Just in time for the new year, the long-awaited Hotel Bennett will make its debut on Charleston’s Marion Square. It’s been years in the making and, now, this prime piece of property on King Street will roll out the red carpet for its first guests to discover the rooftop pool, French patisserie, spa and grand ballroom. Billed as “the souths’ grandest new luxury hotel,” Hotel Bennett takes its cue from European classic design—starting with the marble lobby.
There will be 179 guestrooms decorated with custom furnishings and oversized bathrooms with deep soaking tubs. Some rooms come with furnished terraces for appreciating the views over Historic Charleston. The suites are spacious, starting at 550 square feet (one bedroom) and continuing to 1,135 square feet in the Presidential Suite, complete with indoor/outdoor dining and a large wraparound terrace with sun loungers. Note that the Concierge Club will offer VIP service and additional amenities.
In a city renowned for its dining scene, Hotel Bennett hopes to draw the local crowds to its F&B concepts: A signature, two-level restaurant serving refined Southern cuisine, the rooftop bar (where yoga classes will also take place), the French-style patisserie, and Camellias, designed with reclaimed pink marble from the former Charleston Library.
The hotel is owned by local developer Michael Bennett, aka “the King of King Street,” whose Bennett Hospitality Group comprises a number of restaurants, hotels, commercial buildings and a music hall. Hotel Bennett will be managed by Salamander Hotels & Resorts, the Middleburg, Virginia-based hospitality company founded in 2005 by billionaire Sheila Johnson, a co-founder of BET.
The charming Southern city continues its popularity streak with a number of stylish new hotels including The Spectator and the Grand Bohemian.