Planters Inn

The Hotel

Planters Inn has been a Relais & Chateaux member since 1994, which tells you something about its commitment to a particular standard of hospitality. Located at the corner of Meeting and Market Streets in the most historically rich block of the Historic District, it occupies a 19th-century brick building that has been converted and maintained with the kind of careful attention that Relais membership requires.

The 64 rooms are individually decorated with antiques, four-poster beds, period-appropriate fabrics, and a general disposition toward comfort over novelty. Rooms facing the piazza — the covered porch that runs the length of the building — offer one of Charleston's most characteristic architectural experiences: rocking chairs, ceiling fans, and the ambient sound of Market Street below. Upper-floor piazza rooms are the most sought-after in the property.

Peninsula Grill, attached to the hotel but operating under its own kitchen command, is considered one of the top dining destinations in the South. The menu is Lowcountry-influenced fine dining — Carolina Gold rice, local shrimp, seasonal produce from farms within driving distance — executed at a level that earns its reputation without requiring you to have memorised a food magazine to enjoy it. The ultimate coconut cake is the dessert that the city talks about. Book a table for your first night; it is the correct way to begin a Charleston stay.

Best for Proposal

The combination of Peninsula Grill and a piazza suite is among the more coherent proposal setups available in any American city. The concierge team understands discretion — ring box in the suit jacket, champagne timed to the dessert, piazza access arranged for the after-dinner walk. Charleston's church bells provide the soundtrack without being asked. The Relais standard of service means nothing about this evening will go wrong on the hotel's part.

Best for Anniversary

Planters Inn works particularly well for milestone anniversaries. The piazza architecture, the candlelit dining room, and the 19th-century building's accumulated character provide the kind of atmosphere that makes an evening feel like more than just a dinner. The hotel does not try to be contemporary — its confidence is in its provenance and its consistency, which is precisely the quality that makes a significant anniversary feel properly marked.

Rates from $299/night. Check availability directly.