Just when I think I couldn’t love my community more, Plaza Midwood comes up with another reason to love it. This time, it’s a unique idea that celebrates the beloved vibe of the area while at the same time blending the old with the new. I love any project that can preserve the city’s history while acknowledging the future. I’m talking about the Refuge Hotel. It’s a five-room, mini-hotel in the old Kickstand burger joint on Central, near Hawthorne, right in the heart of the commercial district.
You can bet you aren’t going to see anything like this in Ballantyne! Each room has its own decor and color palette. As a home stager, I appreciate that each room will have its own style.
I live really near here and have been anticipating the opening of this hotel for months! It’s run by the hospitality group that built The Franklin in Chapel Hill. Everyone loves that place so I have high hopes that they can replicate the same quality reputation with this new venture. It will be the first hotel of its kind within the neighborhood boundaries.
The hotel is actually an experiment to give the owners time to get more feedback from the community for what a more traditional boutique hotel would look like. Eventually, they want to build a full-size hotel on the site but they want to be sure locals support it. Folks around here love the personality of the neighborhood and don’t want to see anything “mess it up.” That’s why what they have to say about Refuge, will be important to its success.
The newly opened Refuge has been described as an Airbnb-like tiny hotel with outdoor gathering space. The decor includes vibrant artwork and photography from India, a nod to the owner’s background. The idea is to feel like a space where ‘local’s’ would hang out.
It’s opening comes at a time when other Charlotte hotel projects are on hold. You guessed it, the pandemic was rough on the hospitality industry. According to Axios, “the Wintergreen team says the challenges within the industry further cement their belief that doing something different — offering an intimate experience in a vibrant neighborhood — is the future of the hotel industry.”
You’ll be able to rent out individual rooms, or the whole space if you want to host a private event there.
As of the writing of this blog, the developers were still working to secure a liquor license. Once they secure their liquor license, Refuge will offer a selection of beer, wine and other drinks. The team behind The Royal Tot also plans to open a popup tropical bar at Refuge called Rumaway Cove. I think I’ll need to make a happy hour visit!
The whole project sounds cool, right? I do believe I will be coming up with a reason to book a room and check it out for myself! If you want a reservation, you can make one online. Maybe I’ll see you at happy hour!