On our recent trip to Charleston, South Carolina, I was in charge of the activities and my husband was in charge of lodging and breakfast. I picked several literary activities to fill our schedule, and he picked French Quarter Inn for our accommodations. While I planned on sharing our itinerary, I did not plan on writing a hotel review for the French Quarter Inn.
In the end though, it was such a relaxing place to stay that I wanted to share it with you all (in the South, that’s ya’ll). Hopefully, this will help you make a decision about where you’ll stay next when you visit Charleston, SC.
Instead of a layout of the details and specs, I’m going to give you five reasons French Quarter Inn is a great place to stay when you’re visiting Charleston, SC. If these are the kind of perks that you are looking for when you travel, then this is going to be a great place to stay! If you have other priorities, then it probably isn’t a good choice. Fair enough?
(Before we go any farther I want to be clear that this is NOT a sponsored post. We paid for all our accommodations. The opinions and experiences mentioned in this hotel review of the French Quarter Inn are all my own.)
Five Reasons to Stay at the French Quarter Inn at Charleston
1. Champagne Welcome (and maybe M&M’s)
When the front desk staff asked if I’d like a glass of champagne, I hesitated. I’m not normally a big champagne drinker, but it was the small containers of M&M’s on the table in front of the check-in counter that distracted me. I assume they were for children (brilliant move, I might add). I considered asking for an M&M treat instead of the champagne, and I came reeeeeeaaaaaalllly close to doing that. But in the end, I opted for the champagne. It was definitely the right choice!
2. Location, Location, Location
We didn’t fully appreciate the centrality of French Quarter Inn until we started planning our walking routes the next day.
Multiple times we went out for a couple hours and then came easily back to our room to rest for a bit. Out and about to walk, back for a bit to rest. It was walking distance to just about everything on our itinerary. And even if our itinerary is not your itinerary (to see what we did, check out Literary Charleston), it is easy walking distance to Market Street and King Street – two of the main streets for tourists to visit. It honestly doesn’t get better than that.
Now, you may also be aware that finding a hotel centrally located in a bustling city is a mixed blessing. Great location for planning outings. Terrible location if you want to get some sleep. Our room was on the third floor and looked out at a beautiful church steeple and….an Irish pub. Bagpipes on Saturday night, anyone?
In all honesty though, we noticed the noise when we were awake, but it was well muffled and neither of us had a problem falling asleep like we have in other big city spots.
I noticed on Sunday morning, too late for us to use, that the hotel had supplied a white noise machine on the desk just in front of the window. A perfect touch for acknowledging the noise and offering an innovative solution. Even though we didn’t get to use it, I appreciated the gesture and was impressed by that small consideration.
The location is perfect.
3. Size
The third reason French Quarter Inn is a great place to stay is the just-right balance they’ve achieved. They are large and grand in all the right places but without overdoing it. Let me explain.
We never felt crowded or overwhelmed during our weekend stay. In fact, we maybe saw three other couples while we were there (and we overheard the front desk clerk tell several callers that the hotel was fully booked for the weekend).
The lobby area is arranged around the entrance of a beautiful spiral staircase. Not only did this keep the area from becoming bunched with people, but it facilitated an elegant dynamic.
The bedroom and the bathroom were spacious enough to accommodate movement without tripping over one another (we stayed in a room with a King-size bed). This typically isn’t a problem in the bedroom spaces of hotels, but bathrooms normally seem to be the size of closets. Not this one.
Our entire family of four could have stood comfortably in the bathroom. Obviously, we wouldn’t do that. It would be weird. But, that’s how spacious it was. And I gotta say, it was nice to use the toilet without feeling like I could simultaneously turn on the shower and the sink.
4. Cookies and Milk
As if the champagne welcome wasn’t enough, French Quarter Inn offers milk and cookies (and hot tea or decaf coffee if that’s your thing) in the evening. What?
I loved this touch! The cookies were delicious and had a few varieties available. It was an unexpected and friendly detail.
And breakfast! This is one we didn’t try for ourselves because we wanted to try an off-site breakfast location, but we looked long and hard at the breakfast options. French Quarter Inn offers a complimentary European continental breakfast. You can eat in the lobby area, on the terrace, or have it delivered to your room. Fresh fruit, bagels, and baked goods were available, but I was most tempted by their petite quiches! If we had stayed for one more day, breakfast in the room would have been irresistible.
5. All the Little Extras
At the end of the day service and room accommodations are the foundation of a good hotel experience. French Quarter Inn has a good foundation.
The welcoming and thoughtful features are enough to recommend the space (the hotel review practically writes itself), but French Quarter Inn includes details and amenities that make it stand apart from other places.
But there were other distinctions that stood out to me. The art on the walls, in both the common areas and the rooms, reflected a range of styles and themes – it was tasteful and distinct. In other words, it didn’t appear to be purchased in bulk from “artwork for hotels dot com.”
There is an option to rent bicycles. The touring bikes had convenient baskets on the front, and we saw cyclists riding in the morning and evening. The website suggests an excursion on the Ravenel Bridge, and we did see a few bicyclists using the walking/biking lanes (set apart from the road traffic) while we were driving over the bridge.
Finally, on the day of our check-in we found a small welcome card that had a hand-written listing of the days’ expected weather and temperatures. Such a small detail but a thoughtful addition for those traveling from out-of-town.
This list reflects the level of care and consideration that French Quarter Inn brings to its hospitality from small details to large-scale first impressions. Taste, touch, smell, feel, and sound are accounted for in the little extras that they include.
French Quarter Inn Hotel Review: All Good?
The moment of truth for a hotel review, including the French Quarter Inn, is always in asking if there was something we didn’t like. I think, for us as a couple it was a perfect getaway. Indeed, what many of the accolades mention or reflect is that this is a great place for couples.
I would advise caution if you are bringing a family. I think older children would do quite well here. M&M’s and cookies are obvious nods to creating a family-welcoming environment. I would not say that French Quarter Inn is child-friendly in the primary colors, child’s breakfast options, loud-noise-inviting sort of way.
Only you know how well your children behave while traveling and can gauge what their response would be to more formal surroundings. French Quarter Inn does take their young visitors into consideration, but the Inn is not geared toward children. Does that makes sense?
The other factor that will be a determinant for many travelers is price. We were able to afford our visit with reward points and a short stay. You do get what you pay for so whatever grumblings you may have about cost, remember that French Quarter Inn delivers quality, exceptional service. You will have a relaxing and memorable visit to Charleston. But again, you need to decide what your budget will be and what you most want to invest in.
Neither comment is a negative, just a consideration. I don’t know that I could think of something negative to say about our experience. We had a wonderful time and were 100% delighted with French Quarter Inn.
Back to Reality
I chuckled when I read their website, and it said that their goal was to make visitors feel at home. I’m not sure whose home they’re talking about, but they succeeded in creating a welcoming space that is elegant and luxurious for their guests. (Incidentally, nothing like the current state of affairs in my home!)
Now, back to reality!
What priorities do you have for the place that you stay when you travel? Are you more anywhere and anytime or luxurious and elegant?
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