The Bottom Line

Like Savannah, that other coastal jewel a 100 miles away, historic Charleston has developed an increasingly loyal following among gay travelers in recent years. It's a formal city in a socially conservative state, but the gay Charleston scene has become relatively open and quite fun. Many hotels now enthusiastically court the GLBT market, including the cushy Market Pavilion Hotel, a refined 70-room hotel overlooking the iconic Charleston City Market.


What stands out here almost as much as the dandy rooms is the staff - a friendly, efficient, and welcoming group who epitomize Southern hospitality.

Pros

• This staff is courteous and on the mark - couldn't be more professional
• There's an unbelievably good steak and seafood restaurant off the lobby
• Rooftop pool bar and gym afford snazzy views of Charleston skyline
• Hermes bath amenities and Italian marble bathrooms are super plush
• Spacious rooms with old Charleston decor and artwork

Cons

• Parking is tight - you pretty much have to valet it ($20/night)
• On a shoestring budget? Forget this one
• The rooftop pool, fabulous thought it is, closes at 4 p.m.

Description

• At 225 East Bay Street, in the heart of historic Charleston, a 15-minute walk from gay nightlife and steps from many museums.
• There 70 rooms and suites, the best on the concierge floor, which includes numerous perks and free snacks and beverages.
• In-room amenities include broadband (fee), cable TV, dual-line phones with personal numbers, Hermes bath products, and robes.

• Bathrooms have gilt-frame mirrors, and separate Italian marble showers and tubs; some suites have whirlpool tubs.
• Book online or call 800-440-2250 or 843-723-0500.
• Shopping, dining, and gay Charleston nightlife are within walking distance.
• Rooms start at $275, depending on the seasons.
• This is a mainstream hotel, but the management and staff are extremely welcoming of gay and lesbian guests.
• There's a rooftop pool open 8 to 4, and a small but well-equipped fitness center with 24-hour access.
• Grill 225, off the lobby, serves lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch - it's exceptional.

Guide Review - Market Pavilion Hotel, Charleston, SC

Opened in 2002, this posh Charleston hotel is a relative newcomer in a city that's long been famous for its luxury accommodations. But because the Market Pavilion occupies a 1880s building, and it's situated in the center of the city's venerable, colonial downtown, you could easily be fooled into thinking it's been around for decades.

The look of the 70 rooms and suites carries off the Old World look with easy grace. There's the elaborate egg-and-dart crown molding, the damask and silk fabrics imported from points afar, museum-quality oil paintings, and supremely comfy arm chairs and ottomans - you may very well feel as though you're staying in guest room of a distinguished Charleston family. A handful of exclusive corner suites come with added perks, such as hydrotherapy tubs and concierge-level privileges (true no matter what floor they're on).

In a town of traditions - and some say snobbery - it can be mildly challenging to provide solicitous service that doesn't come off as rigid or overly formal. But the Market Pavilion strikes a perfect balance. Employees here look carefully after guests but manage a genuinely gracious, relaxed rapport with them.

Plan to dine at least once in the hotel's commendable Grill 225 restaurant, an opulent, clubby space off the lobby with soaring ceilings and sumptuous banquettes upholstered in port-hued velvet. Decadently steaks are the specialty, such as tenderloin topped with foie gras, and a signature dessert of banana bread pudding smothered with caramel sauce and topped with caramel ice cream. The lavish Sunday buffet has quickly become a must-do among Charleston's elite. And up on the roof, the swish cocktail bar serves tempting snacks, such as lobster thermidor pizza. In other words, it's as much fun to hobnob and socialize at the Market Pavilion as it is to chill out in its richly appointed rooms.