AC Hotel Raleigh Downtown

Summit Hospitality Group replaced a block of office buildings at the edge of Glenwood South with a new 147-room AC Hotel by Marriott, opening in 2021 with a rooftop lounge, The Willard, right at the entrance to Raleigh's nightlife district.

The place

A new seven-story hotel at 9 Glenwood Ave, at the southern tip of Glenwood South, Raleigh's restaurant-and-nightlife district; the site was previously a cluster of brick office buildings and a surface parking lot, cleared for construction in 2020.

The concept

Raleigh-based Summit Hospitality Group developed this AC Hotels by Marriott property, opening it in 2021 with 147 rooms, ground-floor retail and an integrated parking structure. The brand's signature minimalist, European-inspired design and lack of a traditional lobby-desk layout are meant to draw a design-conscious traveler rather than a business-standard one, and the hotel doubles as a gateway into the Glenwood South bar and restaurant strip right outside its doors.

Dining & wellness

The Willard Rooftop Lounge, an independently branded rooftop bar just steps from the hotel entrance, serves cocktails and small bites with skyline views; further sit-down dining details are to be confirmed.