These Charlotte hotels are among the best around the world, according to Forbes
If the Queen City is on your travel bucket list this year, you may find yourself booking a stay at one of the best hotels in the world.
Forbes Travel Guide revealed its 2025 picks for the annual Star Awards of “hospitality’s finest across the globe,” based on ratings from incognito inspectors scoping out luxury hotels, cruise ships, restaurants and spas.
Of the 2,187 winning travel spots within 90 countries, eight hotels in North Carolina made the list as some of the top stays worldwide. That includes three in Charlotte that were also recognized among the best of the best in 2024: The Ballantyne, A Luxury Collection Hotel; The Ivey’s Hotel; and The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte.
The Ballantyne, A Luxury Collection Hotel
Location: 10000 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 28277
Forbes Travel Guide rating: Recommended (“These are excellent properties with consistently good service and facilities.”)
“Even though The Ballantyne, A Luxury Collection Hotel sits in a tiny area of south Charlotte near shops, restaurants and business parks, it feels removed from the city fray. The green, leafy setting makes you want to slow your pace and escape for a bit,” Forbes Travel Guide’s review says.
“You can do that with a round on the championship golf course, some play on the two lighted tennis courts, a swim the indoor and outdoor pools, a treatment in the spa, a meal at Recommended Gallery Restaurant or simply with a glass of Scotch in the lobby terrace overlooking the greens.”
“Inside the hotel, you’ll find modern Southern elegance. Fresh off of a September 2018 renovation, The Ballantyne updated its rooms with a chic gray and white palette. It transformed the two-story lobby into the most desirable gathering place in the hotel, with natural light filtering in through the wall of windows in the back, cozy seating and communal tables. You’ll want to stay a while.”
Inspector highlights include:
The Gallery Restaurant decked out in colorful, modern paintings with “refined Southern fare.”
The Golf Club at Ballantyne’s 18-hole PGA course
The luxury hotel’s rose garden, local beer and whiskey tastings and glow-in-the-dark putting and spa services.
The Ivey’s Hotel
Location: 127 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Forbes Travel Guide rating: 4-star (“These are exceptional properties, offering high levels of service and quality of facility to match.”)
“The Ivey’s Hotel exudes a Paris-meets-Southern-charm aesthetic. You’ll notice lots of design details, ranging from the array of French art in the hallways to the fanciful circular ironwork on a moon gate doorway and stair railings to chandeliers dangling from many spaces. The building comes with a fashionable past: it opened its doors in 1924 as Ivey’s department store,” Forbes Travel Guide’s review says.
“The hotel sits in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, surrounded by museums, shops, restaurants and art. Though with three places to dine and drink and a secret library to explore, there’s plenty to do at the 47-room property.”
“For example, all guests are welcome to join the daily, complimentary wine social in the lounge. Or shop in the boutique, which sells Sunday Citizen throws, Panier des Sens essential oils, jewelry and more. Back in your room, luxuriate in the fine Frette Italian bedding, take a bath in the soaking tub or enjoy the local snacks while gazing out the window to the bustling city beyond.”
Inspector highlights include:
“The twist on modern luxury” in each room with velvet furniture, detailed prints and flat screen TVs with soundbars.
The hidden library lounge and 1,500-square-foot fitness center with strength machines, free weights and more.
Breakfast, small bites and craft cocktails at the hotel’s other dining spot, Sophia’s Lounge.
The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte
Location: 201 E Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Forbes Travel Guide rating: Recommended (“These are excellent properties with consistently good service and facilities.”)
“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),” Forbes Travel Guide’s review says.
“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 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.”
Inspector highlights include:
The penthouse spa — specifically the Balance treatment room with a bed and ocean and waterfall scenes.
The hotel’s use of the rooftop garden and beehives to get fresh produce for the culinary team and ingredients for spa treatments.
Its dining options and amenities, including the Bar Cocoa dessert bar and Hidden Wine boutique and tasting room.
Note: The Ritz-Carlton’s steakhouse, BLT Steak, permanently closed after 15 years in 2024 and is now home to a Southern fare-focused restaurant called The Fifth Fork.
You can find the full list of the Forbes Travel Guide’s 2025 Star Award Winners online at forbestravelguide.com.
This story was originally published February 28, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "These Charlotte hotels are among the best around the world, according to Forbes."
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