I'M TRYING TO FINALIZE PLANS FOR A SPRING VACATION TO CHARLESTON, SC. WANTED TO STAY
AT AN INN RATHER THAN LARGE HOTEL AND THRU
INFO WITH FODORS AND WRITING TO SEVERAL INNS
FOR BROCHURES, I HAVE NARROWED THE LIST TO
THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS * ANSONBOROUGH INN,
ELLIOTT HOUSE, MILLS HOUSE, MEETING STREET,
PLANTERS INN AND VENDUE INN* LOOKING FOR
QUALITY, AMENITIES AND LOCATION WITHIN HISTORIC DISTRICT* WILL NOT HAVE CAR AND
WOULD LIKE TO WALK TO MOST "MUST SEE AND DO"
TOURISTY SITES* HAVE TO ADMIT, I'M SLIGHTLY
PICKY AND CONSIDER HOTEL (OR INN )PART OF MY
VACATION EXPERIENCE* WE SETTLED FOR OK ROOMS
WHEN UNABLE TO AFFORD BETTER BUT NOW CAN SPRING FOR ONE CUSHY VACATION A YEAR* WILL NOT HAVE CHILDREN WITH US* I'D LIKE TO HEAR
FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS STAYED AT ANY OF THESE
INNS AND CAN GIVE ME ANY FEEDBACK (GOOD OR
BAD)* RIGHT NOW I'M LEANING SLIGHTLY TOWARDS
THE MILLS HOUSE AND PLANTERS INN ONLY BECAUSE
THEIR FANCY BORCHURES HAVE A LOT MORE INFO
THAN THE OTHERS BUT LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING*
THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HELP ME MAKE A
DECISION SO WE CAN BOOK NOW*

We just flew down to Charleston with our 2 children and stayed at Charleston Place Hotel which is the premier large hotel in the area. Withoout kids, I would definitely opt for a more intimate b and b. We saw several by the waterfront (an area called the Battery) which looked charming. I like upscale inns that have beautifully decorated rooms and common areas. Luxerious bathrooms are also nice to have. the Fodors reviews are ofthen helpful. My sister who is very well-travelled has always wanted to stay at the Meeting Street Inn. Frommers has Wentworth Mansion top-rated and they have a website. It also mentions the John Rutledge house. The Sunday NY Times and In style Magazine also mentioned the Wentworth in recent travel articles. Don't miss the Hominy grill for dinner. i've also heard that ansons, High Cotton and the Peninsula Grill are great. Have breakfast or lunch i the Charleston Place courtyard restaurant--it's stunning. Don't miss this town!

Rita, I don't know if this matters to you at all, but were you aware that the Mills House is a Holiday Inn and at one point, years ago, was a Hyatt? I've seen only the public areas, and there is no way you'd guess "Holiday Inn" from that. Have no idea what the rooms are like, but imagine they are in keeping with the decor of the rest of the hotel. Its location is great. Have you checked their website?

My husband and I stayed at the Vendue Inn two weeks ago. It is a great place. The people that work at the hotel went out of their way to make it an enjoyable stay. There is turn down service every night and chocolate candy is left in the room along with a note with the expected weather for the next day. USA Today morning. They also have wine and cheese in a room off the lobby every day from 4 to 6pm and cordials around 8pm followed by milk and cookies at 9pm.The hotel is centrally located and within walking distance to the marketplace and great shops, along with alot of the great restaurants in Charleston. It is a half block from Waterfront Park, easy walking to the Battery and you can catch the trolley in front of the hotel to go to
the Visitors Center, Aquarium, and Marina. We had lunch one day at the restaurant on the rooftop of the Inn. The food was good and the view was lovely overlooking the harbor. We also had dinner one night in Vendue's Library Restaurant off the lobby. Our meal was excellent and would highly recommend this restaurant. The breakfast buffets were very good with an assortment of muffins, pastries, bagels, scrambled eggs, grits, sausage and bacon,fresh fruit, biscuits, cereals, juices, etc. I would definitely recommend this Inn.

I stayed at the Mills House years ago when it was a Hyatt and it is a hotel, not an inn. The room was pretty small, more European size than typical American. Then again, we might have gotten the smallest room because we were there on the government rate.

We have stayed at the Elliott House twice and loved it. The first time the room was smaller than I like but the second time we got a larger (more expensive) room. I really like their courtyard, which should be full of flowers when you visit. Probably shouldn't be saying so many nice things about it since we want to go back next spring and will probably want to stay at the Elliott House again.

Rita-

I am very familiar with Charleston. I agree with the above comments about the Vendue Inn, and I would also recommend the Planters Inn. It is a wonderful place with excellent service and great location. They have one of the best restaurants in Charleston (Peninsula Grill) located downstairs. My girlfriend just got back from staying there two weeks ago, and she had plenty of compliments to go with her experience.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REPLIED TO MY
PLEA FOR HELP* YOUR INPUT HAS MADE MY
DECISION MUCH EASIER AND I'LL PROBABLY
BOOK THE VENDUE INN AND IF NOT AVAILABLE
AT THAT TIME, THEN THE PLANTERS INN.
ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD SUGGESTIONS
WHERE TO EAT* I KNOW OUR VACATION WILL BE LESS STRESSFUL WITH THIS PART OUT OF
THE WAY AND NOW CAN LET THINGS BE UNTIL
AFTER THE HOLIDAYS ARE OVER (EXCEPT BOOK
ING THE AIRLINE)* I JUST RECENTLY FOUND
THIS WEBSITE AND AM ENJOYING ALL THE IN-
PUT FROM THE LEGITIMATE INQUIRIES AND
CHUCKLE AT THE COMMENTS FROM THE "TROLLS"* WHO HAS TIME TO MAKE UP SUCH
QUESTIONS? OH WELL; THANKS AGAIN AND
AM HOPING SOMEONE WILL NEED MY ADVICE
ONE DAY FOR A LOCATIION THAT I'VE BEEN
TO* RITA

You will love either the Vendue Inn or The Platters. One consideration for either though, you might want to ask for a room that either faces a courtyard or is away from the street, you get alot of street noise if you have rooms facing the street. It you need somewhere good to eat and there are many many places, Magnolias which is right down the street from Vendue is awesome. I think the Vendue also has an excellent restaruant attacted to it, but I cannot remember for sure. Bring good walking shoes, you can walk everywhere from those two inns! Enjoy!

Sorry....the earlier post mentioned both restaruants at Vendue Inn and both are well worth trying!

Hi Rita:
I guess you settled on the Vendue?
Your posting was interesting to me because I could have written the exact same message. We are looking for a splurge for two couples at Christmas and are going to Savannah and Charleston. We're all set on the Gastonian Inn in Savannah but haven't decided yet on Charleston. How did you arrive at a decision? We are undecided at this point but have narrowed it down to:

Two Meeting Street
Governors House
Lodge Alley
Wentworth Mansion

The Planters and Vendue both look a little too commercial for our taste. More on the hotel idea than the inn kind of place we would prefer.

In your research did you look at any of the above? Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. Hope you have a really nice trip!

Regards,

Brian Hyde
[email protected]

Rita,
A great restaurant to try is Meritage'. It serves nothing but Tapas and has great wines by the glass, a very neat place to go and nosh for a few hours. The food is wonderful.