My wife booked an evening for us here on my birthday. If you've ever been to a W hotel, you get a sense of deja vu as soon as you enter the doors of Aloft because it reminds you of the W, but it's not the W. I later found out that Aloft was bought by the W, which explained a lot. I think of it as a "W lite". The downtown location is close to shopping, dining, sports (Bank of America Stadium and TWC Arena where the Hornets play), and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Aloft would be a great choice for your next trip to Charlotte.