Make Hilton Garden Inn your Hotel for March Madness in Raleigh

Disclaimer: The NC Blogger Network received a free night’s stay at The Hilton Garden Inn in exchange for this article. That being said, we only share our honest opinion and the views expressed here are our own.

March Madness in Raleigh is right around the corner! With Selection Sunday coming up on March 13, it’s almost time to find out which of your favorite teams will be heading to The PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, for the first and second rounds of March Madness. There’s plenty of things to do in preparation for your visit to the arena (enter into way too March Madness bracket contests), but don’t let your hotel stay slip through the cracks. A good hotel is just as important as good seats; you want to be able to enjoy yourself, right? We’ve got a great hotel for March Madness in Raleigh for you.

Welcome to The Hilton Garden Inn in Raleigh, North Carolina – or, as their front door reads, Welcome to the Garden. My husband and I had the pleasure of staying at this charming location one weekend when we went to see The Harlem Globetrotters at The PNC Arena. As we were pulling into the parking lot, we were hardcore jamming to The Guns N’ Roses classic, “Welcome to the Jungle”. I proceeded to sing my own parody version, “Welcome to the Garden”, one too many times throughout the weekend. Definitely a good first impression.

A Great Hotel for Enjoying March Madness in Raleigh, North Carolina

We took a break from singing to admire the beauty of the hotel lobby. A cute display of wines they offer and complimentary lemonade immediately caught my eye (like a dog, always looking for my next meal). I loved the open concept of the lobby; it made everything seem really inviting and somewhere I’d actually want to hangout. We grabbed our room keys and headed up to our room to freshen up before we headed out for the night. Our room was beautiful and clean of course (it is a Hilton after all). Big bed, Keurig coffee maker, the heat already being on… perfection. I freshened up in the nice-sized bathroom, and we headed out to explore the city of Raleigh.

There’s tons of fun things to do in Raleigh, and The Hilton Garden Inn is conveniently close to many of them; score! (I couldn’t help myself with the basketball pun). Buffaloe Lanes Family Bowling Center, The Raleigh Ice Plex, and Adventure Landing are all close by, just to name a few. These are some great options for some family bonding time! The hotel is also located 0.2 miles from The Triangle Town Center Mall which houses over 160 restaurants and shops to keep you entertained for the duration of your trip. So if you’re not wanting to face the March Madness crowds, no problem! Just walk on over to one of the many restaurants and bars at the town center. Super convenient. Or if you’re a homebody like me who doesn’t always like to leave the comfort of my bed, The Hilton Garden Inn also has their own restaurant and lounge, The Garden Grill. Guests can enjoy made-to-order breakfast and dinner, and you can catch up on the games at the bar. We took advantage of the breakfast option during our stay, and it was definitely worth it to be able to get a nice meal in before we hit the road. My husband chose the pancakes, and I couldn’t resist fresh eggs and bacon (although the french toast was very tempting). Fresh fruit, muffins, pastries, and juices were included as well, so naturally, we chowed down on those.

A Few of Our Favorite Things at The Hilton Garden Inn

• Super comfy king-sized bed (I basically had to pry my husband out of it).
• Cozy lobby complete with TVs and a fireplace to relax and watch the games.
• Made-to-order breakfast and dinner.
• Not too far from The PNC Arena and other attractions.
• Radio alarm clock: Now this thing was pretty spectacular. You may have gathered that the hubby and I will jam out to almost any song, so this radio clock was an added bonus for us. It had these buttons on top that allowed you to easily choose which genre of music to listen to. Anytime we came back to the room, it was another excuse for one of our jam sessions. We absolutely loved it.
• Complimentary WiFi: Always a must!

The Hilton Garden Inn is a great choice for a hotel during March Madness in Raleigh because it offers great location, great amenities, and a great atmosphere. It’s located about 20 minutes from the PNC Arena, and it’s right off the interstate. The nearby restaurants and shops within walking distance are perfect for avoiding game day traffic, and you can take advantage of the hotel’s Garden Grill and Lounge for breakfast and dinner. I wish I would have remembered my bathing suit, because we totally would have taken a dip in the indoor pool! Next time, I suppose. March Madness is right around the corner, so get ready to make those brackets and those hotel reservations.

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