Charlotte hotels are ready to welcome visitors back this summer

If you’re ready to show off Charlotte to your visitors, area hotels are ready to help.

In June, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority launched the “Your Room is Ready” campaign in support of area hotels.

The goal: “We want to build a sense of confidence and let folks know that our hotels have standards in place that make it very safe for them to come and stay,” says Mark Barton, Complex Director of Sales & Marketing at the Westin Charlotte & Marriott Charlotte City Center.

• The CRVA’s campaign is representative of what hotels are doing to ensure visitors feel welcome and safe.
  Learn more about what area hotels have put in place to welcome visitors back.

Why it’s important: Hotels are a vital part of the Charlotte economy and can play a big part in the city’s post-pandemic recovery. After a challenging year, leisure travel is going to be one of the most important ways to help the city’s recovery with business travel lagging behind as employees slowly make their way back to the office.

Yup, so you can feel good about booking your next hotel stay. We won’t judge if you snag a room for yourself in a new Uptown property, too – cocktails by the pool, anyone?

Charlotte hotels have a lot to offer to both out-of-towners and Charlotteans looking for a getaway. Can’t decide where to stay? The CRVA put together a great list of Uptown hotels and we rounded up cool amenities at area hotels.

The industry’s future

“As we continue to march forward into 2022, it’s looking very strong,” says Barton.

Hotel occupancy has gone up since the statewide restrictions were lifted. “On the weekends, we’re seeing occupancy between 60-80%, which is phenomenal,” says Barton. The future is looking bright for leisure travel and regional getaways on weekends, but Charlotte still has a way to go with business travel through the week to fully recover.

Key numbers:

• 122%: Increase of weekend hotel demand growth across Mecklenburg County in May and June, signaling leisure travel is returning.
• 22.5%: Rate that weekday hotel demand across Mecklenburg County is still down compared to the same weeks in 2019.
• 44%: Rate that weekday hotel demand in Uptown is down compared to the same weeks in 2019.

• 26,151: The number of hotel rooms sold on Saturday, May 29, 2021 (the highest single night of hotel demand ever recorded across Mecklenburg County!).

Data via STR, Mecklenburg County.

Beyond hotel stays, Barton explains that every hotel guest can make an impact on the local economy when they ride public transportation, eat at restaurants and visit museums and other attractions.

COVID-19 safety

Safety and cleanliness have always been top priorities for hotels. “A commitment to clean is a part of our DNA,” says Barton. “This was not starting from scratch because many of these standards, we’ve had in place for years.”

• As new guidance came out to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Mariott was quick to adapt its policies. Even now, associates are wearing masks and housekeeping is available upon request.

“Hotels are ready to see you come back – we’ve been preparing every day for the last year and a half for this moment,” says Barton.

As part of the campaign, the CRVA developed a new Charlotte-specific booking portal with live availability.

The booking portal lets you filter by neighborhood, check rates, view rooms and find availability for more than 130 Charlotte area hotels.

This content was created in partnership with Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.