Charlotte Getaway and Hotel Guide

Charlotte, N.C. has aptly transitioned into a new millennium. Wayfarers need wheels to move around the city. Air travelers will find the city amply supplied with car rental agencies. Public transportation lags behind the city's recent growth.

You can't count on public transport to go to Hornet games, nightlife, or shopping. You can count on a Royal welcome.

Most visitors venture to the Queen City of the South as business travelers. Whether you're here on business or passing through on your way up or down the East Coast, the shopping and sports make stopovers special.

Folks from surrounding areas often stay in Charlotte the night before a flight from Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The area surrounding the airport offers a range of lodging options.

Charlotte is an insider's town, a town where what you know tells you where to go. Informed travelers choose lodgings-based City Center (uptown/downtown), South Park, Dilworth, or University City for a Royal welcome.

Charlotte was a crossroads for voyagers before the American Revolution. Throughout the booming 1950s and 60s, Charlotte was a hub for the trucking industry. This legacy leaves Charlotte the front-runner for superlative shopping in the two Carolinas. Seeking a trousseau or shopping for school? After an occasion outfit or replenishing your wardrobe? Southeast Charlotte is your destination.

South Park has all the major upscale retailers and a heady sprinkling of specialty shops. Adjacent Morrocroft Village and nearby Phillips Place complete the profile of a terrain suited to the shopper. Several nearby hotels make it possible to shop until you drop into the lap of luxury.

If you are headed for Charlotte for sport, you are en route to the home of the second-largest NASCAR race at the Loew's (formerly Charlotte) Motor Speedway. Most race fans favor the University City area. Race fans staying downtown are only 15 miles from the Speedway.

Panther fans and Hornets fans alike find ample hotel choices in the downtown area. Most city center hotels are a short walk to the Carolina Panther's Ericsson Stadium. Hotels at Independence are only a few minutes drive from football games.

Many Hornets fans prefer hotels in the Woodlawn area for rapid access to the game and a variety of restaurant choices. Woodlawn intersects with South Boulevard for nightlife lovers.

If you are in Charlotte with your kids and interested in Carowinds, a Paramount theme park, you'll find a range of hotels bordering the facility. Many hotels offer special discounts on Carowinds tickets and have other family-friendly offers.

The big draw for the post-college, pre- (or post) kids crowd is the historic North Charlotte Arts District. Gallery Crawls the first and third Friday of every month bring out everything from New Age drummers to mid-eastern belly dancers. North Davidson Street was once the main street of a mill village. Now you'll find art galleries, bars and live music venues.

If you want to get an overview of Charlotte's past and present, contact Queen City Tours. Their twenty-dollar daily tour travels through the original four wards of old Charlotte, the gentrified area of Dilworth with its trolley and ends up at Atherton Mills on South Boulevard.

If NoDa (Charlotte slang for the North Davidson Gallery Crawl area) or Dilworth/South Boulevard sound like your glass of Chablis, the hotels in downtown Charlotte or out Independence Boulevard will give you easy access.

For a special treat, consider staying in a Bed and Breakfast in the Elizabeth or Dilworth neighborhoods. All of the area Bed and Breakfasts are perfect for a romantic interlude. In addition to the Center City - check out the Lake Norman and Lake Wylie areas for romantic retreats.

The University City area is amply supplied with hotels if you're checking out UNC-Charlotte, attending a school athletic event, or swelling with pride at your kid's graduation. University City is where to stay if you are here for a concert or show at Blockbuster Pavilion. It's also convenient for Speedway events.

Charlotte is a sprawling city with lots of lovely green space and a temperate climate. Enough of old Charlotte remains to insure that strangers are greeted with classic southern hospitality. Numerous transplants from all over the nation and the world have spiced Charlotte's restaurant scene and enriched the cultural life.

Traffic and poor public transportation are our drawbacks. For a great stay in Charlotte, choose a hotel that is close to where you'll work or play.

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