Charlotte Marriott City Center

From the outside, this 19-story business hotel doesn't look like anything special: it's just a tall building with Marriott's signature-red lettered logo on one side, with a contrastingly sleek glass atrium and metal statue off to one side. However, inside the lobby it's a different story, with light-wood finish false ceilings with recessed lighting and a mix of dark brownish-gray and beige furniture with a few accent cushions in hues of saffron and grayish teal. The hotel primarily attracts business travelers, but its updated interiors make it feel boutique-like, despite its corporate vibe and large size. 

The Charlotte Marriott City Center is centrally located in Uptown, near shops, restaurants, bars, and all sorts of attractions, but still only around 15 minutes by car to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Both the Discovery Place (a science and technology museum) and the Time Warner Cable Arena are a five-minute walk from the hotel. The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and Center for African American Arts and Culture are 10 minutes away on foot. Getting to the Mint Museum Uptown, home to a collection of European and American art, also takes around 10 minutes. It's a 15-minute walk to the Charlotte Convention Center, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and the Bank of America Stadium, where the Charlotte Panthers play. 

All the rooms and suites have a similarly sleek and modern decor that features dark-wood parquet floors, textured off-white wallpaper, and furniture accents in hues of mahogany, light-wood, and beige. Long plush sofas are tucked into partial alcoves with floor-to-ceiling windows. Each of the entry-level Guest Rooms comes with one king-size bed or two double beds, and come equipped with mini-fridges, coffee- and tea-making facilities with Starbucks coffee, flat-screen TVs, and irons/ironing boards. Wi-Fi is available for a fee. Bathrooms follow a similar decor scheme and feature shower/tub combos with rainfall showerheads, a decent selection of toiletries (with nice little add-ons, such as miniature bottles of mouthwash), and hairdryers. StayWell/Air Purification versions of Guest Rooms are also available and come with the addition of special Stay Well Mattresses and air purifiers. Rooms designated as M Club Experience units come with access to the hotel's 24-hour business lounge, which offers all sorts of perks including a free hot breakfast buffet, grab-and-go snacks all day long, and free Wi-Fi. Suites have separate living and sleeping areas and big bathrooms with separate walk-in showers and tubs. All Suite guests get access to the M Club and all the perks that come with it.

Amenities at this property follow suit with the rest of the hotel: they're sleek, modern, and well-maintained. There's no swimming pool, but there is a great gym that's open around the clock and features an impressive selection of Life Fitness equipment, including treadmills, free weights, and resistance-training machines. The hotel's biggest selling point is its meeting space, with 10 event rooms that can be arranged into all sorts of configurations, with a good selection of audiovisual equipment available. There's also a business center plus faxing and secretarial services. Wi-Fi is available, but it's not included in room rates. Valet parking is also available, but it's expensive. Dining options here are also on point, with 24-hour room service and a free hot breakfast buffet for travelers in Club M units and suites. For everyone else, breakfast is available at the hip Coco and the Director coffeehouse, which serves light options and all sorts of coffee drinks. For something more substantial, Stoke Charlotte offers heavier options for all three meals, including a daily brunch offering a good assortment of sweet and savory options.