Charleston, South Carolina Bed and Breakfast Hot Spots: The Song of the South

Charleston in South Carolina’s picturesque Low Country has long been recognized as one of the nation’s top cities. Conde Nast Traveler readers have rated Charleston not only a top U.S. city, but named it one of the world’s best. With its multitude of attractions from historic sites to golf, as well as fine restaurants and outstanding bed and breakfasts, it is little wonder why it’s a top vacation spot.

The Thomas Lamboll House 

Year built: 1740. A Colonial South Carolina judge, Thomas Lamboll, was the first resident of this impressive Colonial located in Charleston’s historic district. The bed & breakfast features two stories of piazzas set up with wicker furnishings, where guest can enjoy a cool afternoon breeze. The rooms are appointed with fine antiques, including Chippendale chairs and an early 19th century sideboard in the dining room. There are two guest rooms, each with French doors leading to the piazzas, which overlook the rooftops and the river in the distance.

King George IV InnYear built: 1792. The bed and breakfast is a four-story Federal-style bed & breakfast with three levels of Charleston style porches. All guest rooms have fireplaces, 11-foot ceilings and 6-foot windows with architectural moldings and wide planked hardwood floors. The house had been lived in for many years by Peter Freneau, a prominent Charleston journalist, merchant, ship owner and Jeffersonian politician. A southern style breakfast is served daily in the breakfast room or may be eaten on the porches. The B&B is located in the heart of the historic shopping and dining district.

Kings Courtyard Inn

Year built: 1853. Having a Greek Revival-style with unusual touches of Egyptian detail, this three-story building was designed by architect Francis D. Lee. The B&B originally catered to plantation owners, shipping interests, and merchant guests.  Some rooms offer fireplaces, canopied beds and views of the two inner courtyards or the garden. The building is one of historic King Street’s largest and oldest structures and is at the center of Charleston’s historic district.

John Rutledge House Inn 
Year built: 1763. This B&B is one of Charleston’s most magnificent, not only for its décor and hospitality, but also for its rich history. John Rutledge, first governor of South Carolina, Supreme Court Justice, and an author and signer of the U.S. Constitution, wrote first drafts of the document in the stately ballroom of this Charleston home. In 1791, George Washington dined in the same room. The recently restored bed & breakfast includes three lavish suites with elaborately carved Italian marble fireplaces, personal refrigerators, and spas.  They are furnished with fine antiques and reproductions. Breakfast and afternoon tea are included.

Fulton Lane Inn

Year built: 1870. Confederate blockade runner John Rugheimer built this charming brick home a few years after the Civil War ended. Bright, cheery décor and fine furnishings highlight the architecture, which includes cathedral ceilings and several fireplaces. The bed & breakfast affords views of the city skyline. Guest rooms are decorated with canopy beds draped with hand-strung netting. The bathrooms offer whirlpool tubs. The innkeepers also include a stocked refrigerator in each room, and deliver breakfast on a silver tray.

Two Meeting Street Inn
Year built: 1892. Located directly on the Battery, horses and carriages carry visitors past the B&B, perhaps the most photographed in Charleston. In Queen Anne style, this Victorian has an unusual veranda graced by several ornate arches. The same family has owned and managed the bed & breakfast since 1946 with no lapse in Southern hospitality. Among the elegant amenities are original Tiffany stained glass windows, English oak paneling and exquisite collections of silver and antiques. Continental breakfast is served in the formal dining room or side garden and low country afternoon tea featuring elegantly served local recipes is a much anticipated daily interlude.

Victoria House Inn
Year built: 1898. Enjoy the gracious décor of the Victorian era while staying at this beautiful Romanesque-style B&B, located in the heart of Charleston’s historic district along King Street’s famed Antique Row. Some rooms boast cozy working fireplaces, while others feature romantic whirlpool baths and views of King Street. Champagne breakfast and a daily newspaper are delivered to the bedchambers each morning, enjoy a glass of sherry or wine in the afternoon.

Belvedere B&B 
Year built: 1900. This Colonial Revival bed & breakfast features a semicircular portico, Ionic columns and four piazzas. This B&B offers a beautiful view of Charleston’s Colonial Lake. There are three guest rooms, each featuring high ceilings, polished wood floors, 4 poster beds with canopies, fireplaces and all furnished with beautiful antiques and Oriental rugs. A full breakfast is served each morning in the formal dining room.

Still undecided? Log onto www.iloveinns.com and browse through the 19,000 B&Bs and country inns that specialize in other events and locations that may interest you. Many of the properties listed above are also in the best-selling bed and breakfast guide book Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns with a Buy-One-Night-Get-One-Night-Free Certificate. ILoveInns also offers Bed and Breakfast Gift Certificates, a perfect solution to help celebrate any occasion.