World's Best

Travel + Leisure Readers' 15 Favorite Hotels in Charleston of 2023

Charming hotels took over the list of voter-ranked accommodations in our annual "World’s Best Awards" survey for 2023.

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Published on July 11, 2023

Throughout the past decade, plenty has changed in Charleston, South Carolina, but one thing has not: Travel + Leisure readers have ranked the Holy City the No. 1 city in the United States for more than 10 years running. During that time, new restaurants, bars, shops, and hotels have popped up in the historic lower peninsula neighborhoods and beyond, and the city has become all the more accessible thanks to increased airline routes to and from destinations around the country. But the things that make Charleston unique — a charming waterfront setting packed with history, top-notch drinking and dining, and warm Southern hospitality — entice visitors to travel down to the South Carolina Lowcountry year after year. And lucky for them, there are plenty of fantastic places to stay in Charleston — just ask our readers.

How Voting Works

Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Nearly 165,000 T+L readers completed the 2023 survey, an increase of nearly 25 percent over pre-pandemic voting levels. A total of more than 685,000 votes were cast across over 8,500 unique properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).

Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were specifically rated on the criteria below:

Rooms/facilities
Location
Service
Food
Value

For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.

City views from the rooftop bar at The Loutrel, in Charleston — Courtesy of The Loutrel

What Readers Loved

The 2023 list of reader-favorite hotels in Charleston shows that travelers really do love full-service luxury properties. That includes the palatial Hotel Bennett (No. 7) and the King Street icon, The Charleston Place (No. 12), along with beloved boutique hotels like French Quarter Inn (No. 8). HarbourView Inn (No. 9), which underwent a $1-million renovation in 2021, was praised by T+L readers for its excellent service; one reader even shared an anecdote in which the staff went “above and beyond” to cater to guests during a hurricane. Art-forward hotel The Vendue (refreshed just last year) in the No. 13 spot received praise for its rooftop bar and prime location, steps from some of the city’s top attractions.

Here are the hotels in Charleston that T+L readers can't stop raving about — starting with 2023's top property, Wentworth Mansion.

The Winner

Wentworth Mansion

After coming in second in last year’s ranking, Wentworth Mansion gained the top spot on this year’s list of the best hotels in Charleston. The historic home dating back to 1865 was transformed into a boutique hotel in 1997, welcoming guests to the picturesque Harleston Village neighborhood. Today the hotel offers 21 guest rooms and suites with period furnishings and modern comforts, and an expansive amenity menu includes daily breakfast, afternoon wine and hor d'oeuvres, complimentary valet parking, and fresh flowers. Several readers praised these amenities along with the hotel's warm service and interior design. One wrote, “From the rooms, to the staff, to the food, to the location ... the Wentworth Mansion is just OUTSTANDING.”