Last month, I attended three launch parties in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Boston. Today I’m recapping my two short days in Charlotte; for me, a good trip is all about the hotel, the food, and the hair. Mike and I are loyal Marriott hotel goers with gold status from all of his travel at PwC & now my traveling as well. If you didn’t know, the Marriot brand has SO many hotels under its umbrella, including SPG hotels such as W hotels, The Westin, Sheraton, and more. Mike and I love staying at the Rennaisance in North Hills, Raleigh and when we went to Charlotte, I reached out to The Westin Charlotte to partner for a media rate (meaning I received a discounted rate in exchange for telling you all about my stay!). Travel is expensive, and when you are a self-funded business with a growing team, you have to do what it takes to manage your finances. 🙂 Plus, part of the fun of being in the influencer marketing industry is that I have been able to build up a following myself to be able to provide my marketing services to hotels and brands.
It was my first time staying at The Westin chain, and honestly, I want to stay at their hotels as often as possible going forward when I travel. You get SO MUCH for a four-star hotel. The hotel itself was stunning; the service was incredible from the front desk to the bell hop offering us bottled water & ice upon arriving, the gorgeous view, and the beautiful restaurant (which had delicious food). The room was spacious, and the bathroom had nice upgrades, such as granite countertops. We were only here for one night because they were sold out our first night in Charlotte, but I so wish that we had been able to stay longer. The hotel is right in the middle of uptown Charlotte, which meant we were able to walk around the city and explore the culture, food, and local things to do.
I scoped out a hair bar to get a blowout, because duh. It’s one of my favorite little luxuries since typically wash my hair 1-2x a week. I ended up going to The Daily Details, which was one of the best blowouts that I’ve ever had in my life. It’s right up there with DryBar.
After we had explored and I got my hair done, it was time to head to the Podcast Launch Party, which was graciously hosted by Vivace on their outdoor terrace. Vivace is a contemporary Italian Trattoria, featuring authentic Italian cuisine. The weather was perfect, the company amazing and the food delicious!
Chef Caputo served the following:
1st
Watermelon Cubes, Vin Cotto, shaved pecorino cheese
2nd
Smoked Burrata, heirloom tomatoes, lemon jam
3rd
Grilled Lamb Porterhouse
Farro & Parsley Salad
4th
Gorgonzola Bombolini
The food was incredible; the watermelon was refreshing, the tomatoes juicy and sweet, and the lamb seasoned and cooked to perfection. I didn’t try the Farro or Bombolini as I am gluten free, but it looked delicious.
I loved meeting my CLT SC Sisters and hearing about their blogging goals and dreams. It was great to relax, eat delicious food, enjoy conversation about blogging, Instagram, SEO, and more. We took a quick break in the middle of our meetup to do some photos & an Instagram Live. We had a total blast, and I will cherish these memories for the rest of my life.
I can’t wait to share part 3 with my Raleigh SC Sisters and if you attended a podcast launch party, leave your link below! xo
A huge thank you to The Westin Charlotte for partnering, Vivace for providing complimentary food & drinks, and the CLT girls for organizing this amazing meetup!
