My wife and I and another couple will be traveling to Charleston in April. It's the first visit for all of us. We are looking for specific B&B recommendations in a central location. We enjoy nice amenities and also interacting with other guests and the B&B owner/staff.

Any suggestions are most appreciated.

I hope people who have actually stayed in places will see your post.

I live by Charleston, so I'm able to help you with where I'd stay if I had to pick, and any location questions you may have.

I would look at Two Meeting Street, Wentworth Mansion (there's a lovely restaurant there), or Andrew Pinckney. There are tons:
http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/charl...-carolina.html

Look through the links and see what questions you have.

We stayed in the B&B described below. It meets all of your criteria but one- it is very nearby Mt. Pleasant, not central Charleston - but we liked it there - the drive to Central Charleston was about 15 minutes I believe - suewoo can correct me on that if wrong.

The B&B is in Mount Pleasant, just a bit over the bridge from Charleston and adjacent to Boone Hall plantation. It is a log structure yet inside it has an elegance that is not what is usually expected in a log home. All of the bedrooms but one overlook the marsh and the view is quite lovely. The B&B has a screened porch upstairs and a deck on ground level with a beautiful lawn, complete with a large magnolia and live oaks going down to the marsh. Our room, although not overly large, was not small either and very nicely furnished complete with a four poster bed and walk in closet. Ours looked out to the Magnolia which was still in bloom. Steve and Phyllis are fine hosts and make a mean breakfast - different each of the 3 mornings we were there and each day had a special treat. The breakfast room overlooks the back as well and we would watch the resident Night Heron make its rounds every morning. Overall the atmosphere can be described as romantic and it was a very relaxing stay. As their website implies, kids are not welcome.

I remember that. it made me want to go stay there myself!

Unfortunately, since you visited, Highway 17 went under a construction nightmare. So now it's more like 30 minutes to an hour into the Historic District from out there.

Well, so much for that. It is a very nice place though. If you stay 3 nights they give you a pass that will get you into most of the museums and historic houses - we made good use of that.

Thanks SueWoo.

Here's the two places we are focusing on as of today:

4 Unity Alley B&B
http://www.unitybb.com/

King George IV
http://www.kinggeorgeiv.com/

I'd be interested in any comments you might have, particularly about location. It seems to me that Unity Alley might be in a better location?

Thanks!

You won't be unhappy with either location. I don't think one is necessarily better than another. King George is a little further north than Unity Alley . You can around and enjoy the Historic District from either, but Unity Alley is a few blocks closer to the Battery.

It all depends on what you want to do when you get here. Both look really nice.

Thanks again. The problem is we don't know what we want to do. None of us have been there before. We like history, and we sure like to eat...shopping is not really something any of us are into, other than obligatory souvenir shopping.

Exactly where is the "Battery". It seems a bit elusive to find on a map.

The Battery is the very tip of the Charleston Peninsula at the end of East Bay Street.

I usually recommend people take a carriage tour first thing to get acclimated. There are great restaurants everywhere, you can tour some of the preserved homes, and the shops on King Street are fun. You hosts/s can likely help you with an itinerary. If you have a car, visit one of the plantations. The azaleas bloom in April and Middleton Plantation will be gorgeous. Or you can go to the beach. It really is a great place to visit.

Thanks! We will have a car for use if need be. The plantation suggestion sounds great. None of us are "beach" people as it relates to laying in the sun, but it's nice to visit the boardwalk and people watch, that type of thing.

No boardwalks, but Folly Beach has a nice pier. They have dances out there during nice weather.

Look through some of the trip reports here for many ideas of things to do. To find out about music and events check out the City Paper:
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/

You can pick up a free copy anywhere.

Depending on your travel days in April, you may want to take advantage of the 65th Annual Festival of Houses and Gardens ( March 22-April 21). It's a big deal here and tickets are already on sale.

http://www.historiccharleston.org/ne.../festival.html

@kathleen: Thanks for the great advice on the 65th Annual Festival of Houses & Gardens. We'll be there 18-21st so we will be able to take advantage of these!

If you want to consider a hotel rather than B&B, we stayed at The Mills House just about one year ago and it was an excellent stay in every way with the historic area at the doorstep.

Does anyone think that the location of the King George IV
http://www.kinggeorgeiv.com/ adjacent to the College of Charleston, and right next door to the athletic complex, might be a disadvantage?

A quick look at the college website seems to show the weekend we will be there is the weekend that ends the spring semester, and I wonder if some excessive celebration might be in order from some of the students?

Your thoughts are appreciated!

Heck, those kids have fun all the time. I can't say if it will be a problem for you. Many students will leave for their break.

Seriously though, do you think the proximity to the campus is a disadvantage? I know, I know, I'm being anal.

And I can't tell you. I just don't know. It IS right by the college, so I guess if it worries you, book Unity Alley.