Charleston, SC offers a wide variety of luxury options. The area is host to three, AAA 5-Diamond Hotels, high-end spas, and some of the best restaurants on the East Coast. The large quantity of luxury homes coupled with high-end services make Charleston, SC a place you should at least visit before you buy anywhere else.
Below are a list of some of the luxury hotels, restaurants and spas, that I would recommend and have used. I share some personal comments about each. If you are looking for a particular type of luxury service please contact me, Bob Brennaman at 843-345-6074 for no-obligation recommendations.
Wentworth Mansion
149 Wentworth Street
Charleston,SC 29401
Phone: (843) 853-1886
Toll-free: (888) 466-1886
(Finest spot in Charleston to stay — consistent winner of all kinds of luxury awards. Not the least expensive of the list but worth the spend)
Charleston Place Hotel
205 Meeting Street
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 722-4900
(Nice location right in the center of the King St. shopping district, close to City Market. Becky and I stayed down there for a weekend without the kids and had a great time. One of the few places in Charleston that you can have afternoon tea – English style)
Harbourview Inn
2 Vendue Range Street
Charleston,SC
(843) 853-8439
www.harbourviewcharleston.com
(One of my favorite hotels in Charleston, not a 5 diamond winner yet, but on the Charleston Harbor, close to Waterfront Park, and in the heart of the French Quarter District)
The Sanctuary Hotel
Sanctuary Beach Dr.
Kiawah Island, SC 29455
www.kiawahresort.com/accommodations/the-sanctuary/
(We stayed there right before the twins were born. Gorgeous location, beautiful hardwood floors, gracious lobby, wonderful Mint Juleps. If you come to Charleston and want to be pampered outside the Historic District, this is a great island spot)
Woodlands Inn
125 Parsons Road
Summerville, SC 29483
(843) 875-2600
www.woodlandsinn.com
(Consistently voted a 5-diamond winner, in a beautiful part of Historic Summerville. One of few spots in the USA to be a 5-diamond for hotel and restaurant)
Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina
20 Patriots Point Road
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
(888) 856-0028
www.charlestonharborresort.com
(Not a 5-diamond, but one of the best spots to base from to enjoy all of Charleston. Ten minutes to Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms, 5 minutes to Historic Charleston, and a great place to watch the sunset. If you like the water, they have a taxi that takes you from your hotel to downtown Charleston. Was a Hilton at one time)
Charleston Area Spas:
Sand & Sea Salon and Spa at Wild Dunes
5757 Palm Boulevard
Isle of Palms, SC 29451-2734
(843) 886-2555
(Inside the gates of Wild Dunes on Isle of Palms. Nice spa to relax in if you are on the islands. Great golf too, for those who relax swinging the clubs)
Spa At Charleston Place Hotel
-see contact above for hotel-
(A really nice spa complete with steam room as well as dry sauna and pool. You can make a day of it. They roll out the red carpet)
Stella Nova Day Spa & Salon
(843) 884-3838
1320 Theater Dr, Mt Pleasant, SC
stella-nova.com
(One of the older more established spas in Charleston. Have always had great service here)
Urban Nirvana
(843) 375-0690
636 Long Point Rd, #D
Mt Pleasant, SC
urbannirvana.com
(If you are in Mt. Pleasant, SC – this is a great spot. Before or after the spa you can stroll through the upscale Shoppes of Belle Hall)
The Sanctuary Spa
-see contact above for hotel-
( Becky went when she was 7 months pregnant with the boys, if they could relax her as big as she was, they can certainly accommodate your needs. Nice spot.)
Restaurants:
Before I run through a list of a few of my favorites, I should say, that to write about the good restaurants in Charleston would take up a whole web site. The ones below are just a few suggestions, but all are top-end and ones that Becky and I frequent as much as we can. I also strongly recommend the annual Food and Wine Festival in Charleston – March of every year)
Anson
12 Anson Street
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 577-0551
www.ansonrestaurant.com
(My personal favorite in all of Charleston — fresh, fresh, fresh and local. Look for the pink stucco building of the City Market)
Oak Steakhouse
17 Broad Street
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 722-4220
www.oaksteakhouserestaurant.com
(I have to say, I am a big good steak guy and Oak pretty much covers it to a T. They also have great seafood dishes for those that don’t want steak. For desert you have to try my wife, Becky’s favorite dessert in Charleston – the Chocolate Cake – yum)
Lana Restaurant & Bar
210 Rutledge Avenue
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 720-8899
www.lanarestaurant.com
(Of the beaten path and not a spot you will find in too many brochures, although they have been written up in just about every major food magazine. Lana is located on the upper-end of Rutledge Ave. Another spot to get fresh, and local. Contends as one of my favorites)
Peninsula Grill
112 North Market Street
Charleston, SC 29401-3157
(843) 723-0700
www.peninsulagrill.com
(We had our wedding reception here and stayed in the hotel that night before we left for our honeymoon. The chef here is one of the best in Charleston, real lowcountry flair food, in an upscale atmosphere. The coconut cake was featured in Bobby Flay’s Throw Down Episode and Bobby lost. Great cake, and I don’t like coconut.)
Red Drum Restaurant
803 Coleman Boulevard
Mt Pleasant, SC 29464-4021
(843) 849-0313
www.reddrumrestaurant.com
(On Coleman Blvd. in Mt. Pleasant, this place has really moved up my list of places to eat. Very flavorful food, great bar and the interior of the restaurant has a cool California feel to it. You have to try the fried donuts – outstanding desert)
McCrady’s
2 Unity Alley
Charleston, SC 29401-3009
(843) 577-0025
www.mccradysrestaurant.com
(One of the best wine bars in Charleston. The chef just won the James Beard Award, so you can count on great food in a very old building — great atmosphere)