Planters Inn, Charleston, South Carolina

We recently travelled to Charleston in South Carolina for our friends' wedding ceremony. The wedding invitation came with some helpful information for those travelling from abroad, including recommendations for hotels located in the centre of downtown Charleston. From this list the Planters Inn boutique luxury hotel stood out to us, as it is perfectly situated on the corner of Meeting and Market Streets in the Charleston Historic District and the only Relais & Châteaux hotel in Charleston (we were so impressed with the Château Monfort in Milan that we decided to check out another hotel from this luxury hospitality brand). 

Originally built in 1844, the Planters Inn with its chandeliers, high ceilings and period style furnishings exudes old world charm. Upon arrival we were greeted by friendly porters who whisked our bags away so that we could check in at the reception with ease. It is these little touches that really set the luxury hotels apart from the rest. The lobby, decorated with antiques and gold-framed oil portraits, has a homey feel (but think more sophisticated southern mansion homey than cosy cottage homey). As we had arrived earlier than expected, our room wasn't quite ready and so we retired to the drawing room where we enjoyed complimentary tea and coffee while our room was being prepared.

We stayed in a Premier Grand King room on the first floor overlooking the garden courtyard. It was wonderfully spacious with a mahogany four-poster bed and my all time favourite feature in a hotel room - a working fireplace. The en-suite had spa quality amenities, fluffy bathrobes and a generous shower. Again, it was those little touches by the Planters Inn staff that really made this a five star experience. Each evening you return to your room to discover the lights dimmed, mellow music playing and freshly baked Peninsula Grill macarons on your pillow. 

I have one major regret and that is that we did not have time to dine in the hotel's Peninsula Grill restaurant. We had so many fun wedding activities over the weekend from the rehearsal dinner to the post-wedding brunch that we simply didn't have time to fit it in. While we did not dine in the Peninsula Grill, we did take a peep in on our way back from the rehearsal dinner. Through an archway and down a garden path you will discover the best seats in the restaurant illuminated by gas carriage lanterns and soft candlelight. It is easy to see why Peninsula Grill is considered one of Charleston's most romantic restaurants. 

It takes quite a bit for me to pass on a romantic restaurant, especially one with a famous decadent dessert! It still haunts me that I did not get to taste the Peninsula Grill's famous 12 layer Ultimate Coconut Cake, but its also not every day that you get a personal tour of Charleston's creeks and as you will see from the fiancé's picture below, we had the absolute perfect day for it.