Hotel Bennett

With its marble-floored rotunda lobby, Hotel Bennett channels the grand European hotels of yore, complete with murals of Charleston harbor and tufted banquettes. The 179 guest rooms, plush with upholstered headboards, are outfitted with shelves full of books, a nod to the Charleston County Library, which once sat on this site, and their own pedestal tubs. Get a glimpse of the ocean from the rooftop pool or work out your kinks at the intimate, modern spa.

Set like a crown jewel on Marion Square, the hotel puts you steps from Charleston’s bustling heart. Within a few blocks, there are ocean-faring bites to be found at Darling Oyster Bar, The Ordinary, and Chez Nous, and it’s a central starting point for venturing out toward the city’s boutiques, galleries, and historical sites.

The grandness of the hotel is matched by its many dining options. The place to start is Camellias, a Champagne lounge just off the lobby that feels like the inside of a jewel box, from its all-pink motif to the sparkling crystal and floral accents. Pair your bubbles, with the chilled poached shrimp with fresh horseradish and a half dozen oysters on the half shell. Slip into Gabrielle, the fine dining room, for the formal decadence of dishes like crab maison with trout roe, and a side of Anson Mills grits with foie gras butter. Fiat Lux is a casually elegant space on the rooftop for gimlets and a view of the Cooper Bridge, while La Pâtisserie, the street-front all-day French bakery, provides coffee, wines, and elegant pastries, like puffy butterscotch brioche and a warm and flaky ham-and-cheese croissant.