Why we love it: A historic building turned stylish hotel with a buzzy restaurant and lavish spa

The Highlights:
- Chic decor that mixes historic preservation with contemporary style
- A rooftop cocktail bar with citrus-inspired drinks
- Amenities like an on-site boutique, open-air yoga, and house car service

The Review:
Much has been written about Charleston’s antebellum charms, but modernists seeking respite need look no further than The Dewberry, a 1960s federal building on Marion Square that’s now one of the city’s coolest hotels. Here, a wood-paneled lobby gives way to a cozy living room straight out of Mad Men, complete with mid-century furnishings, antiqued mirrors, live music, and a brass bar serving up deviled eggs and classic cocktails. Up a flight of stairs, the second-floor spa features tufted-velvet recliners and treatments that incorporate Lowcountry flora, plus a full-service fitness center and open-air yoga classes on the hotel rooftop.

The 155 light-filled guest rooms are equally stylish, with luxurious Irish linens, marble baths, and armoires clad in custom-printed linen by local illustrator Becca Barnet. Barnet’s work is also on display in the by-reservation-only Citrus Club, a rooftop lounge with craft cocktails and light bites overlooking the Holy City’s famed steeples. For a heartier meal, guests can head to on-site restaurant Henrietta’s, where traditional French brasserie fare meets local ingredients. Rounding things out are unique amenities like house car service in luxury Volvos, complimentary Papillionaire bicycles, and a boutique curated by Garden & Gun, with fashion, barware, jewelry, and more from Southern artisans and craftsmen.

More Recommendations

The Dewberry Charleston

The Dewberry is a sophisticated pastiche of time-honored Southern style and streamlined mid-century modern design inspired by the hotel’s original building. The L. Mendel Rivers Federal building, built in 1965, was long considered a city eyesore until John Dewberry rescued it, giving the facade a lime-washed makeover and restoring the hurricane-ravaged interiors. The crisp and elegant guest rooms overlook Marion Square, and Charleston’s trendy crowd are often found Instagramming the black-and-white floors at brasserie Henrietta’s or drinking a handcrafted cocktail at the Living Room’s brass bar. Local tradition is also reflected in the spa’s Lowcountry botanical treatments, in the Black Tap coffee roasted on nearby James Island, and in the hotel’s Fieldshop, with gifts and objets d’art curated by Garden & Gun magazine. It’s the South reimagined, but without forgetting its old-fashioned manners.

The Dewberry

The Dewberry is a great example of Charleston‘s latest choice to repurpose an old building instead of demolishing it. It is across from Marion Square in the heart of downtown Historic Charleston. This photo was taken as part of the walking tour King Cotton, Slavery and the Planter Aristocracy.

Information on this page, including website, location, and opening hours, is subject to have changed since this page was last published. If you would like to report anything that’s inaccurate, let us know at notification@afar.com.

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