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Now You Can Charge Your Electric Car At The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte

Where: 201 E Trade St. [map], Charlotte, NC, United States, 28202

Move over recycling bins and bulk shampoo dispensers: the hottest new green accessory, at least at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte, is an electric vehicle charging station, available to guests free of charge. The LEED-certified hotel unveiled the new gizmo last week in collaboration with local electric car company Li-Ion Motors, which brought out an Inizio roadster to show off.

The property is the first Ritz-Carlton to install a guests-only electric car charging station. The two power ports will fuel up cars that are completely tapped out in 10-12 hours and also top off in under an hour rides that still have some juice. There are plans to add additional, similar charging stations around Charlotte.

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Three Sweet Spots for House-Made Hotel Honey

Hotels are buzzing with a new kind of guests, honeybees. A number of hotels are keeping their own stingers to make fresh honey. The newest place to bag some bees is the Ritz-Carlton Charlotte. This past weekend, the hotel added two hives on the roof that are two feet tall and 18 inches wide. The hives will fully develop this summer and be home to 60,000 honeybees.

Find out what honey hotels are doing with their nectar after the jump.

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Hide from Black Friday Crowds in Style at the Ritz-Carlton Charlotte

Where: 201 E Trade St [map], Charlotte, NC, United States, 28202-2423

Are you one of those crazies who get up at the crack of dawn to haul out for Black Friday shopping? Honestly, we’re more the online shopping types — fewer black eyes, more time spent in PJs. But leave it to the new Ritz-Carlton Charlotte to make even that sound luxe.

In fact, their L3 shopping package — “Laptops, Lounging and Libations” — makes us think we’ve been doing something seriously wrong. Designed for Black Friday cyber shoppers, the package includes an extended one-night stay and a private special online shopping lounge, on the 15th floor, that offers free Internet, hand and wrist massages, holiday cocktails and champagne, and light snacks to last from 12:01 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. (Though for your bank statement’s sake, we’d have to advise you go easy on the booze.)

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The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte Opens Today But is Booked for the Next Week

Where: 201 East Trade Street [map], Charlotte, NC, United States, 28202

Devoted readers know just how much we like to hype new hotels — and, well, chronicle their delays and opening flubs. But what it boils down to is that we love new hotels, and we especially love new hotels that open on time.

And so with that we offer congratulations to the Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte, which successfully opened today, as planned (albeit a very long time coming)! And even better: When we called to check on availability, we found out the 146-room hotel is all sold-out tonight and through the weekend. (Just don't break out the confetti — remember, this place is all about the green scene.)

In fact, the first day the online reservation system showed availability is for next Friday, Oct. 9, with introductory rates starting at $199 for a standard room (1 king or 2 queen beds). In the meantime, you’ll have to get your Charlotte Ritz fix at the hotel’s two restaurants: BLT Steak and the Lobby Lounge, featuring organic fare and signature cocktails.

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The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte's Five Business 'Firsts'

Where: 201 E Trade St [map], Charlotte, NC, United States, 28202

Earlier this month we told you about the green spa at the coming-soon Ritz-Carlton Charlotte (set to open Oct. 1!). The latest word from the North Carolina city’s first Ritz? The hotel also claims five “business travel firsts” to help stressed-out, working travelers feel at home.

1. The Nook, located on the hotel’s executive floor, will offer fully equipped, free private offices, complete with desktop computers, printers, office supplies, teleconferencing equipment, Wi-Fi, copy/fax machine access, and even tech help. This is in addition to the hotel’s full 24-hour biz center.

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Ritz-Carlton Charlotte to Open Oct. 1 with Green Spa

Where: 201 East Trade Street [map], Charlotte, NC, United States, 28202

Not only is the long-awaited Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte opening Oct. 1 with $199 rates, but the place seems genuinely committed to the environment in an “it’s easy to be green” sort of way. A first for both the city and the brand, the hotel has been built using LEED practices and also features an eco-friendly new spa called the Wellness Center.

The 13,000-square-foot, bi-level penthouse spa will use all-organic products and services and four oversize treatment rooms, complete with Tempur-Pedic memory foam bed-tops, a complete Fitness Center with personal TVs (hmm…not sure how green that is!), a sunlit movement studio with floor-to-ceiling windows, and an Aqua Lounge with saline-treated swimming pool and whirlpool.

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Ritz-Carlton Charlotte Will Open at $199 a Night

Where: 201 East Trade Street [map], Charlotte, NC, United States, 28202

Woohoo! The much-hyped upcoming Ritz-Carlton Charlotte hotel is on its way. Finally. Like, the plans to build this thing were announced in 2005. And it is so on its way, in fact, that it begins taking reservations today for stays beginning October first!

According to the Charlotte Observer:

The 18-story, environmentally friendly luxury hotel will offer 146 rooms, a 13,000-square-foot “Wellness Center with Aqua Lounge,” a saline-treated swimming pool and a streetside BLT Steak restaurant.

For a while, the hotel was going to be called "Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte at Bank of America Corporate Center" — Bank of America owns the actual property — but, uh, someone did the right thing and got B of A to drop that weirdo corporate insertion there.

Opening rates start at $199.