Want to visit a city that’s surprisingly old and bursting with innovation? Book a ticket to Charleston. The South Carolina city has been doing its thing since the late 1600s — the uneven cobblestone streets won’t let you forget it — but in recent years, it’s seen a huge increase in, well, everything. People, one, and restaurants, shops, houses, and hotels.
You can’t find bad food in this town, that’s for sure, and over the past few years, the competition for the best places to stay has grown just as much. The real winner? You, who suddenly have many enviable options and different prices. From luxurious accommodations to grand, luxurious properties, here are our six favorite hotels in the Holy City.
The Pinch
The last few years have seen the opening of new hotels in Charleston. But the most suitable this year is Pinch. Located on a beautiful lane off King Street, no matter where you want to stay, you’ll find a hotel that’s even more beautiful than its surroundings. Rooms are spacious and complete with kitchenettes (a boon for those traveling with children), and the oyster bar, Quinte, is about as good a place to end a day of sightseeing as you’ll find. (A fusion French-Lowcountry restaurant called Lowland opens later this year.) Oh, before I go, don’t let the name fool you; this is not the place where you live when the whole town is booked or your trip is put together at the last minute. Pinch and support, through and through. Rooms from $595.
Hotel Emeline
Emeline opened its doors in 2020, but the sheen did not last. Unlike many of its pastel neighbors, the rooms and lobby favor rich velvets and dark wood, and each area has its own rhythm. She is a noble lady, of course, but there is nothing shocking about the property of 212 rooms. Living and relaxing, on the contrary, is highly recommended – in the Coffee Shop in the morning, the terrace open all day, or the indoor / outdoor restaurant and bar , Frannie & the Fox, into the night. Rooms from $349.
The Loutrel
If we lived in a perfect world, I would have a house with a bright and spacious and welcoming courtyard like Loutrel’s lobby. A large balcony that looks like daylight swinging inside? Big windows with a nice view? Weird clothes (too tall)? That familiar smell wafting through the air? Absolutely everything on my bingo card. The world, as it likes to remind us, is not perfect, and such a house is not in my future. This is proven by the fact that I can—and will—return to the 50-room apartment near King Street again and again. The rooms are spacious and spacious, the bar is buzzing, and the all-day lounge with good drinks and snacks seals the deal. Want more? Well, there’s also a rooftop terrace! Rooms from $349.
The Ryder
Charleston is a city with many great things. Delicious oyster bars. A new restaurant, impossible to get into every week. A view of the harbor. If it lacked much, really, it was probably quirkiness. That changed in 2021, when the Ryder Hotel opened its doors. Elegant and charming – the 91-room resort takes its name from Jack Kerouac’s Dharma Bums hero, Japhy Ryder—this is not a quiet southern place. Here, the lobby is small but bright, the rooms are spacious and welcoming, and the space is unparalleled. But Little Palm, the pool and restaurant, is why you keep coming back. The indoor/outdoor bar isn’t just a night club – it’s the talk of the town. Rooms from $329.
Hotel Bennett
So you want to feel like royalty – or royalty – when you’re in the city. Who doesn’t! Make a reservation at the Hotel Bennett, a 179-room luxury hotel on King Street north of King Street that meets international standards. If you can drag yourself out of your well-appointed room (no judgment if you don’t!) you’ll find street clubs, killer restaurants, and coffee shops. There’s also a decadent, pink (literally) champagne bar that begs to linger. Rooms from $499.
The Dewberry
OPEN HERE
I love The Dewberry. The house, lobby, and rooms are beautiful—rich fabrics, deep-colored wood, wide stone floors—but the energy is soft. Welcome. A common level of friendliness in a community known for being friendly. Of course, the crown jewel of the resort is the Citrus Club, the hotel’s rooftop bar. Crossing nearly a full city block, you can’t beat the views or the music, but don’t discount the cookies and milkshakes in the basement of the Living Room restaurant. An absolute must. Rooms from $500.
Madison Vain is Digital Director at Esquire; a writer and editor based in New York, has worked in the past Entertainment Weekly and Sports Illustrated.
