| there's an upscale brasserie, and a chic cocktail bar and tearoom, plus a sleek bar featuring a rooftop terrace. overlooking leafy marion square, this posh hotel in former federal building is a 3-minute walk from the charleston museum and 13 minutes' walk from the south carolina aquarium. check-in time: 3:00 pmcheck-out time: 12:00 pm. other amenities include a spa, a gym and open-air fitness classes. some have 4-poster beds, living rooms, dining areas and/or floor-to-ceiling windows with city views. featuring custom furniture and local artwork, the chic rooms and suites offer in-room bars, and marble bathrooms with free-standing tubs, as well as flat-screens and wi-fi access (fee)
Charleston International Airport 27 min
Rainbow Row (7 min)
Historic District cluster of 13 pastel-painted Georgian-style rowhouses dating from 1748 to 1845. South Carolina Aquarium (9 min)
Massive aquarium with interactive exhibits & hundreds of creatures, including many native species. Gibbes Museum of Art (11 min)
Portraits & landscapes dating back to the 1700s, housed in a century-old beaux arts-style building. Nathaniel Russell House (6 min)
Ornate, circa-1808 home known for its free-flying 3-story spiral staircase, with guided tours. Aiken-Rhett House Museum (6 min)
Tours of this historic home of an influential 1800s family include a back lot where slaves lived. Joe Riley Waterfront Park (6 min)
Well-known park with water views plus a large lawn, walkways & 2 fountains. Historic Charleston City Market (7 min)
4-block city market over 200 years old, with vendors of food, art & crafts like sweetgrass baskets. Fort Sumter National Monument (3 min)
Accessed by boat, this fort with ruins, gun emplacements & a museum saw the Civil War’s first shots. Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (6 min)
Sleek car bridge (with a bike/walking lane) whose triangular arches are illuminated at night. Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum (10 min)
Visitors can explore a retired Naval aircraft carrier, destroyer & submarine docked here year-round. Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon (7 min)
Costumed docents lead tours of this historic building, formerly a Revolutionary prison & City Hall. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (26 min)
Lush garden dating to pre-Revolutionary War times, with train & boat tours, plus a petting zoo. The Charleston Museum (3 min)
America's first museum, founded in 1773, exhibits relics from South Carolina & Confederate history. Old Slave Mart Museum (6 min)
Displays in this former slave auction building tell the story of the slave trade in Charleston. The Battery (10 min)
Landmark defensive seawall & promenade, lined by stately antebellum homes & historical monuments. | 
