenty of free hotel parking
- Pet-friendly (fees apply)
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.