When Abby Wells tells new guests at the Residence Inn about good places to walk, dine or shop nearby, she has more than a professional's knowledge.
Wells, the sales director at the Residence Inn on North Tryon Street, lives only a half mile away.
“It was a real revelation to me, living up here, that there are all these conveniences,” Wells says. “Last week I went to the eye doctor three doors down, and that was so great!”
Wells moved into the year-old Phillips University Center apartment community last fall, shortly after she took the job at the Residence Inn. A 20-year veteran in the hospitality field, Wells works closely with businesses bringing people to Charlotte from across the U.S. and beyond.
“When they have guests who will be here six weeks, two months, two years or whatever, they want people to feel they have all the things they need to stay productive,” Wells says. “They are looking for the convenience factor - close to their place of business and close to things in the area, not just sitting by themselves.”
Having a home in the heart of University City’s business district has helped Wells, a Charlotte native, discover the benefits of our community center.
“My world has gotten very small because of living and working together, but I’m happy for that,” Wells says. “I used to have to go to SouthPark for shopping and clothes and hair, but now I go to Carmen Carmen at University for my hair, nails, everything.”
MORE FROM WELLS ON:
UNIVERSITY CITY'S GLOBAL GUESTS: Residence Inn’s apartment-style quarters are designed to help extended-stay business travelers stay productive even when a long way from home - and many are. “Yesterday I said goodbye to five guests from Belgium whom I had been talking to on line for a couple of months. They were coming for an Amway Convention,” Wells says. Many guests come from India and Asia to work at nearby businesses.
DINING DISCOVERIES: Wells often eats out. Her favorites: Lava Bistro (“by far my favorite place to eat up here”), Sushi 101, Thai House, Kabuto (for the tempura vegetables), Texas Land and Cattle (“if you want a good steak sandwich”) and Rajbhog Sweets and Snacks (“a wonderful Indian grocery and deli”).
THE JOYS OF COOKING AND WRITING: Wells loves to write and cook. She maintains two blogs and often watches reruns of Julia Child cooking shows on PBS. “I watch her and I cook what she cooks and she has totally reinspired me to go back to the classics,” Wells says.
THE RECOVERING ECONOMY: “There was a huge decline in 2009 in business travelers, but we are starting to see signs here, in University Research Park, that we are coming back.” Residence Inn sold out for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in March and sold out months ago for race week in May. |