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The Planters Inn's Endless Summer

Where: 112 North Market Street [map], Charleston, SC, United States, 29401

We've kicked off our Summer Cocktails series where we profile fun new summer drinks that hotels are making. Got one we should know about? Send us the recipe with a photo of the drink. Otherwise, enjoy and @reply us when you're wasted!

This drink is the kind of drink that makes us wanna head to Charleston and the spend the afternoon just soaking up the Southern sunshine and hospitality. The Endless Summer is served at the Peninsula Grill at the Planters Inn, a luxury boutique hotel (only 64 rooms!) set within a restored historic building in the middle of Charleston.

The Endless Summer is mostly sweet (as it should be), made with Bacardi Silver, watermelon juice, lemon juice and a little bit of sprite. And it's only $10. So you could almost make this an endless drink as well. (Not that we here at HotelChatter advocate binge-drinking or anything!) Once you've had your fill at the Peninsula Grill (named “Charleston’s Best Restaurant” nine years in a row) get a room at the hotel. Summer specials start at $199 this summer for a superior queen room.

Wanna take the Endless Summer home with you? We've got the recipe for you below.

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Tags: WASP Hotels / Charleston Hotels / → All Tags

WASP Hotels: Play Genteel Southerner At HarborView Inn

Where: 2 Vendue Range [map], Charleston, SC, United States, 29401

The cocktail-sipping, scooner-sailing prepsters up in New England have nothing on the quail hunting, plantation dwelling WASPs living south of the Mason Dixon line. Charleston, S.C. could claim their headquarters. As famous travel writer Bill Bryson remarked of the city in his road-trip book The Lost Continent:

I walked away the afternoon, up and down the peaceful streets, secretly admiring all these impossibly happy and good-looking people and their wonderful homes and rich, perfect lives.

Where do the southern elite stay when visiting their Mecca? Well, HarbourView Inn, of course. They provide the hourly feedings that the aristocracy needs to maintain its indulgent lifestyle. Complimentary treats include flavored ice teas in the lobby, an afternoon wine and cheese reception, and freshly baked cookies and milk every evening.

Rooms come with four-poster beds with tempur-pedic mattresses, flat panel LCD TVs, and original artwork throughout. Best of all, it's only a few blocks from the restaurants, historic homes, and tour companies of Market Street.

[Photo: TripAdvisor]

Related Stories:
· WASP Hotels [HotelChatter]

Tags: Hotel Hell / Charleston Hotel Reviews / → All Tags

Mother-Daughter Destination Hell

For those women who don't get along with your mothers, Budget Travel has come up with a horrible idea--Mother-Daughter destinations. For those of you who do like your mothers (and we're assuming this is because your mother doesn't nag you about long your hair is, how short your nails are and why you can't find a normal job), Budget Travel says imagine the two of you as Southern belles in Charleston, South Carolina while staying at the Ashley Inn.

The combination of hospitable people, cobblestone streets, old buildings--more than 600 date from before the 1840s--and an overall genteel atmosphere makes Charleston, S.C., a perennial favorite for anyone who appreciates elegance and good manners.

However lovely as this sounds, reviews of the budget Ashley Inn (room rates start at $108) aren't quite so peachy. One reviewer, who had some of the nicest things to say about the hotel (those Southerners and their manners!), couldn't even overlook the hotel's biggest fault:

Our only issue with the Ashley was that the Inn is situated on a very busy street near the hospital. Our room did have a sound machine to help cancel out the traffic noise, but it wasn't very helpful.

We don't know what's worse--hospital traffic or a malfunctioning noise cancelling machine or the fact that this place was recommended for a mother-daughter getaway. On the plus side, the noisy traffic may cancel out whatever your mother is going on and on about.

Related Stories:
· Four Mother-Daughter destinations [Budget Travel]
· Ashley Inn reviews [TripAdvisor]

Tags: Hotel Heaven / → All Tags

French Quarter Inn

Where: 166 Church Street, [map], Charleston, SC, United States, 29401

[Ed. Note: Hotel Maven Cherylvl recently did a stint at the French Quarter Inn in Charleston, South Carolina which is the perfect spot for someone with a sweet tooth. Here's what she had to say. Enjoy]

Charleston is a great town and my husband and I were recently here for a food and wine festival. We had one of their king rooms with a balcony type porch that was really great. We could sit out with our cocktails and see the steeple of the old church up the street. The French Quarter Inn is small--only 50 rooms. The lobby is really pretty with this magnificent staircase that is all of wrought iron. We loved the peach tea and the M&Ms that they put in the lobby for us all day. I like a down pillow and Fred likes a firm pillow and because they have a pillow menu, we got to each have what we wanted. The staff at this four diamond inn is unbelievable. They knew everything about the area and really took time to answer all our questions.

Related Stories:
· French Quarter Inn reviews [TripAdvisor]

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What Is Up With Charleston Place?

Where: 205 Meeting Street [map], Charleston, SC, United States, 29401-3133

[Editor's Note: Ah, the divisive nature of hotel reviews. A Hotel Maven writes in claiming Charleston Place didn't live up to its billing:]

Charleston Place, supposedly the best hotel in Charleston, is far from it. Due to all of its great reviews, we were looking forward to having a great stay. We were wrong! When checking in, we asked to be upgraded from our club floor room to a suite. The woman replied, "YOU ARE THE UPGRADE!"

I do not like to be treated like that anywhere nonetheless when I am shelling out more than 400 dollars a night. We live nearby so we have tried other hotels in the Charleston area.

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Tags: Hotel Hell / → All Tags

Charleston Hotels: Phoebe Pember House

We are experienced travelers having stayed at B&Bs in San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Sant Fe, New Orleans, Italy, France and the UK. Without a doubt this one ranks way at the bottom of the list. We stayed in the Carriage House in a small room with nice bedlinens that could have used at least one or two rugs on the wood floors. The fireplace was not functional due to damage from hurricane Hugo MANY years ago.

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