Where to stay

Spectator sports have an amazing presence in the Charlotte Center City neighborhoods. Stay in the First Ward to watch exciting basketball. The Second Ward has the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which chronicles the sport from early bootlegging days during Prohibition to today's high-powered state-of-the-art machines. Book a hotel in the Third Ward to be within blocks of Charlotte's professional football and baseball venues. Accommodations in Concord are close to live action at the NASCAR speedway. On select days, non-professionals can even experience driving on the track. For a unique vacation activity, stay in North Belmont and bring the family for an exciting day of rafting on the man-made course of the U.S. National Whitewater Center. Ballantyne is a good neighborhood to stay to play golf, while hotels in nearby Beverly Woods or Pineville are perfect for attending the annual professional golf tournament at Quail Hollow.

Stay just a few miles from the high-rise hotels of Charlotte Center City to be immersed in outdoor experiences. Book a hotel in Belmont to see the seasonal plant displays at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. Christmas is a particularly festive time in the garden. For hiking, stay in Gastonia and climb Crowders Mountain, which offers views of Uptown in the distance. To the north, accommodations in Davidson or Cornelius are perfect for boating on the warm, wide expanse of Lake Norman, while Mooresville is close to quieter waters in a swimming hole that was once a quarry. Nearby, Huntersville hotels are near the interesting educational opportunities at the Carolina Raptor Center and Historic Latta Plantation. South of the city, Matthews is a great place to stay to bike or hike on the trails of Colonel Francis Beatty Park. Bike at a velodrome and go canoeing on the Catawba River from a hotel in Rock Hill, just across the state border in South Carolina.

Hotels in Charlotte Center City are at the core of a thriving cultural zone. The Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Levine Museum of the New South, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture and Mint Museum UPTOWN are just a few of the stellar attractions within walking distance. For a family visit, stay in the Fourth Ward and let kids learn and have fun in the labs and live shows of the Discovery Place Science center. ImaginOn in the nearby First Ward features live children's theater as well as hands-on library and learning activities. Book a hotel in Kannapolis to visit the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, where performers from Kate Smith to Chris Daughtry have earned inductee status. Stay near the Charlotte Douglas International Airport to visit the Billy Graham Library, one of Charlotte's most popular attractions. To slip into a neighborhood with a youthful cultural vibe, book accommodations in University Place near the University of North Carolina Charlotte campus.

Shopping in Charlotte ranges from outlet malls to high-end luxury brands. Many visitors combine a hotel stay in Concord for a NASCAR event with major bargain-hunting expeditions to the Concord Mills outlets. More outlet shopping is available at the Charlotte Premium Outlets, easy to reach from a hotel near the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. At the other end of the spectrum, the SouthPark neighborhood has upscale brands at a very large mall, with numerous hotels and a variety of restaurants to make the stay very pleasant. South of the city, the Pineville area offers excellent mall shopping and it's close to the popular Carowinds theme park, giving accommodations here a double appeal. For an all-in-one mix of sports, culture and shopping, stay in Charlotte Center City. Browse through artisan creations at the 7th Street Public Market and purchase special interest items from gift shops at nearby sports and cultural sites, such as the Mint Museum gift shop and Charlotte Hornets Fan Shop.