A very enjoyable stay in a very nice hotel. The beds were very comfortable and the (two queen) room was a good size. We had a balcony but didn’t really make much use of it. The swimming pool was quiet and pleasant.
The hotel has a large Starbucks restaurant off the lobby, run by very nice staff and a large piazza at the front for guests to relax on. There is an ATM and a small shop for supplies. Housekeeping were very good and reception staff and doormen were excellent, acknowledging us every time we came back to the hotel.
The location is very good, with many shops and restaurants within easy walking distance, as well as stops for the free trolley. A lovely feature was the three big panels of jasmine on the side of the hotel. Coming back to the hotel in the evening along Meeting Street, you were greeted by its delicate fragrance.
So a very nice hotel and the only things I missed were a room safe and bathrobes. I love a bathrobe!
However the thing I really miss now is Kevin the concierge. Reviews of the hotel will suggest the concierge service is outstanding. It is!
My daughter and I are pretty independent travellers. We don’t take walking tours or join groups, preferring to do our own research and ‘wing it’. So how did we end up having the best time in Charleston on an organised walking tour, a culinary walking tour, a plantation visit and a group black history tour? Not to mention reservations at restaurants we hadn’t planned on. One word – Kevin!
I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting Andrea, the other concierge, but if she’s any sort of female Kevin, they must make a formidable team.
We only stopped at the concierge desk for a restaurant recommendation on the evening we arrived. Half an hour later we had a full week of activities, with detailed instructions, maps and brochures. We were frankly sceptical about a couple of the things we had agreed to, but Kevin knows you better than you know yourself and we enjoyed and benefited from every one of them. And you must trust his wisdom and experience: if he tells you to do things in a certain order, do them in that order. Kevin knows!
If we ever manage to get back to Charleston, Courtyard Marriott Historic District is where we’ll stay.