Three Hotels in North Raleigh Make Life Comfortable
The North Raleigh Hilton is a favorite of the business and convention crowd. In addition to the extra large meeting rooms, the hotel has a configurable space of 30,000 feet. It is an excellent location for small conventions and business meetings.
As a business hotel it offers ATM, baggage storage, concierge and a small business center. One unusual offering is the Foreign Currency Exchange. The gift shop is small, but there are a plethora of nearby stores where gifts and food can be acquired.
The hotel staff is the best part of this hotel. They are courteous and helpful in any way they can be. One group I sometimes meet with, the Association of Information Technology Professionals decided on this hotel several years back on a trial basis. The service has been so outstanding they rave about it in their meeting. (as I was there I have heard the raving)
The rooms are large and comfortable with the normal amenities in hotels of this price range. For activity outside of meetings the hotel has an indoor pool and an exercise room.
In addition to Lofton Caf�©, the hotels primary breakfast, lunch and dinner offering; the hotel has a very special restaurant/bar for sports enthusiasts.
The Sky Box Bar & Grill is a recent addition to the Hotel. It has a wonderful array of five 42 inch Plasma Screens and thirty-eight 32 inch flat screens. It is an excellent place to watch and out of town Carolina Hockey game.
The hotel is located just a short ride to an on ramp to Interstate 440. This provides quick highway access to Museums, Malls, Restaurants and Colleges. Raleigh’s famous Greenway trails can be reached easily from the hotel for the more outdoor minded.
Nearly across the street is a medium size hospital run by Duke. There are also a number of quick care facilities in the area. Hopefully most visitors have no need of these.
If you just need a quick meal, there is a 24 hour Denny’s just down the street. If you are into a little more interesting food there is a Melting Pot (which allows you to dip your food); a Mongolian Crazy Wok (allows you to choose your food) and a Wendy’s all within a minute’s drive of the hotel entrance.
Regular functions occur at the hotel which keeps a posting of the meetings and locations in the main hallway. A visitor to the hotel should be prepared to expect a very busy place with lots of folks with name tags running hither and throw.
Some of the conventions are business related and others are religious events. They all are happening at the same time.
One event my daughter always looks forward to every year is attending the Anima Convention. At this convention hundreds of college age and older congregate at the hotel for all night presentations of the animate art films in native Japanese.
As I began, the major strength of this hotel is a creative, well trained and courteous staff.
The hotel rooms start at about $149 but sometimes better prices or packages can be arranged. The meeting rooms are competitively priced.
North Raleigh Hilton
3415 Wake Forest Rd (919) 872-2323
Raleigh, NC 27609
www .hilton .com
The Hampton Inn North is in many ways a very ordinary hotel. This is the hotel I personally recommend to family and friends who want to visit. For families this hotel often offers a very good value and excellent location.
I recently had many members of my extended family who stayed there. They were very impressed with the cleanliness and especially by the new ‘hot’ breakfast that comes free with the room.
The hotel has the usual amenities like a pool and small exercise room. It also has a nice business center, where my brothers conveniently printed the etickets for their flights out.
The rooms are reasonably sized and come with the normal access to cable TV that is so important to families.
Located in North Raleigh it is just a short drive to I440. Most trips to major attractions in the area can be accomplished in less than 30 minutes.
For folks that like all you can eat places they are looking a most a ten minute drive. Nearby restaurants offering all you can eat fare located on or near Falls of Neuse Rd.
Andy’s Pizza, located in the Quail Hollow shopping center at Falls of Neuse and Millbrook, offers all you can eat Pizza, Salad and Ice Tea at lunch time for $6.00. If this is too much you can go North on Falls of Neuse to Strickland. There you will find a CICI’s Pizza where you can get Pizza and Salad without the tea for $4.00. Add the tea and the prices are comparable.
If Pizza is not your fare, a trip off Falls of Neuse going East on Atlantic Ave brings you to Royal China Buffet. Here you can eat all you want but it will cost about $9.00 per person. The have a four long buffet lines with most common Chinese offering plus a few that might be called American fare, like salad and deserts. Crab Legs can be had for a few dollars more. In addition they have Dim Sum offerings and a large bar where you can get you fill of raw meat, fish or vegetables and rice wrapped together.
Royal China has an added treat for the children and young at heart, with a small bridge with Coe fish swimming under it between two pools. If you read either Vietnamese or Chinese and you miss home, there are two free papers that are regularly available at this restaurant.
The best thing about this hotel is the friendly people who do their best to make you stay great. At $79 to $89 this is a reasonably priced hotel. My brothers have gotten somewhat better deals based on the length of their stays.
Hampton Inn North
1001 Wake Towne Dr. (919) 828-1813
Raleigh, NC 27609
www. hamptoninn.hilton .com
My third establishment is the Embassy Suites Crabtree.
Embassy Suites Crabtree is located from the Crabtree Mall with it’s 250 plus stores.
This hotel is the favorite of business men and young couples intent on marriage. This hotel has a large open atrium that is very well laid out. It has all the same amenities you would expect; business-center, indoor pool, exercise room, food availability etc.
For business men the comfortable, large suites are a joy. Each evening starts with the Managers reception in the Atrium. After a long business day this is a welcome respite.
The next morning starts with a cooked to order breakfast in the upper atrium. Then it is off to work. If for any reason you are not working or not exactly a businessman, it may be off to the Mall.
Across the street from the Embassy Suites is the very Colorful Crabtree Mall. Located beside Crabtree Creek the Mall hosts in excess of 250 stores. Restaurants like The Chocolate Factory and PF Chang’s have there own appeal. Anchor stores like Hecht’s, Sears and Lord & Taylor are among the many department stores located there.
Even with many name restaurants, the Mall has an oversized food court with a wide variety of choices. The Mall is two stories with many varied and unique shops to search.
The location of the hotel is perfect for those who want to get to all of the many attractions. There is an on ramp to I440 which makes every major attraction a drive of less than 30 minutes.
The NC Museum of Art is one of the nearest. It can be reached by either I440 or using nearby local roads. It is about a mile and a half. The museum usually hosts at least one national show as well as having three floors of art galleries. They have a hands on room for children and a small movie (video) theater with 20 minute shows on famous artists. On the grounds outside there are some sculptures. On the first floor is a restaurant, because the meals are prepared by real chefs, the offerings do not lend themselves to children’s palates. (unless they are very sophisticated) On Friday evenings they offer movies that are very appropriate for families. They are not open Mondays. Except the traveling exhibits the museum is free. It is a wonderful museum with a vast variety of art types presented.
I mentioned Weddings. The Embassy Suites has a reputation of providing an excellent location for wedding. The Atrium is excellent for the wedding pictures. The hotel staff is well practiced in providing the food and services needed to make sure the wedding party is just that. Weddings of all types are regularly held here. It is great the new bride and groom have a Suite for their first night together. They get to enjoy the whole wedding party. Having attended a wedding at the hotel I can say personally that they staff of the hotel makes the wedding party feel like it is the only event going on at the hotel when there are many more things happening.
The people are wonderful and helpful in this well designed hotel. The price is between the prices for the other two, starting at about $129.
Embassy Suites Crabtree
4700 Creedmoor Rd. (919) 881-0000
Raleigh, NC 27612
