My husband and I just returned last week from a weekend getaway to Charleston, SC. During our visit we stayed at the Market Pavilion Hotel and I thought this was a wonderful place to stay if you are visiting the area and wanted to share our experience.
The hotel is located in downtown Charleston right next to the Charleston City Market and close to bars, restaurants, shopping, attractions, the waterfront and the cruise terminal.
Parking in downtown Charleston is at a premium. The hotel operates its own garage. When we arrived we pulled up in front of the hotel and a valet came out, and helped with our luggage before taking the car. Parking is valet only, currently at a cost of $25 per night.
Check-in was a smooth and easy process. We were provided two room keys, the hotel Wi-Fi password and cards to put charges on our room.
The hotel is only 5 stories with the top story being the Fitness Center, Pavilion Bar and pool.
The pool area is on the smaller side and for hotel guests only.
The rooftop bar, the Pavilion Bar which is adjacent to the pool is very popular due to its amazing views of the downtown area and draws people from outside the hotel. We did enjoy a few cocktails here one afternoon.
The bar offers beer, wine, as well as standard and specialty cocktails. A food menu of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and pizza is also available.
The fitness center is small with a couple pieces of cardio equipment and some weights. The equipment could use some updating but the room was well stocked with towels, bottled water and sanitizing wipes.
Our room was located on the 3rd Floor. We stayed in a Luxury King Guestroom. The room was very clean and spacious. There was a desk area and a separate seating area. The bathroom was all Italian marble with a separate tub and shower.
Amenities included robes, slippers, luxury bath products, and use of umbrellas in the event of rain, which sadly we needed.
Guest rooms are serviced twice a day with turndown service in the evening. Guests also have the option of once a day service or no service during their stay.
Every morning from 7 am to 10 am a continental breakfast was available near the elevators on each floor of the hotel.
Breakfast included pastries, muffins, croissants, and fresh fruit. Coffee and tea was also available from 7 am until 5 pm. From 2 pm to 5 pm fresh cookies and fruit were available.
Our last evening in Charleston we had dinner at Grill 225 which is the restaurant located on the main floor of the hotel. My husband and I split a bottle of wine. We started our meal with the Lowcountry Blue Carb Chowder and then my husband had the Filet Mignon and I had the Caesar Salad with Shrimp as our main course. We also shared the Carolina Peach Cobbler for dessert, delish!
For security reasons the hotel does lock the front doors once the restaurant closes for the night. If you are out past the restaurant hours you just call the front desk and someone will let you in. The front desk is staffed 24 hours a day and they post a sign on the front door with the hotel phone number.
I mentioned earlier that the hotel is located near the cruise terminal, walking distance actually. Currently Carnival Cruise Lines is offering 2-5 night sailings to the Bahamas through the end of 2024. This would be a very convenient place to stay before or after a cruise.
I would definitely stay here again. The hotel was overall well maintained and the staff friendly. Having the continental breakfast available in the morning made it so convenient to get going for the day. You don’t need a car to access many of the downtown attractions, shopping, bars, restaurants or the cruise terminal.