I am planning a trip to Charleston over Columbus weekend and am looking to stay at the Sheraton Hotel using points. The website states that the hotel is 1 mile from the Convention Center and 8 miles from the Historic District. Will it be difficult to get into the tourist areas of the city? I will have a rental car, but wasn't sure about driving times, finding parking etc. I will also be visiting Savannah for the day, as well as family in Aiken, SC so the entire trip isn't centered around Charleston. Is the Sheraton too far removed from the city?

I am not familiar with the area around the Convention Center there but have stayed outside the city recently and had no trouble driving in...you simply have to pay for parking, but you usually do anyway. I parked in a lot off of Meeting Street on Wentworth - right behind the Omni (Charleston Place?) - convenient to anything I wanted to do. Think I paid about $10-$12 dollars for the day.
Have fun!
PS Enjoy Aiken, too!

Sheraton is pretty much a typical convention and airport hotel -- that general area of North Charleston is pretty seedy here and there, if I may point that out (having taken one persistent train traveler to the train station at some odd hour many times).

It is a simple drive to downtown -- maybe 20 minutes as 526 taps into 26 which takes you right to East Bay Street. Plenty of parking garages and lots on E. Bay -- but don't park too soon as you drive down the street, or you'll be walking more than you think. I ususally park at Cumberland, make a left turn. That will put you right around the market area.

Enjoy -- it's a wonderful city, even if you're not staying in it (personally, I'd rather find someplace in the historic district, reward points or not -- I do like my glass of wine with dinner, for one!)

B/

Thanks for the advice! I wish I could stay in the historic area, but I have to save money by using points. There is a slim chance that I will have enough Marriott points, in which case I will stay at the Residence Inn. I've actually stayed there before, about 5 years ago, but I don't really remember the area. It was over a bridge and about 2 miles from "downtown".

Sheraton North--NO way!
Tryto get a BnB--

Columbus weekend (ie.Memorial Day weekend?) will be jammed at the hotels
as it is Spoleto Festival!

Make sure you have reservations somewhere...............

Columbus weekend is actually 10/7/05-10/10/05. I wish I could afford a B&B but there will be 3 of us and we would therefore probably need 2 rooms. I don't mind staying out of the city as long as there is parking to find once I drive in. But, if the Sheraton is really that "bad", maybe I'll try to rack up my Marriott points. There is a Renaissance in the Historic district.

Relax. I don't believe there's a thing wrong with the hotel -- it's just a place to sleep, take a shower etc. which will work admirably. You are going to be wandering around downtown Charleston, not the environs of the Sheraton. I'd keep the reservation, just drive into the city, park (I believe I parked in the open lot by the carriage tours once or twice -- right off the market), have a great time, and spend the bucks you saved with points on something fun. October, by the way, is an excellent time to visit the Holy City!

B/