I'm planning a trip to Charleston arriving March 13 and have two questions. First, is there something special happening that weekend? At least one place I checked had rates of about $159 all month except for March 13-16 when the rates jump to $400 a night. Why? I know that weekend in Savannah is the St Pats day celebration, but what's happening in Charleston then? And will whatever it is cause horrible crowds?

At the moment we are booked in the Comfort Inn at 144 Bee St. Anyone know anything about the neighborhood around the hotel and the walk from there to the main part of the Historic District. It's 2 miles to the battery.

ST. Pat's is a big deal in Charleston also, and it could be something with College of Charleston or the Citadel. I don't know first hand.

If you haven't run across this website yet, this would be the place for you to start: http://www.charlestoncvb.com/visitors/index.html

Although the Comfort Inn is located on the Charleston Peninsula, it's going to be a bit of a hike back & forth to the historic area. On the plus side, however, you could take public transportation as the CARTA Route 202 bus passes close by your current accommodation. Use the above website to access further information regarding your transportation options. Can't tell you anything about the neighborhood, however, as I'm not a local.

You might also want to look into staying at a B&B in the historic area. I can personally recommend King George IV Inn on George Street as I stayed there for a couple of nights last May. Good location between King & Meeting Streets near the College of Charleston with free parking and a full breakfast. You'll still get your exercise as most of your 'must do' sites are still several blocks to the south, but this location will give you a feel for the historic area away from the maddening crowds around the Market area.

Thanks for that website, from it I did find that the bus stops right in front of the hotel so hopefully that will make it easy. All the B&Bs that I've checked are far,far more expensive than the Comfort Inn. Some one had commented that the area between the hotel and the historic district might not be great to walk through, but if the bus is that convenient I guess it won't be an issue.

I'm still interested in what is happening that weekend to make at least some lodging rates more than double just for those three or so days.

isabel, I think the high rates are because it's St. Paddy's weekend. That's a big deal in both Charleston and Savannah.

Well, if you had bothered to check the Events Tab on the website that I shared with you this morning, you would have discovered at least 5 major 'happenings' within the city during that time period which might account for the high demand for accommodations from March 13th - 16th.

Yes, it would be hard to beat the going room rate at the Comfort Inn. The point that I was trying to make was that you will get a much better feel for the historic area by staying in a small B&B and walking the neighborhood streets. To each their own....

Quick, the Days Inn Historic Distric has rooms for $126 per night for the weekend.

Jump all over that. It is right dead smack in the middle of the historic district and they have free parking.

GoTravel - thanks for the lead. The Days Inn is actually only $126 on two of my days, and $169 on the other two, with tax the four night total is $665, payable in advance and non refundable. Although it's the best deal I've found in the historic district, it's more than I've ever paid per night ($166 average) in any of the major capitals of Europe in high season, so I'm having trouble justifying it for Charleston. Although saving money wasn't the primary reason for this trip (as oppossed to Europe) I certainly wasn't expecting it to cost MORE than Europe (with the crappy excange rate). But we are still trying to decide if it's worth it.

Retired Teacher - sorry you seem to feel I didn't appreciate your advice. If you look at my second post though you'll see I did "bother" to check the site you gave me - a) I thanked you, b) I noted that it gave me the helpful info on the bus routes, and c) I noted that the B&Bs listed were all way out of my price range. The reason I'm still asking for an explanation of why lodging rates are so much more that weekend is that none of the events listed would explain that as far as I can see - the home and garden tour, a major event certainly, but one that lasts all month and the high rates go back down after that weekend, the other events are things like concerts, etc which I wouldn't think would draw that many people as to cause a threefold increase in hotel rates.

So if anyone else has any info I'd appreciate it.

isabel, you're planning a trip to Charleston in ABSOLUTE PEAK SEASON (when the azaleas are the loveliest on the plantations and everywhere else), AND you're coming on the weekend when St. Paddy's Day is being celebrated. I'm pretty sure that's your explanation. Can you choose a different weekend?

You say you're having a problem justifying the expense compared to other cities. Have you been to Charleston before?

elsiemoo - I guess your explanation must be it, I'm just having a hard time understanding why the rates go back down again after the weekend since the home and garden tour, and the peak flowering season, last the whole month. Same with St Pats day - where as in Savannah the celebration is on numberous web sites and in all the guide books, in Charleston there's hardly any mention of it that I can find. But, that must be it.

Anyway, no can't change the dates, already have the plane tickets, plus it's when my vacation is (I teach at a college so no choice of when I take time off). And no, haven't been to Charleston but it does sound lovely and I'm very excited about seeing it. But I'm just frustrated that hotel prices seem to rival, even exceed, what I've found in major world cities like London, Paris and Rome.

And the chain hotels get really pretty horrible reviews on TripAdvisor. I've stayed in choice hotels (comfort, sleep, etc) all over the northeast and they are more than adquate but the reviews I'm reading for those in Charleston are dreadful. I'm definitly cancelling the Comfort Inn on Bee street as it was the worse but the other choices don't seem much better - anyone know anything about the Mt Pleasant area? I've found two just over the bridge that carries Rt 17 - is that a walkable bridge? Any other suggestions?

I'm sorry if I've offended you Isabel, but in my eyes you seem to be so set on finding the cheapest rate on a chain hotel that you're willing to go out to Mt.Pleasant while ignoring your other options. Take another look at the B&B's in the historic area. Granted some of their rates are way over a teacher's (or retired teacher's) budget, but you certainly haven't explored all of your options. King George IV offers a large Queen room with a shared bath for $578.25 (total, taxes included) for the nights of 3/13-3/16 which certainly beats the Days Inn rate of $665 and you can check them out on Trip Advisor. I thought that you'd enjoy the neighborhood around the college and the shopping along King & Meeting Streets, but maybe you're just not a B&B type person? Perhaps you'd be better off going through a travel agent as you don't seem very open to the advice you're receiving on this board.

isabel, Charleston isn't cheap. Rates may go down but not all over town and hotels in Charleston have very high average rack rates.

Comparing the price to what you've paid "in any of the major capitals of Europe in high season" is stupid.

Retired_teacher & GoTravel - I do appreciate your replies. Please understand I am not set on finding the cheapest chain hotel just for the heck of it. I travel on a budget because I have to. I love traveling, it's a passion, but I have a limited amount of money I can spend on it (two kids just out of college, one about to enter, etc). And in order to take two vacations a year I absolutely must do it economically. We all have our reasons why we do things. You make it sound like I'm being stubborn about this and I can't see anything I've said to indicate that. I've checked out every lead everyone has given me, and thanked everyone for their replies. Perhaps I was a bit naive to think that a relatively small city in the US could be visited for the same or less than some of the major world capitals, but I don't think it's fair to call it stupid. I'm from the northeast and when people ask about finding lodging in Manhattan or Boston for $100 a night I may tell them that it's almost impossible, and give them advice on staying as economically as possible, but I don't call them stupid or tell then to go see a travel agent because they don't take my advice word for word.

I do not think that to compare the rates is stupid at all, I am also thinking of going to Savannah and was a little surprised with the high rates. In my mind I also though WOW in Europe I pay often less in lovely hotels too. Like for me $400 would be way over the top.

Have you thought of staying out at the beach? While you'd have to drive into the historic district, I think you're going to want to drive from Bee Street anyway (much shorter, but still a car trip). And who knows, maybe you'll get lucky and have warm weather? Try vrbo.com.

isabel, I never called you stupid. I said to compare rates with major European capitals is stupid.

Charleston is a popular destination and on every top ten list with a limited number of hotel rooms. With high occupancy comes high rates.

Large European capitals have many hotels and usually have such fantastic public transportation that you can stay just about anywhere.

Not the case with Charleston.

My point is you are comparing apples to oranges.