We had an overnight layover in Charlotte on the way to St. Kitts, and so needed a place to rest our heads for the night. Like any major airport, Charlotte Douglas Airport has over a dozen hotels located conveniently close by, all offering shuttle service and otherwise hardly distinguishable, so it all came down to price in the end.

I opted to book the SpringHill Suites by Marriott for the night using my Category 1–4 free night certificate that I had acquired when signing up for the Marriott Rewards Premier Visa issued by Chase Canada. (Pro tip: Marriott divides its hotels into Categories 1–9, with higher categories requiring more points for a free stay.) 

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There’s not many good Category 4 hotels out there that I might otherwise stay at, and you can’t beat $0 out-of-pocket for a hotel night, so I went ahead and burned the certificate on this stay.

When you arrive at Douglas Airport, head to the Zone A pickup bay for the hotel shuttles. You’ll need a discerning eye to pick out your hotel’s shuttle from the endlessly arriving pack, and be prepared for some lovely conversation with your shuttle driver, since that’s what we were treated to in both directions (shout-out to the driver who had us in the morning – can’t wait to visit your future B&B in Ecuador!)

Upon arrival we were assigned room 301, at the end of the hallway on the third floor. 

As you probably guessed, the SpringHill Suites brand features all-suite hotels, in which each room is a “suite” that offers a little more space than your average hotel room, though of course it doesn’t compare to a suite at a full-service property.

Our room was decently appointed, with a desk, pantry, and an area for lounging. There was also free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.

The bed was pretty comfortable, and after a bit of flipping through local news channels (we don’t have a TV at home, so this was rather exciting for us!) we called it a night.

All SpringHill Suites locations also feature a free hot breakfast in the morning. The breakfast selection was about what you’d expect for an limited-service airport hotel, though I was impressed by the fact that they had a waffle maker and little Nutella packets. What can I say? I’m pretty easy to impress.

I washed down my waffle with a cup of coffee and went to explore a bit more of the hotel. I was a bit surprised to find a pool and hot tub at an airport hotel. The hotel also has a fitness centre, though I wasn’t able to get any pictures.

From the pool, a door leads to a patio area that I’m sure gets quite a bit of use in warmer weather.

I chatted a bit with the lady at the front desk, who asked me about the blog and where we were headed to. All the staff at the hotel were extremely friendly and full of that genuine North Carolina charm. Love it!

Our flight to St. Kitts was departing around 11:30, so we caught the 9:30 shuttle bus (which we pre-booked the previous night) to the airport for some Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits before hopping on our flight. 

Conclusion

The Carolinas rarely disappoint, and the SpringHill Suites Charlotte Airport was no exception. It delivered exactly what was needed for an overnight stay – a comfortable night’s sleep and a quick breakfast in the morning. Of course, the fact that it was a free night added to my satisfaction, but at regular cash rates of ~US$100 (~C$130), I’d definitely considering staying again if the need for another quick stop in Charlotte arose.