Fodor's Expert Review Planters Inn

Part of the Relais & Châteaux group, this boutique property with well-appointed, expansive, and beautifully maintained rooms is a stately sanctuary amid the bustle of Charleston's City Market. Light streams into the Victorian front parlor with its rich velvets, 19th-century portraits, and Asian antiques. Rooms in the historic main building (versus those in the newer Piazza Building, which overlook a tranquil garden courtyard) have more atmosphere and a more residential feel. Service is unobtrusive, but not stuffy. The best rooms have fireplaces and verandas; all have four-poster beds. Top-tier suites are suitably over the top in terms of comfort. Packages with breakfast and/or dinner at the amazing on-site Peninsula Grill are a good value.