Charleston & Kiawah Island, three houses
Charleston keeps its luxury in two places, from the Historic District to the beaches of the Lowcountry.
Luxury hotels in Charleston & Kiawah Island
3 hotels
The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Five-star · Kiawah Island & Kiawah River
The oceanfront house of Kiawah Island Golf Resort, a Lowcountry mansion fifty minutes from the Historic District.
From $400 per night
Any mandatory hotel fees are shown before you confirm.
Hotel Bennett
Four-star · Historic District & Upper King
A palazzo over Marion Square at the top of King Street, with the whole Historic District on foot from the door.
From $400 per night
Any mandatory hotel fees are shown before you confirm.
The Dunlin, Auberge Resorts Collection
Four-star · Kiawah Island & Kiawah River
Auberge's Lowcountry retreat of cottages and villas on the Kiawah River marsh, thirty-five minutes from downtown.
From $700 per night
Any mandatory hotel fees are shown before you confirm.
Charleston keeps its luxury in two places, from the Historic District to the beaches of the Lowcountry. In the Historic District the pastel houses and the church spires run down the peninsula to the Battery and King Street climbs past Marion Square; on Kiawah Island, fifty minutes south through the marsh, the beach and the Ocean Course and the tidal river hold the resorts. Most stays pair the two, a city night among the piazzas with days on the sand. We list three houses, each described at exactly the tier it holds, with a concierge behind every stay.
The neighborhoods
Historic District & Upper King
The historic peninsula from Marion Square to the Battery, with everything on foot. Along it run the pastel houses and the piazzas, the church spires, the market and the restaurants of King Street.
Kiawah Island & Kiawah River
The barrier island fifty minutes south through the marsh, with ten miles of beach and the Ocean Course. The island also holds the tidal river, the resorts behind its gates and the boats on the creeks.
Good to know
Which are the five-star hotels in Charleston?
One. The five-star hotel we list in Charleston is The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, the oceanfront house on Kiawah Island, fifty minutes south of the Historic District. Two more houses hold four-star standing: Hotel Bennett, the palazzo over Marion Square at the top of King Street; and The Dunlin, Auberge Resorts Collection, the retreat on the Kiawah River marsh. Each has its own page, reachable from the list above, with a concierge behind every stay.
Which part of Charleston should I stay in?
The Historic District and Upper King for the city: the Battery and the piazzas, the church spires, the market, the restaurants of King Street and the ferry to Fort Sumter, everything on foot from the door. Kiawah Island and the Kiawah River for the beach and the marsh, the Ocean Course, the bicycles and the boats, fifty minutes south through the Lowcountry with the island's own gates. Most stays pair a city night with the island.
When is the best time to visit Charleston?
March to May and September to November are the sweet spots: the azaleas and the garden weeks in spring, the Spoleto Festival at the turn of June, and a mild, clear autumn on the beaches. June to August is hot and humid with afternoon storms, and the island fills with families; December to February is mild and quiet, the city dressed for the holidays. Spoleto, the spring garden weekends and the autumn wedding season book first.
How do I get to Charleston — and do I need a visa?
Charleston International Airport lies north of the city, twenty minutes from the Historic District and about an hour from Kiawah Island. South Carolina is the United States: visitors from the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia and Japan enter on an approved ESTA for short stays, Canadians with a passport; the rules change, check them before you travel. The hotels arrange their own airport transfers; the island resorts sit behind Kiawah's gates.
How do I reserve a stay?
Search your dates on the hotel's page to see reference rates, then send the concierge a request. The concierge confirms exact rates and availability with you before anything is booked, and any payment and its timing are set out before you confirm.
