The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge

I’ve given this hotel a glowing review before but I had such a negative experience last week, I am wondering if things are changing. Or was it a full moon? I stayed at the Ballantyne for 3 nights from 8/23 - 8/26. I was given a room on the 2nd floor, even though my profile requested otherwise. The first night, there was a cleaning crew with machines outside my room late at night. I learned later they had been hired to clean the marble in the hallways and were supposed to have started at 11:30pm. At 1:00 am I called the front desk to complain, and at first I was told there was no work going on, then they said it was an outside crew and they stopped the noise. The next evening, I came back from a long workday to find police cruisers lined up at the front entrance, supposedly because of an incident! Drama at your hotel is never good. And an event was set up in the atrium not 30 feet from my room door - more noise loading, I thought. These things don’t happen on the upper floors, which is being placed higher up is my standing request. Fortunately I went to dinner with colleagues and by the time I returned the event had subsided. Then, that night just after 3 am, the fire alarm went off, blaring orders to evacuate. It was all just too much. No apology either. I complained to someone on the management team the next day and he agreed to compensate me 20,000 points. However, those points have not been delivered to my account. Another guest mentioned he was not compensated either. How could the management not try to make it right? Needless to say, the whole experience left a very bad taste in my mouth. On another note, the housekeeping was not great either for this stay. The second night I drank a Coke from the minibar and left the glass on the table. When I returned the next evening, the dirty glass was sitting in the center of the desk, untouched. It was as if the housekeeper had cleaned around it. Tissues were not refilled. I don’t use the bars of soap, I prefer to use the little bottles of body wash for handwashing. That at least was replenished. Even the usually welcoming valet service seemed off. When I arrived, between the time I looked up from the back seat of the car and got out, the bellman had disappeared. I will give high marks to Bob, who was his usual cheerful self. The others all seemed… troubled. I am not sure what is happening at the Ballantyne. If I were to hazard a guess I’d say it is low staff morale. Disappointing, though. I’ll have to consider my options for the next business trip.

My family and I just had another amazing stay at The Ballantyne! The staff is consistently wonderful, and the level of service is exceptional. Everyone goes out of their way to make you feel welcome and ensure you have a great experience. We’ve stayed here multiple times, and every visit has been fantastic. The Ballantyne continues to be one of our favorite hotels, and we’re already looking forward to our next stay. Highly recommend!

Love this for years. Walked in Tuesday August 19 unannounced at2pm and was kindly informed at reception there was no room.great hospitality professionals nonetheless. Dissapointed. I will plan better next time

We were trying to meet midway between our two families. The two sisters wanted to get together and the husbands came alone. We picked Balantyne and it was an excellent choice. The service was exquisite. The rooms were wonderful very large and I think they have the best elevators of any place we’ve ever stayed. There was always one waiting or just a short wait. Things that could’ve been improved on a little bit to get to the outdoor pool you had to walk down a number of steps, which made it difficult for one of our sisters. However, the staff wheeled her around to another entrance in a wheelchair. One group had what they described is the best breakfast they’ve ever had with chicken and waffles and eggs. The grounds were indescribable. They just amazing that they could’ve planned so many outdoor things for kids and young people and it was a short 5 minute walk to multiple offsite restaurants. highly recommend.

It’s a fantastic hotel, in one of Charlotte’s more upscale communities, without question. But a resort, no way! In my mind, to qualify as a resort, there should be mountains, desert, an ocean or a combination of these three just outside or at least in clear view-not a busy roadway with bumper-to-bumper traffic during rush hour or the entrance to a freeway a block away. Somehow, they seem to detract or disqualify that “resort” part of the hotel’s description. But, nonetheless, it’s an awesome property, with great staff, ambience and a wonderful restaurant and amenities that meet all of the qualifications of a luxury hotel. We loved it, highly recommend it and will always stay here when we’re in the area. The hotel is surrounded by lots of great restaurants, boutiques and stores and they offer a shuttle, which makes them convenient to visit without moving your car. Inside, the general areas throughout the property were immaculate, service was top notch (except the phone in our room didn’t work which made it difficult to order room service or contact the front desk) and the great lawn or park (as they called it!!) was a wonderful place to sit and relax.or just enjoy some time outside. The beds are comfy, shower pressure was good and the room amenities were what you’d expect (slippers, bathrobes and small toiletries) were what you’d expect. So, don’t be put off by the title of this review! It’s 5 star luxury in every respect! But, when you stand at your window and see bumper-to-bumper traffic and an interstate highway entrance within walking distance, even though the hotel is relatively quiet inside, reality causes that “resort” theme to disappear quickly.