Charleston
Hospitality Comes Alive In ‘Living Museum’
By Marlane Bundock There’s no need to stretch your imagination in Charleston, S.C., because everything is right here; in fact, its appeal has been described as a “living museum,” said Stacy Fletcher, sales manager for the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), describing the historic port city’s overall attractiveness and its range of meeting opportunities—from the restaurants and landmarks of the historic area to the convention center and outlet shops in North Charleston. “The city is able to boost attendance through all of its attractions—such as its culinary experiences—and venues for off-site events like the aquarium and through our tradition of Southern hospitality.”
In August, the city received its 11th Lifetime Achievement Award for being the “Most Mannerly City,” a recognition that Terri Haak, CVB chairman and Wild Dunes Resort managing director, said shows how the city manages “an increasingly rushed society with our trademark grace, charm and hospitality.”
Charleston is also pulling rank as one of the South’s top meeting destinations through its continual improvements such as its increased airlift. In May, AirTran Airways began service between Charleston International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, offering several daily flights.
The airport is located in North Charleston, and in April, this growing part of the city became the home of the North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum and Educational Center, which includes a collection of 18 fire trucks and houses the North Charleston Visitor Center, according to Fletcher.
North Charleston’s hub sits at the intersection of U.S. Interstate 26 and 526 where, along with the airport, the Charleston Area Convention Center Complex is located. According to Ed Riggs, the center’s director of sales, the complex consists of a coliseum, a performing arts center and an SMG-managed convention center with 77,000 square feet of exhibit hall space, a 25,000-square-foot ballroom divisible into six rooms, and 20 meeting rooms.
Riggs also noted that North Charleston is seeing an increase in the number of hotels surrounding the complex. “Two new hotels (adjacent to the center) are entering the marketplace; a Tanger Outlet Mall recently opened; and there is a lot of action and activity going on,” he said, explaining that a Homewood Suites by Hilton and an aloft hotel are set to open in early to mid 2008.
Joel O’Sullivan, director of sales for the Homewood Suites by Hilton, said the new hotel will offer 128 guest suites and 1,000 square feet of space. The 136-room aloft Charleston Airport and Convention Center is set to open in summer 2008, according to Ross Klein, aloft president.
Area hotels are also improving. Riggs said the 126-room Hilton Garden Inn Charleston Airport is adding a wooden boardwalk over the wetlands that separate the hotel from the center.
History can be seen up close at Charleston Harbor and Waterfront Park. |
There are approximately 2,000 guest rooms located near the convention center complex. Of these hotels, the 255-room Embassy Suites Airport - Convention Center offers a skywalk connection to the center, the 147-room America’s Best Inn and Suites Charleston Airport provides 3,000 square feet of meeting space, and the Sheraton Hotel North Charleston - Convention Center offers more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
Farther west on I-26 is the Charleston Peninsula, where downtown and the historic district offer numerous meeting sites and hotels, including several located near the Ashley River and The Citadel military college.
This summer, the Charleston Marriott, formerly the Charleston Riverview Hotel, opened as the first full-service Marriott in Charleston. During the hotel’s conversion, it underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation throughout, said John Wong, general manager. “The hotel’s location, right in the heart of the downtown area, allows guests to enjoy everything this city has to offer.” The 340-room hotel includes more than 14,000 square feet of conference space.
A sister property, the Charleston Riverview Courtyard by Marriott offers 178 guest rooms and group function space for 80.
The former Ashley River Inn underwent a $6 million renovation this summer, said Heather Peebles, director of sales, and has been reflagged the Best Western Charleston Downtown. “All the guest rooms were stripped and offer everything from new carpet to new, oversized beds.” The hotel offers 150 guest rooms and more than 1,000 square feet of meeting space.
In the historic district, the majority of the meeting hotels are located along Meeting Street or one block south on King Street, including the Embassy Suites Historic Charleston. O’Sullivan is also the director of sales at the Embassy and said that in 2007 all the hotel’s guest rooms—153 in total—were revamped. “The hotel is a grand restoration of the original Citadel Military College and is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings.” The hotel offers 5,000 square feet of meeting space and an 11,000-square-foot atrium O’Sullivan said is an ideal space for luncheons.
O’Sullivan also announced that the Hampton Inn Historic District, located adjacent to the Embassy Suites, offers more than 2,400 square feet of meeting space and is undergoing a renovation of its 170 guest rooms.
At the Holiday Inn Historic District, Dianne Parker, director of sales, announced that the 126-room property with meeting space for up to 75 guests is regularly upgraded and is ideal for small tour or corporate groups.
Karen Worley, director of sales at three smaller properties in the historic district, reported that the HarbourView Inn’s 52 guest rooms were renovated earlier this year and are now equipped with Tempur-Pedic beds and flat-screen TVs. “The Four-Diamond property is in the heart of the historic district and has meeting space available for up to 25 guests.” The French Quarter is undergoing upgrades over the winter, Worley said, adding that the property has two meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 50 guests as well as a boardroom. And, the Andrew Pickney Inn is a 44-room historic property with modern-day amenities, she said.
The Market Pavilion Hotel is a boutique hotel with 66 guest rooms, said Director of Sales and Marketing Elaina Palassis-England. “We are ideal for corporate and incentive meetings,” she said. “We offer 1,300 square feet of meeting space that can be divided into three parts, a meeting suite that can accommodate 25 and a boardroom for 12.”
Other hotel options in Charleston include the 216-room Francis Marion Hotel with function space for up to 425 and The Mills House Hotel with 214 rooms and more than 10,000 square feet of function space.
In Vicinity
Key Info · Sales Tax: 7.5 percent
· Hotel Tax: 5 percent
· Attractions: Charleston offers 50-plus complimentary attractions, many of which are public gathering spaces such as the Fort Sumter Visitor and Education Center and Isle of Palms Beach. |
On the south side of the Ashley River, several estates provide meeting space. At Lowndes Grove, a renovation and expansion is under way, according to Jenny Badman with Patrick Properties LLC, the property’s new owners. Among the restoration and new design elements announced for the project, the facility’s event space, including a 750-square-foot piazza, in the main house and in the river house will be remodeled to reflect the estate’s history and landscape. Currently, six guest suites are open but more than 60 guest rooms will be available in late 2009.
Coastal properties in the area include the 132-room Charleston on the Beach Holiday Inn, which completed a full renovation in the fall of 2006, said Sarah Irving, director of sales. “Renovations were made to all guest rooms, including new bedding and new microwaves and refrigerators, and to the common areas, including a pool area with a Tiki bar.” The hotel offers 4,200 square feet of meeting space.
South of Charleston, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort has added a new golf club and earned a Five-Diamond Award, said Roger Warren, resort president. Along with the 255-room hotel and spa, the resort offers access to 10 miles of beach, five golf courses and 42,000 square feet of meeting space.
Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens in nearby Mt. Pleasant offers wedding and special event facilities along with a landscape of wetlands, wildflower fields and gardens, including 22 new flower beds designed by internationally known rosarian Ruth Knopf. “Boone Hall Plantation has one of the largest gardens in the area that has so many historic plants,” Knopf said upon the introduction of the beds to the public.
Additional properties around Charleston include the 464-room Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms, the 19-room Woodlands Resort and Inn in Summerville, and the 129-room Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina in Mt. Pleasant.
