SpringHill Suites Charlotte City Center

Room service was where things went wrong. We asked to have the room cleaned, and they did it except for the shower. The body soap was empty, and towels had been left in there. I asked again for the bathroom to be cleaned, and a surly receptionist took down my room number, but housekeeping never came. That was unacceptable from my perspective, and I'll look at other Charlotte hotels next time. The room itself was nice. There was construction nearby, and foam earplugs were beside the bed. As a light sleeper, I woke once but managed to get back to sleep. The breakfast was okay. The location was nice, right next to an expensive but convenient parking garage.

The room was clean and a little larger than a standard hotel room, so it felt less cramped than a typical mid-tier chain. That was about where the positives ended. Sleep was a struggle. The room sits beside train tracks and a large parking garage, and noise came in at all hours, with metallic screeches that felt like an urban thunderstorm. Construction also started early every morning and shook the room awake. The hotel did have few amenities, aside from being across from the Spectrum Center and public transport. It felt like the location was the whole selling point. Housekeeping was unreliable. Room cleaning was supposedly every other day, but nobody came on the scheduled day. We ran short on towels and washcloths, the body wash and conditioner dispensers were empty, and loose outlets wouldn't hold a phone charger. There was no bathroom exhaust fan, so steam and other smells lingered for hours unless you aired the room out. Parking was another hassle. There is no self-parking, only valet at an outrageously high daily rate. Nearby garages were absurdly expensive too, so avoiding the cost felt impossible. The hotel also seemed understaffed and overwhelmed. It was rare to see more than one person at the front desk. Breakfast was the final blow, the worst I've had at any hotel despite traveling frequently. The biscuits and gravy smelled and tasted like chemicals, which was alarming. The selection was poor, with little variety or appeal, and felt rushed together without care or basic quality control. The few good points couldn't make up for the noise, unreliable housekeeping, sparse amenities, bad breakfast, and constant inconveniences. This was more of a challenge than a comfortable stay. I won't be back.

The link is convenient, but I could hear it and noisy riders throughout the night, even from the eighth floor. People in my group also raised safety concerns about the area, which has been covered in local news. My room was fine and pretty standard, though I heard from others that theirs were a bit dirty. The front desk staff were kind of mean, while the rest of the team were amazing. The valet guy gave me laundry coins without asking for anything back because the front desk had none to exchange, and the cleaning crew helped me out with that too.

I was happy with my stay overall, and this has turned out to be a decent backup among my usual hotel choices. The room on the 14th floor was updated and well maintained. The heater smelled like something was burning at first, though either I got used to it or the smell went away. Staff were generally nice and helpful, and I had no issue checking out early. Valet parking is pretty much mandatory: self-parking has no dedicated hotel entrance, and you'd have a long walk, including on the street. The hotel is across from Spectrum Arena and beside the light rail. Many people complained about noise, and the hotel supplied earplugs, but I wasn't particularly bothered. Downtown CLT feels sketchy after COVID, and there's no way around that. There are some food options within walking distance, though they're a little less convenient than at other uptown hotels.