Are you looking to come to Greensboro, North Carolina? Then you need to consider staying at the Proximity Hotel. Sure, the Proximity, along with its sister property, the O.Henry, often tops the ‘best hotels of Greensboro’ lists. However, you’re a discerning customer who wants more than just star ratings and amenity lists. You want to know if the Proximity is really all that special (yes!) and if it can anchor a trip to the Piedmont Triangle (absolutely!!).
Join us as we go beyond the rankings and hype and introduce you to a truly unique property that redefines service, style, and sustainability.
Submerge Yourself in Sustainable Style
From the moment you step into the Proximity Hotel lobby, you know your stay will be exceptional. Perhaps it’s the way you’re greeted by every employee-owner (Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels are 100% employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan). Or maybe it’s the Proximity’s industrial chic style with artistic steel staircases and natural yet contemporary vibe. After all, the hotel’s namesake creative muse is the 1800s Proximity Mill. There are many special touches, but they all add up to an extraordinary experience of a comfortable (and hip) home away from home.
You don’t need to recognize the local Chip Holton artwork or North Carolina-sourced furniture to appreciate that you’re not in a chain hotel. But, between the “Honest Drinking Bars” on every floor and the enthusiastic staff, you’ll have everything you need for a comfortable stay, including a wide selection of print magazines and a continuous supply of fresh, filtered air circulating into your room.
More Than ‘just a bed’ Bedroom
Don’t get us wrong; we loved, loved, loved our ‘Magi Bed’ that Proximity designed. With a comfortable mattress, plenty of down-like sleeping pillows, Egyptian combed-cotton bedding, and a hypoallergenic, fiberfill blanket, it was everything we’d want in our bed at home, but there was so much more to love.
The room’s oversized windows provided abundant, natural lighting. The HD television synced easily to our devices using Chromecast technology, allowing us to stream our favorite shows and movies. Even the amenities spoke to us with AVEDA bath products, Counter Culture Coffee, and Harney & Sons Teas. They thought of everything you’d need (or want) in a room, including plenty of storage hooks and USB plugs.
Get a Getaway Package
Proximity Hotel offers a variety of getaway packages. Some are romance themed, like ‘Wink, Wink Romance‘, ‘Spontaneous Romance‘, ‘Sustainable Romance‘, ‘Endless Honeymoon‘, and ‘AARP Member‘. If none of these strike your fancy, you can give their Romance Advisors a call or send an email to chat discreetly about creative ways you can design one-of-a-kind sweet or intimate romantic experience at Proximity. Perhaps they can even arrange a package based on two of Greensboro’s greatest inventions, Wrangler jeans and Vicks VapoRub, lol!😉 Other packages are available based on local festivals and events at the Tangier Center, so be sure to check the offer page to see if one is right for you.
We booked the Passion and Pleasure 2 Night Getaway, including bubble bath turndown service, food credit, and a Kama Sutra gift package. Our concierge arranged for the turndown to occur as we used our food credit for the O.Henry Afternoon Tea. I’m not sure the Brits would approve of mixing tea time and romance, but Greensboro has a long history of disappointing the Red Coats. Between the hotel amenities, biking, and green spaces of Greensboro, we had a delightful two-night stay.
Proximity Hotel Sustainability
At Coleman Concierge, we firmly believe that you can use your travel dollars for good and that you should travel sustainably whenever possible. That’s why we loved that Proximity was the first LEED-certified green hotel in the United States. Using solar and geothermal energy, regenerative elevators, natural lighting, and efficient design, they use 41% less energy than a traditional hotel!
Their sustainability initiatives go beyond energy savings. The initial hotel construction featured extensive use of recycled construction materials, which diverted over 1,535 tons of waste from the landfill. Also, every day they ensure their guests are breathing clean air by reducing Volatile Organic Compounds, using eco-friendly cleaners, and installing a state-of-the-art passive air recirculation system to bring fresh, filtered outside air into every room. No wonder they’re considered the Greenest Hotel in America.
Proximity Hotel Restaurant -Print Works Bistro
Proximity Hotel’s restaurant, Print Works Bistro, features many sustainability practices, including two of our favorites — creekside dining along the restored waterfront and locally sourced produce and artisan-made food products. All of this love and attention showed through in their food and presentation. Perhaps this is why they’re often the most booked restaurant in Greensboro per OpenTable and are consistently topping the Best Brunch lists.
We had an opportunity to eat dinner with family friends Ed has known since he was four. We had the crispy chicken schnitzel with delicious local corn, carrot, arugula, heirloom tomato, goat cheese salad, and honey-tarragon vinaigrette. Our friends had the fresh trout, which he said was excellent. We enjoyed classic and modern versions of French bistro and European dishes while catching up with friends and enjoying the wine list with over 70 selections.
O.Henry Afternoon Tea
Taking tea in O.Henry’s Social Lobby is one of Greensboro’s favorite traditions. We didn’t realize how popular it was until our concierge booked our activities. She insisted that we make a reservation, even for a Monday afternoon. Make sure you make your reservations well in advance, especially for weekend tea times. Luckily, O.Henry and Proximity are sister properties, so you can make a tea reservation when you check in, or better yet, make an online reservation on the O.Henry Tea page.
She also said we had to try the traditional scones, which were literally the absolute best we have ever tasted. They were like a croissant and butter cookie had a sweet, delicious baby. We ordered tea for two, which had enough savory and sweet treats to be a full meal. We would definitely recommend stopping in for tea at O.Henry on any visit to Greensboro.
Dinner at Green Valley Grill
The Green Valley Grill is the restaurant for the O.Henry Hotel, which is the sister property for Proximity. Here you’ll enjoy elegant European fine dining and Mediterranean flavors from a wood-fired rotisserie and grill. Their bar features artisanal cocktails, craft beers, and 500 wines, which might be a reason to utilize the free transportation offered between Proximity and O.Henry hotels.
Our concierge recommended the parmesan-crusted chicken with herb goat cheese and delicious lemon-garlic sauce. For us, we had to try the Frozen Nutty Irishman chocolate cake with Irish cream mousse, crushed English toffee, crème anglaise, and chocolate sauce. The meal was sophisticated and delicious, without too much pretense, and definitely consummate with the price point.
Walker Street Walkabout
Walker Street is a charming neighborhood about two miles away from the Proximity Hotel. You’ll find a collection of local restaurants here, including the Lindley Park Filling Station, Emma Key’s Hamburgers, Sticks and Stones wood-fired pizza, and Common Grounds coffee shop.
We opted for lunch at Lindley Park Filling Station, an old gas station converted into a local restaurant. They showed their neighborhood pride by naming their specialty sandwiches for nearby streets. We selected the Lindell Burger and Brice Street roast beef – super yum!
Going Downtown
Thirty years ago, nobody would have believed downtown Greensboro would be a hub for art, restaurants, and green spaces. The revitalization of Southside, a little seven-block community, sparked a movement that spread across the heart of the city.
Today you’ll find families playing in LeBauer Park and Center City Park and art patrons flocking to the Tanger Center. There’s boutique shopping, restaurants, and even craft breweries. But what excited us the most was the construction of the Downtown Greensboro Greenway. The four-mile loop is 75%, with the final mile scheduled to finish in 2023. This urban bike gem is connected to the Proximity and O.Henry hotels via the Lake Daniel Greenway, so you don’t even need to get into your car to explore downtown from the Proximity Hotel.
Borrow a Bicycle
You don’t need a car to reach the greenway system, but it’s more fun if you’re riding a bike. Luckily, the Proximity Hotel has a limited number of bicycles and helmets are available through the front desk. You aren’t going to keep up with the peloton on these machines, but you can get out and enjoy nature. They’re more than sufficient for a 5-10 mile ride on the greenway, and the front desk will even give you a map and the current trail conditions.
Bike to Lake Brandt
Our summer 2022 trip to North Carolina focused on biking in central North Carolina. We came to Greensboro primarily for the Proximity Hotel, but we found a magnificent 30-mile out and back ride from the Greensboro Arboretum to Lake Brandt. It’s good enough that we have a dedicated piece in the works to describe the route in great and gory detail. Although be warned– you’ll want to have your own bike to make this ride because it’s a little too beefy for the house bikes from Proximity.
The short description is that you start at the Greensboro Arboretum and work your way through a chain of parks to the bike lanes on Westridge Rd. The bike lanes take you to the Yadkin Atlantic Greenway, which runs to Lake Brandt. Along the way, be sure to check out the closed roads in Greensboro County Park and bike through the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park loop. This was one of my favorite rides in central North Carolina and close enough to the Proximity Hotel that you can leave right from the lobby.
Final Thoughts on Staying at the Proximity Hotel
We didn’t have detailed plans for coming to Greensboro. All we knew was that we’d be spending some time at Proximity and taking some time to explore the city. It turns out that’s all we needed to know.
The front desk was so helpful with their suggestions and booking assistance for the O.Henry that we soon had our dance card filled. We also loved the warm way they welcomed us every day and the special touches throughout our stay. We felt like it was a home away from home. If only every hotel we stayed in could be more like the Proximity Hotel.
Disclosure: A big thank you to Visit Greensboro North Carolina and The Proximity Hotel for hosting us! For more travel inspiration, check out Visit Greensboro North Carolina’s Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube accounts. Also, be sure to check out Proximity Hotel’s Instagram and Facebook accounts.
As always, the views and opinions expressed are entirely our own, and we only recommend brands and destinations that we 100% stand behind.
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Hi! We are Jenn and Ed Coleman, and together we are Coleman Concierge. It is our goal to inspire you to get out, expand your world, and to seek adventure, even in your own backyard.
