This Luxury Hotel Is Charleston’s Best Holiday Season Getaway
With fall in full swing, holiday travel planning is fast approaching on the horizon–and for those keen on a festive, easy-to-reach getaway, arguably few stateside destinations pack as much punch as Charleston, South Carolina. The South's senior city, established by English colonists in 1670 on the west bank of the Ashley River, is steeped in history and character, brimming with breathtaking colonial homes and churches, verdant parks and gardens, and a bustling downtown chockablock with buzzy restaurants, iconic attractions, and chic boutiques.
And few hotels in this perennial favorite coastal enclave serve up soignée Southern charm quite like The Dewberry , which opened its doors in 2016 and has since emerged as one of the grand dames of America's below-the-Mason-Dixon-Line hotel scene.
Overlooking leafy Marion Square in the city's historic downtown, the hotel occupies the landmark L. Mendel Rivers Federal Building, which was commissioned by John F. Kennedy in the early 1960s and ranks among Charleston's few examples of mid-century modern architecture. John Dewberry, an Atlanta-based real estate developer, bought the building in 2008; a newcomer to the hotel business, he was determined to preserve its notable standalone attributes while creating a luxury hotel that offered a distinctly modern take on the storied warmth and hospitality of the American South–"Southern Reimagined," as he aptly coined the property's defining ethos.
The result–after a painstaking, eight-year conversion–is a see-and-be-seen social hub that continues to attract a burgeoning array of well-heeled tourists and locals alike. (Since 2020, Charleston International Airport has seen a 68.3% increase in passengers , from about two million to more than six million per year.)
Its 153 rooms meld artful, understated design with floor-to-ceiling windows and top-tier creature comforts–like luxe mattresses imported from Ireland, custom designed Stickley armoires, and spa-like bathrooms outfitted with Vermont Danby marble, refined brass fixtures, and walk-in showers. Suites–including The John Derian Flat, decorated with the artist's acclaimed decoupage works and vintage pieces to evoke the cozy respite of a sophisticated world traveler–feature plush velvet sofas and leather wingback chairs, amber-hued area lighting, and an earthy color palette that soothingly references the singular landscapes of the South Carolina Lowcountry.
Fittingly, the hotel's common spaces are meticulously conceived to both cultivate and celebrate the consummate conviviality that is Charleston's calling card. On the ground floor, The Living Room, filled with thoughtfully arranged, mid-century modern seating areas, serves as a prime gathering spot for cocktails and light bites, while its gleaming brass bar offers an uber-glam perch for a spicy margarita or a Dewberry Old Fashioned (Coopers' Craft Barrel Reserve Bourbon, Demerara sugar, bitters, orange oil, and cherry).
Nestled between The Living Room and the lobby stands the hotel's latest notable addition. The Shop , comprised of two jewel-box boutiques, showcases an inspired array of objets d'art, accessories, and home furnishings, as well as Dewberry signature amenities, art, and antiques–enticing visitors to take a piece of the property's unique aesthetic home with them. And given its robust schedule of seasonal collaborations and pop-ups, The Shop is ever-evolving–and never the same shop twice.
"The Shop debuted in February and has been a wonderful complement to shopthedewberry.com ," says Jaimie Dewberry, John Dewberry's wife and the hotel's creative director, who also serves as director of The Dewberry Foundation. "Woven into the décor—and perhaps my most favorite aspect of the opening—are the unique 'found' items that were sourced by John and me during our travels throughout the world."
And the hotel's crown jewel? The sprawling Citrus Club, which presides over the Holy City from its eighth-floor perch–earning it the enviable distinction as the highest rooftop bar in Charleston. Featuring zingy, top-shelf cocktails (don't miss the Spicy Coconut Margarita and the Pineapple Old Fashioned) and tasty snacks (Crispy Piña Colada Shrimp and Edamame Hummus are standouts), served on a sun-splashed terrace studded with comfy seating and greenery galore, it leads the list of the hottest spots (and hardest-to-score reservations, unless you're a hotel guest) in town, awash in dazzling, 360-degree views of the steepled cityscape and the Atlantic Ocean beyond.
While The Dewberry's myriad amenities may make it difficult to leave–there's also a lovely and luxurious spa, complete with cypress-covered walls and Natura Bissé treatments–the hotel can arrange an inspired array of can't-miss local experiences. As the exclusive Charleston hotel partner of Barton & Gray , the property offers guests the opportunity to book a luxury charter aboard a classic Hinckley Talaria to explore Charleston and its barrier islands by sea, with on-board catering options and amenities deftly handled by the concierge. You can also partake in a private introduction to The Charleston Library Society –the oldest cultural institution in the South–or explore the city and its environs in one of the hotel's Volvo XC90 Recharge house cars.
"As the hotel enters its eighth year, I'm pleased that The Dewberry remains the choice for discerning travelers visiting Charleston," says John Dewberry. "We maintain our hallmark, Southern Reimagined, with one-of-a-kind partnerships and experiences, as well as the continual refinement of our design and services."
