Leisure and business travelers at this Country Hearth off Interstate 85 in Charlotte, N.C., are staying in one of the country's biggest boom areas and convention powerhouses, complete with pro sports, major corporate headquarters and other attractions. Parents and kids are short drives from Carowinds amusement park, the stadium where the NFL's Panthers play, and the coliseum, home of the NBA's Bobcats. Guests also are near the African- American Cultural Center; several museums devoted to everything from history, nature and trolleys, Charlotte Convention Center, and the boffo NASCAR capital, Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Recreational enthusiasts will get their kicks boating, skiing and sunbathing on Lake Wylie near the North-South Carolina line. The two-story Country Hearth Inn features 95 guest rooms, each with a work desk, coffeemaker, iron and ironing board. Guests can start their days with the hotel's complimentary continental breakfasts, and then splash in the swimming pool. Hungry guests are close to restaurants serving everything from steak to sushi. Other amenities include a fitness center, meeting and banquet facilities, and parking for family recreational vehicles and group buses.