Not another American city has as much beauty as Charleston. Charles Town, named after England’s King Charles II, has Georgian buildings and carriage houses that recall its past. Delicious restaurants are packed with foodies every day, and exquisite rooftop pubs offer stunning views of Charleston’s cityscape every night. You get one of the country’s outstanding history-hospitality blends with friendly locals.
It’s clear why over 7 million people visit annually. Charleston is a popular town with many hotels, but the 10 best offer a mix of lovely architecture, wonderful restaurants, gorgeous bars and rooftop patios, and modern conveniences. Book these destinations for your next trip.
1. HarbourView Inn
HarbourView Inn, a 52-room boutique across from Charleston Waterfront Park and walking distance to South of Broad’s pastel townhouses and Italianate structures, showcases Charleston’s seafaring history. During a 2021 property-wide restoration, designers and architects updated common spaces and guest rooms with Old World charm and modern features like tiled baths and large glass windows.
The Chief Getaway Officer at HarbourView Inn can arrange picnics, walking tours, sunset cruises, and special fitness classes, even though the hotel has no pool. Anyone who wants a view should request a harbor-facing room with a balcony.
2. The Loutrel
After launching in 2021, The Loutrel became a Charleston hospitality star overnight. Nature-inspired decor can be found everywhere in the hotel, from the lobby’s porch swing day bed to the rooftop terrace with city views.
The upscale boutique hotel’s 50 rooms—including California King and signature suites—have Matouk linens and Robin egg blue upholstered headboards. Lavazza coffee machines and free mini bars with local delicacies are perks. A luxurious private clubroom on the mezzanine level serves canapés, desserts, and wine throughout the day.
3. Hotel Bennett
Even Charleston’s top downtown hotels lack amenities, but not the Hotel Bennett. In 2019, the hotel opened on King Street off Marion Square with a full-service spa, fine dining restaurant, rooftop lounge, and pool.
The 179 guest rooms and suites have wide windows, marble bathrooms with soaking tubs, separate sitting spaces, and built-in bookshelves. Book the two-story Owners Suites with views of Marion Square, a dining area, a living room, a butler’s pantry, and a gourmet kitchen for ultimate luxury.
4. The Spectator Hotel
The 2015 opening of the Spectator Hotel in Charleston’s historic neighborhood added elegance and sophistication. Entering the hotel’s Art Deco foyer with a tiered chandelier and glossy surfaces transports guests to the Jazz Age. Your butler can help you plan excursions, press clothes, and draw candlelit rose petal baths.
The 41-room luxury boutique hotel next to the city’s historic market is a playground for couples who want to pamper themselves in white Carrera marble spa-like bathrooms and enjoy the city’s best cocktails in The Bar, a Gatsby-esque bar.
5. The Charleston Place
Charleston’s grand dame, the Charleston Place, covers a city block and has 433 spacious guest rooms and suites. It’s also one of the most family- and pet-friendly hotels in town. Families can walk to the four-block Historic Charleston City Market or take a neighborhood walking tour or harbor yachting adventure. The hotel’s retractable-roof rooftop pool keeps kids active during leisure, and huge guest suites with reading nooks and deep bathtubs provide comfort.
The Charleston Place is ideal for pampering a pet. The new Furry Friend in Residence package includes a dog bed, bowls, leash, collar, dog sitting, dog walking, and a pet picture session. The in-room pet eating menu contains roasted chicken with Carolina Gold rice.
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6. Zero George
Zero George is one of the most atmospheric boutique hotels and a destination dining experience, set on a lovely cobblestone alleyway with five circa 1804 buildings. The 16-room hotel on a green piazza has the award-winning Zero Restaurant and Bar. The restaurant delivers luxurious tasting menus such as Beausoleil oysters with finger lime and fig leaf marshmallow.
Residences at Zero George, a 2021 addition of Zero George, offer five exquisite rooms in a renovated 19th-century structure across the hotel’s quiet courtyard. The one- to three-bedroom apartments have living areas, Le Creuset kitchens, Frette linens on king mattresses, and Malin and Goetz baths.
7. The Dewberry
One of Charleston’s premier wellness getaways, the Dewberry lies in the city center across from Marion Square. The second-floor day spa and lush rooftop yoga sessions offer relaxation. The quiet retreat boasts cypress walls and local botanical therapies.
Lavender sugar scrub and Dewberry Signature Massage relax and rejuvenate guests. Hotel exercise studio. Charleston is known for its cocktails, and the Dewberry’s lobby lounge brass bar and rooftop Citrus Club would pass Don Draper’s test.
8. Post House
Post House is an 1896 coastal pub recreated for a new generation in Old Village, Mount Pleasant, a ten-minute drive from downtown Charleston. The boutique hotel, which reopened in 2021 after a complete restoration, is halfway between Bohemian and “Coastal Grandmother,” with common spaces and seven guest rooms decorated with ancient rugs, colorful textiles, and archival wallpapers.
Post House’s restaurant, which serves briny East Coast oysters, cornbread with whipped butter, and Brasstown beef burgers, is the neighborhood’s core. Guest rooms and the warmly lit tavern dining room offer free continental breakfast.
9. The Ryder Hotel
Since May 2021, the Ryder Hotel, formerly the King Charles Inn, has been one of the city’s most creative boutique hotels. Coastal cool meets bohemian-chic in the 91 rooms. Guests love the free-spirited environment and poolside hangout with a terrace pool and cozy cabana beds for socializing.
Little Palm delivers perfectly prepared and muddled tropical cocktails by the pool. The hotel is a block off King Street and across from two of Charleston’s best restaurants, chef Mike Lata’s F.I.G and Vivian Howard’s southern-inspired bistro Lenoir.
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10. Emeline
Emeline’s pleasant communal spaces, record-player-equipped guest suites, and huge bathrooms with glass-encased walk-in showers are all appealing. Since 2020, the facility has offered 128 luxury suites, including 16 with double king beds for families and guests. Emeline offers the Collective Suite with two adjoining king bedrooms and a communal living area and Hank’s Loft, a new three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom home a block from the main property.
Every room is a cozy retreat after a day visiting neighboring attractions like Charleston Market, which lies off the hotel’s vast ground floor lobby. Any Charleston visit must include its 300 local vendors offering Lowcountry Gullah crafts and light-air biscuits. Frannie and the Fox, a wood-fired restaurant, serves delicious food without leaving the hotel.