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Flavor, flair of Argentina arrives with new Grand Bohemian Charlotte

The newest hotel in Charlotte offers something not seen before in the Queen City.
Come along with me and take a peek inside of the 16-story boutique hotel that celebrates the culture of Argentina and a Bohemian lifestyle.
It is the Grand Bohemian Charlotte.

Just a few short steps from the corner of Trade and Church streets in Uptown Charlotte, one can now quickly find themselves immersed in the culture of a South American country.

The Kessler Collection unveiled their newest boutique hotel, the Grand Bohemian Charlotte, on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. The 254-room hotel is the newest addition to Mariott’s Autograph Collection, which feature captivating hotels, inspired dining, art galleries and signature spas.

Each of Kessler’s hotels, which now number 10, are artfully unique in their own way and feature a Bohemian twist. Other Kessler properties are the Beaver Creek (Colo.) Lodge; Bohemian Hotel Celebration in Orlando, Fla.; Bohemian Hotel Savannah (Ga.) Riverfront; Casa Monica Resort and Spa in St. Augustine, Fla.; Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville (N.C.); Grand Boheman Hotel Charleston (S.C.); Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook (Ala.); Grand Bohemian Hotel (Fla.); and the Mission on Forsyth Park in Savannah.

In Charlotte, that Bohemian twist is Argentinian. The South American country’s influence can be seen in the tapestries, the colors and the many pieces of art that adorn the walls of the boutique hotel.

There are two restaurants with dishes full of the exotic flavors of a South American country. Mico offers twists on Argentinian classics and is open for lunch and dinner. A favorite on the dinner menu is pan-roasted black grouper ($36) or the Lomo, an eight-ounce beef filet ($42), paired with a side of truffle roasted mushrooms and smashed sweet plaintains and coconut ($8 each) and complemented with a red wine, such as the Justin Paso Robles ($18 per glass).

The Bohemian Garden is currently open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Mezze Bowl — with grilled skirt steak, pita chips, hummus, sweet pepper muhammara, salt-cured olives, charred cauliflower, toasted pumpkin seeds and vincotto — goes for $17. Pair that with a Bohemian Lemonade ($11) of Stoli vodka, sweet lemon tea and Bold Rock cider while you sit at your table in the private park and garden bar.

A Starbucks is located on the ground floor of the hotel as well and will offer breakfast from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

The Buho bar will be a place to be seen once it opens later this summer. Located on the 16th floor of the hotel, the bar will offer views of Uptown and an open-air lounge to go with specially crafted cocktails. Buho is Spanish for Owl and this will be a perfect place for the Night Owls of the Queen City to gather as dark descends.

There is a Poseidon Spa offering tranquility and healing with an after-work massage or a romantic couples getaway. A fitness center is also available with free weights, Peloton bikes and cardio machines.

Here are some of the features that set the Grand Bohemian Charlotte apart from other hotels in the Queen City.

The entrance to the Grand Bohemian Charlotte off Trade Street is a tribute to the Vienna Secession Building in Austria. The three faces above the entrance represent painting, architecture and sculpture. {Photo by Michael Banks}
Valet parking awaits at the entrance to the hotel. Light fixtures in the “Kessler red” offer a mix of the traditional and new, a bit of “funkiness” once a guest steps from their vehicle. {Photo by Michael Banks}
The Buho Bar on the 16th floor at Grand Bohemian Charlotte. They hope to open the bar within the next month. {Photo by Michael Banks}
The wine cellar at Buho Bar, as well as the views, are something to see. {Photo by Michael Banks}
The interior of The Buho Bar. {Photo by Michael Banks}
An outside deck area at The Buho Bar includes fire pits. {Photo by Michael Banks}
Guests will be treated to a view of the northwest section of uptown Charlotte from the 16th floor of the Grand Bohemian Charlotte. {Photo by Michael Banks}

A painting you see once exiting the elevator on the 16th floor at Grand Bohemian Charlotte.

The details of the outdoor seating area at the Buho Bar on the 16th floor of the Grand Bohemian Charlotte. {Photo by Michael Banks}
A seated area outside the Poseidon Spa will offer guests open air and views of Uptown Charlotte. {Photo by Michael Banks}

The 4,000-square-foot palace ballroom at the Grand Bohemian Charlotte features authentic Murano chandeliers.

The 20-foot-long Venetian chandelier outside the grand ballroom. Nearby are hand-carved marble eggs and mannequins.

Grand Bohemian Hotels are known for their art and their pieces are thoughtfully chosen to pair with the architecture and hotel theme. In Charlotte, most of the artwork featured is by Argentinian artists.

Andrea Carreras is an artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and her artwork (of which three paintings are shown above) is featured throughout the hotel. She plays with the theme of the ancient and contemporary, creating a time dynamic where the old mixes with the new.

The bar area at Mico, the first-floor restaurant at Grand Bohemian Charlotte. Mico is Spanish for monkey. “It’s all about monkey business and having some fun at the bar,” said Diana Kessler, the creative director for the Kessler Collection, in a recent Facebook Live video. The chandelier was handmade in Italy. {Photo by Michael Banks}
Dinner menu at Mico.
Lounge menu at Mico.

The Ojo De Bife, a 14-ounce ribeye, that is wood-grilled over oak and served with chimichurri, charred pearl onions, roasted garlic and 7 Spice. The steak ($39) can be found on the dinner menu at Mico. {Photo by Michael Banks}

The Pampas ($15) at Mico is flourless dark chocolate cake with dark chocolate cremeux, dark chocolate chili sauce and vanilla fleur de sel ice cream. And it is absolutely delicious. All of the desserts at Mico are named for landmarks in Argentina.

{Photo by Michael Banks}

The Bohemian Garden restaurant offers an outdoor seating area for guests to enjoy a quick lunch or cocktail.

The Delta Bohemian Garden is a greenspace gift to the city of Charlotte where people can enjoy a lunch outdoors. At the end of the garden is a sculpture from owner Richard Kessler’s personal collection.

The 16-story Grand Bohemian Charlotte sits at the corner of Trade and Church street in Uptown Charlotte. The hotel opened for business on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. {Photo by Michael Banks}

Best little newspaper in Mississippi

A short time after beginning my time as publisher/editor of The Clarksdale (Ms.) Press Register, I picked up a single second-place award given out by the Mississippi Press Association for work done by the newspaper in 2017.

At that time, in June 2018, I silently set a goal in my mind that we’d exceed that number – that lone second-place award – with our work in 2018.

Exceed it, we did.

On Saturday, during a gathering of the state’s journalists in Biloxi at the summer convention of the Mississippi Press Association, the Clarksdale Press Register was honored with 26 awards in the association’s Better Newspaper Contest, including a General Excellence, marking it as the top newspaper in its class.

The awards were a culmination of a nine-month period, from our arrival in mid-March to the end of the contest period in December, in which the newspaper staff and contributors took on the challenge of making it one of Mississippi’s best newspapers and one that the community would be glad to call its own.

There were longer hours, more work asked of everyone and a call to do things a different way.

In the end, those efforts were recognized by members of the Kansas Press Association, which judged the annual contest, as well as the community with an increase in our readership and circulation numbers.

According to judges, the Press Register had, in addition to the overall General Excellence award, the best Lifestyles section and Magazine/Periodical (Coahoma Living) in its category, consisting of other weekly newspapers across Mississippi. The paper also received second-place awards for its design and Editorial Page, while our Women in Business special section received a third-place honor.

Staff writer Josh Troy received five awards, including a first-place award for best magazine story with his feature on Roger Stolle, owner of the Cathead music store in Clarksdale.

My talented wife – and unpaid volunteer writer – Danette Banks received a third-place award in the Feature Story category with her profile on local musician John Mohead. And the two of us combined to win the entry for Best News/Feature Package with her story and my photos and layout of a profile on another Clarksdale musician, LaLa Craig.

I was lucky enough to beat out some talented journalists and receive 15 awards. Included in that number were four first-place awards: the before-mentioned News/Feature Package; best Business Story with a profile on Mary Williams and what prompted her to start an urgent-care medical facility in Clarksdale; top Commentary Column with my entry of three columns addressing such things as crime and apathy in Clarksdale; and first place in Feature Photo with the photo linked to this post that shows children enjoying a concert on the lawn of the Cutrer Mansion in Clarksdale.

I knew that we had done good work during our time in Clarksdale and Coahoma County, but was still surprised by the sheer number of honors thrown our way. Secretly, I was hoping we’d win six to seven awards and then reach middle figures the next year and continue to build on our success.

These awards and turnaround in a very short time only reinforce the effort and talents of the limited number of folks who were able to put out an award-winning product in the Mississippi Delta and show what can be accomplished with initiative, hard work, talent and a bit of sacrifice.

I sincerely appreciate everyone who played a part in The Press Register’s success.

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