3 Best Hotels in South of Broad and the French Quarter, Charleston

Facing White Point Garden, this 11-room inn within a five-story 1843 mansion makes you feel like you've stepped back in time. Gaze up at the ceiling in the massive ballroom or relax in the sitting room with views of Fort Sumter and Charleston Harbor. Five of the inn's rooms are built into the carriage house of an adjacent 19th-century home, overlooking the magically pleasant courtyard and garden. Two rooms are in the former basement but are surprisingly light and welcoming. Breakfasts often include local treats from Callie's Hot Little Biscuit, and the evening wine and charcuterie gatherings on the front porch are Charleston living at its finest.

From raffia ceilings to elaborate molding to light fixtures fashioned from seagrass baskets, Lowcountry-inspired design surrounds you at this high-end newcomer. Most rooms are designed for couples—king beds, elaborate showerheads, in-room wet bars—but a few have pullouts for families. Balconies overlook East Bay and side streets, but the action is in the lobby, where the bar draws both visitors and locals for inspired, international spins on classic cocktails. 

The New Orleans–esque exterior of this National Historic Landmark (the former residence of politician and slaveholder John Rutledge) has wrought-iron architectural details, and inside, parquet floors sit beneath 14-foot ceilings adorned with plaster moldings. Families gravitate to the privacy and quiet of the two carriage houses overlooking the shaded brick courtyard. Breakfast—continental as well as at least one hot item—can be taken in the ballroom, the elegant but simple courtyard, or your room.