The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte

Charlotte's contemporary, eco-chic spot
VERIFIED LUXURY

This contemporary Charlotte hotel has gone green — The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte has a vegetated roof, its own beehives, a spa with organic and eco-friendly treatments, a hybrid house car and complimentary bicycles (with a bike valet, this is a luxury hotel after all).

But it isn’t all about doing good at this Uptown hotel. Take a seat at cocktail bar The Punch Room, get a succulent cut at BLT Steak, create your own signature blend at the Hidden Wine boutique or, if chocolate is your vice, go to Bar Cocoa, where you can have chocolate afternoon tea (chocolate scones, anyone?).

The hotel has become the place in town to see and be seen. This is where crowds gather in the lobby’s adjacent bar at before Charlotte Hornets games or unwind after the Quail Hollow Championship in the sleek yet ultra-comfortable K Lounge every spring.

And as Bank of America owns the hotel, this is also the site of power lunches over stiff pours of Scotch on weekday afternoons.

SHARE
Our Inspector's Highlights

  • Plan on relaxing all day long at the Recommended spa on the 17th floor. Request the Balance treatment room, which boasts a bed equipped with an iPad programmed with ocean and waterfall scenes to seamlessly transition you into Zen mode.
  • Throughout the hotel’s public spaces and guest rooms, you’ll notice a rotating display of works from Bank of America’s gallery, the largest privately owned art collection in the world.
  • The Charlotte hotel’s commitment to sustainable agriculture includes a rooftop garden and beehives that provide the culinary team with fresh produce and the spa with ingredients for its treatments.
  • Food and drink alone are reasons to come here. Whether it’s at Forbes Travel Guide Recommended BLT Steak for a proper meal, the popular Punch Rom for craft cocktails, Bar Cocoa for indulgent chocolate or all of the above, you’ll sate your craving.
  • The Ritz Charlotte is all about providing amenities you can’t get elsewhere in the city, like a private blending class in the Hidden Wine boutique. Led by a wine steward, you’ll create a personalized varietal and leave with a bottle of your own customized blend as a keepsake.

Things to Know
  • The Charlotte property’s proximity to Bank of America’s headquarters means that the hotel is almost always sold out midweek due to the high volume of business travelers in town. Be sure to book a room several weeks to a couple of months in advance. 
  • Engaged couples will be spoiled in The Ritz’s wedding design studio, where various rooms devoted to different stages of the planning process — food tasting, cake design, linen options, place setting display and more — are laid out in a one-stop-shop fashion so there’s no need to outsource a thing for the big day.
  • The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte’s modern take on festive décor makes it one of the best places to visit during the holiday season. After weeks of prepping and baking, the pastry team unveils a life-size gingerbread house, a massive macaron display, a profiterole tree and more in the hotel’s lobby and Bar Cocoa café.
  • Be sure to take advantage of the spa’s newest addition: a pink Himalayan salt room. The colorful ingredient is widely believed to have healing and detoxifying properties, and provides a great alternative to the typical steam room.
  • Look out for locally made products throughout the Charlotte hotel — a refreshing elixir found in the spa comes from the city’s own MajesTea, while the soaps (by Small Keys) and linen makeup cases (from Dewdrop Designs) for sale in the boutique are made by local producers as well.

The Rooms

  • The recently renovated rooms offer a taste of local flavor with custom carpets from celebrated North Carolina designer Alexander Julian and a bottle of Rua single malt whiskey from Charlotte-based Great Wagon Road Distillery in the honor bar.
  • Even the most basic accommodations are among the largest in Charlotte at a spacious 500 square feet. Floor-to-ceiling windows, 55-inch flat-screen TVs and dual vanities in the marble-trimmed bathrooms complete the luxurious layout.
  • Live large in The Ritz-Carlton Suite, which is the most spacious and luxurious accommodation onsite. Featuring a separate living room, dining room and bedroom, the 2,900-square-foot suite spoils you with indulgent extras like a Pelaton bike and a wine cooler in the ensuite kitchen.

The Restaurants

  • Located in the lobby, BLT Steak is the Charlotte hotel’s immensely popular restaurant. Sumptuous offerings include prime cuts of beef, fresh seafood and classic American dessert favorites alongside a robust wine list.
  • Nestled on the 15th floor, The Punch Room is one of the most coveted seats in town. The wait for a spot in the modern-day speakeasy on Friday and Saturday nights can be as long as two hours.
  • Expect upscale, small-plate offerings in both The Punch Room and K Lounge. In the former, drink specialists will pair cocktails and spirits to match each dish.
  • Featuring housemade pastries, macarons, gelato, breakfast sandwiches and more, Bar Cocoa is the ultimate chocolate lover’s café. Tables lining College Avenue just outside provide the perfect spot to enjoy an espresso and a confection.

Amenities
24-hour room service
Babysitting services
Bar
Indoor pool
Meeting rooms
Restaurants
Spa
Getting There
201 East Trade Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202
TEL704-547-2244
NEARBY AIRPORT(S)
CLT (16-24 min)  
Check Availability