3 Best Hotels in Charleston, South Carolina

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.

The stately architecture of this quintessential Charleston lodging radiates the grandeur, romance, and civility of the city's bountiful colonial era. A National Historic Landmark, the 1760 property is filled with antiques and period reproductions in the public rooms and the high-ceilinged guest rooms, some of which have whirlpool tubs. Nice touches include a proper afternoon tea, where wine and cheese are also served. You can take breakfast on either floor's wide, inviting piazza, in the dining room, or have it delivered to your room.

As pretty as a wedding cake, this 1892 Queen Anne–style mansion wears overhanging bays, colonnades, balustrades, and a turret; two original Tiffany stained-glass windows (worth as much as the house itself), carved-oak paneling, and a crystal chandelier dress up the public spaces. While rocking on the front porch you can look through soaring arches to White Point Garden with the Ashley River beyond. Some guest rooms have verandas and working fireplaces. Expect to be treated to afternoon high tea as well as a delightful, creative Southern breakfast that includes specialties like crème brûlée French toast.