The Spectator Hotel

The Spectator Hotel

At the corner of State and Linguard Streets, one block from Charleston City Market, The Spectator Hotel occupies a four-floor, 41-room building that opened in 1999 and still wears its Jazz Age references in Art Deco furnishings and gold trim. It sits within a five-minute walk of the Port of Charleston Cruise Terminal and a short stroll from Waterfront Park, close enough to cover the historic district on foot. What separates it from the boutique hotels around it is the butler assigned to every guest, the only such service in Charleston, handling dinner reservations, a pressed shirt, or a gourmet continental breakfast with Nespresso coffee delivered to the room each morning. Rooms hold Deep Steep bath amenities, heated towel racks and Carrera marble vanities, the kind of detail that rewards someone paying attention rather than someone chasing square footage. Downstairs, the Prohibition-style bar, once named among the country's top five by USA TODAY, pours a private-label bourbon and classic cocktails on green leather stools, an easy reason not to leave the building for the evening. The hotel holds a Green Key Global Eco-Rating, running an on-site food waste digester and full LED lighting as quiet policy rather than marketing. This suits people who want a fixed point in the historic district with someone else handling the logistics, couples marking an occasion, solo travelers who prefer a small hotel to a large chain. It suits less anyone bringing a pet, since none are allowed, or anyone who wants a resort roster of facilities. Parking runs 34 dollars a day, and early check-in is available only on request. The butler, not the marble, is the reason to pick it over its neighbors. One block from Charleston City Market, this 41-room 1999 hotel assigns every guest a personal butler, the only hotel in the city to do so. Rooms feature Nespresso machines and Carrera marble baths, and the Prohibition-style bar was named among the country's top five by USA TODAY.