I’m so excited to be sharing with you today a full review of my stay at The Ivey’s Hotel in Charlotte. If you were following on Instagram, you may have already seen a few sneak peeks, but I have so much more that I haven’t gotten to share yet about our experience! Overall, it was the most relaxing getaway – everything exceeded our expectations. I’d highly recommending looking into The Ivey’s if you’re headed or Charlotte, or are just looking for a unique getaway experience! Keep reading below for the full scoop on everything, and let me know in the comments if you have any questions or are planning on visiting.
Hotel
I’m not that familiar with Uptown Charlotte, and due to weather we didn’t get to do much exploring, but from what I can tell, The Ivey’s Hotel is located right in heart of all the activity. There are plenty of restaurants, shopping, and coffee shops right on the block or within walking distance – there’s a Starbucks literally next door! The location couldn’t be better if you’re hoping to explore the city on foot.
Upon check in, we were greeted outside for valet, and within minutes we were all checked in and had our luggage brought to our room. Everyone we interacted with was so friendly and accommodating. One of the aspects I liked most about the hotel was how similar it felt to a bed & breakfast. There was such personalized service, and everyone was willing to lend you a helping hand.
As you can see from the photos above, there is such unique decor at The Ivey’s. I would describe it as a luxurious modern Parisian aesthetic. I particularly loved all of the giant artwork everywhere (the Hermes one almost came home with me)! All around, there was impeccable attention to detail when the hotel was designed which creates the ultimate boutique hotel experience!
Room
Ryan and I spent the weekend in one of their City View Rooms which has a gorgeous view overlooking West 5th Street. If you want to see a full room tour, you can see the vlog from our trip here. Upon walking into the room, we were warmly welcomed with serene music, cozy robes and slippers, and a fully-stocked mini bar with beverages and treats from Dean & Deluca. I immediately got comfy and hopped into bed – I literally felt like I was laying in a giant cloud. I have never slept so soundly in my life (the blackout curtains helped with this)!
Though we could have ordered room service from 5 Church for breakfast the next day, we headed to The Library (pictured above) for a complimentary continental breakfast. From coffee and bagels to cereal, bacon & eggs, and more – there was so much delicious food! The woman who ran the breakfast was also so lovely – I felt right at home immediately. We spent most of the day relaxing in the library and in our room (I took full advantage of the oversized tub in the all-marble bathroom) until we headed down after the most peaceful day for drinks that evening at Sophia’s.
Sophia’s Lounge
The atmosphere was amazing – like a speakeasy meets martini bar. It was such a quaint and romantic start to our luxurious evening out. Imagine walking into a roaring twenties bar with a hint of modern sprinkled in – not to mention all of the hand-crafted cocktails were to die for. If you go, try the Shakespeare or The Last Word – both were delicious!
5 Church
We then hopped over to 5 Church for dinner around 8:45pm. It was very peaceful and elegant, and then around 10pm as we were wrapping up, the place came alive! If you’re looking to grab a satisfying but lighter meal before an evening out, this is the spot to go. The energy at 5 Church is amazing. The food we enjoyed was SO good, we couldn’t help but write a mini review for each. Keep reading below for our recommendations – the starter courses are not to be missed!
Brisket Spring Rolls: perfectly crunchy, nice combination and ratio of veggies to brisket. Not too heavy but just the right amount of juiciness to balance the crispy shell. A surprisingly delicious Southern take a traditional Asian dish.
Wild Mushroom Flatbread: If you only order one thing from the first course menu, let it be this. The truffle oil combined with several varieties of wild mushroom forms a rich flavorful experience you’ll long for each moment after you leave. The mushrooms were nice and meaty and the oil complimented the crisp of the flatbread. Two words: TRUFFLE OIL.
Tuna Tartare: This was so light and refreshing! It paired well with the mushroom pizza to satisfy you prior to your main course, but really, was such a flavor rich option that it would have been a main course anywhere else.
“60 second NY Strip” (Ryan’s Meal): This is the main course that the chef is known for! It’s a pan seared Strip Steak that isn’t flipped, and seared on one side. This allows the steak to have a full and concentrated meat flavor that comes only with cooking fully but because it isn’t flipped the majority of this steak is still super tender and juicy so it ends up being the best of both worlds. This dish was served with a sauce. They called it J-1 Sauce because the chefs name is Jamie and it’s his version of an A-1, sweet and tangy but definitely not bland and generic like you’d find on a store shelf. I would recommend this sauce as it certainly doesn’t cover up the taste of the steak but rather helps bring out more of the flavor!
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