My husband and I have visited Charleston often and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The house was in walking distance of downtown Charleston which we enjoyed greatly. Francis Palmer was a gracious hostess who made sure that our stay was enjoyable. Yes, the house is old but it is 160 years old. The bed was comfortable and warm. We look forward to visiting again.

This B&B lacks the charm one would expect of such an incredible property on Battery. The house is huge, pink, & still owned and occupied by the family. Our disappointment is a result of the mediocre breakfast, cramped room and seemingly haphazard management. The room accommodation was a newer addition and located on the far end of what is called the carriage house. The king size bed is too large for the room, there is no closet, & nowhere to put your luggage. When the owner asked if we had everything we needed, I suggested a luggage rack and she said, "Oh, there isn't one?" Attention to detail seems to be an issue. The place needs better housekeeping as there were watermarks on the glass top of the nightstand when we arrived and were still there when we left 2 days later & the tile floor needs more than a broom. The bathroom is tiny, has a 1930 size commode seat, & there's mildew on the grout in the shower stall. The heat unit is a wall one and is loud so you have to keep adjusting the tv volume. The breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, grits, toast or biscuits, & fruit. That's ok for one day, but it is served everyday. In 20 yrs of staying at B&Bs, this is the 1st time we opted to eat breakfast elsewhere.
Wine & cheese are offered at 5 p.m. The bed was comfortable but lacked a blanket. The view of the water is spectacular. Although things weren't awful, we expected higher standards from a bed and breakfast than a hotel chain. No, we would not stay there again or recommend it to others.

Frances Palmer of The Palmer Home is the quintessential hostess for this lovely family home overlooking the harbor. My husband and I stayed in the suite on the third floor, which was huge! I wasn't expecting a refrigerator; it made it so easy to drop by Harris Teeter and get drinks to stay chilled during our stay. The bed linens were of the highest quality, and we got the best sleep we'd had in months there. On the second night of our stay, an impromptu concert by a string quartet made it seem as if we'd entered a time machine and landed in 1913. Such beautiful music! The daily hot breakfast and happy hour were bonuses! Ready to return right now!

The Palmer House is a lovely home~ perfect location for walking, dining, and shopping. Its location/view are exceptional! Our stay was for my birthday weekend and while we are extremely seasoned travellers in all levels of accommodations, we enjoyed this stay immensely in spite of the need for some improvements.The Carriage house is old, but "helloooo!!" It was built in the 1800's! While I would have preferred it to have more in the way of antique-style furnishings (currently it looks like furniture from the 1970's except for a crocheted canopy on one of the beds) as well as a bathroom that I could move around in without bumping into the comode or sink, it was still really fun!! The mere historical aspect is just mind blowing and makes the stay worth all else. We did not use the kitchen in the carriage house (or anything but the bedrooms and bathroom, really) so the space wasn't needed, but it was nice to have the privacy.

The staff (Meredith) was extremely accommodating and assisted us greatly with dinner reservations, etc. While the main house is in need of some TLC, it is absolutely lovely and I could've sat for hours on the piazza sipping wine and imagining "Old Charleston".

This being said, yes, the afternoon wine/cheese offering could stand to go up a few notches~ a lot higher for both, actually. And the presentation itself could be improved simply by nicer crystal and perhaps a small plate to place some cheese and (maybe) some grapes/fruit on. As it is, it's quite mundane, although at least they offer wine! Most don't...a cup of tea elsewhere! And in addition you can sit for hours sipping and the wine is readily there for your enjoyment~ The breakfast was adequate; nice for those of us who don't care to sit down and consume a huge meal, yet enough to be ok... and I rather enjoyed the fact that the owner wasn't following us around regaling us with "stories" or encouraging us to interact with other houseguests! (annoying unless asked for!)

This home would benefit GREATLY from a professional visit from a home-stager (the rooms are large and poorly placed furniture lends to a visual that is unkempt) and a few VERY small tips from a caterer for some simple and inexpensive ideas on serving tricks of the trade...I would be more than happy to convey some advice!!

The term "shabby chic" was coined for a house like this~ if you look at the 'grander' mansions that are now b & b's you will be paying much more per night for this location!! So here is my advice~ If you got this with the GROUPON rate; RELAX. Enjoy. Life is GOOD!! Take in the whole of the City, use your imagination, and have some fun.