Charleston is certainly not a massive urban epicenter like New York or London or Los Angeles. But with the number of new boutique hotels making their way onto the scene in the Holy City, you’d think that it was expanding at the same pace as those larger cities. And in all fairness, it is. In 2021, the Charleston area added 500 more hotel rooms to its resume.

Ninety-one of those rooms belong to The Ryder Hotel, which opened last spring. Formerly the Best Western on Meeting Street and just steps from the city market, The Ryder is a completely revamped and renovated property. Long gone are the dated interiors of the Best Western. In its place, you’ll find a vintage South Beach meets Palm Springs vibe that feels simultaneously relaxing and hip.
(The hotel is appropriately named after a character in a Jack Kerouac novel.) The interior design overhaul was led by local Charleston designer Cortney Bishop, who infused everything from the lobby to the guest rooms with a tropical vintage aesthetic that you won’t see anywhere else in the city’s hotel offerings. While the rooms are not as luxurious as those in places like Hotel Bennett, the casual, laid-back aesthetic is fun, playful, and a welcoming respite after a long day touring the city.

The hotel’s pool and hotel bar, Little Palm, pop with color and energy as locals and visitors alike pack the poolside cabanas and retro pool deck for happy hour when the weather is warm. Tropical low-ABV cocktails and small bites such as tuna poke coupled with an ultra-hip bohemian coastal vibe transport you out of the Lowcountry and straight onto a South Florida beach. The lobby coffee bar can whip up an afternoon latte or iced coffee before a morning stroll or business meeting.

When it comes to its dining offerings, Charleston never disappoints. While the city’s restaurant scene did not go unscathed during Covid—it said goodbye to staples such as Blossom, Jestine’s Kitchen, and McCrady’s—what’s opened since is a telling sign of how strong the dining scene is in Charleston. In late 2021, The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, the restaurant group behind O-Ku Sushi and Oak Steakhouse, opened not one but two popular eateries. In fall 2021, Mexican eatery Maya opened on Upper King Street, just steps from O-Ku. The main draw here is the authentic, ingredient-driven menu with hints of a coastal influence. Small-plate appetizers such as the Tostada De Atun with yellowfin tuna poke paired with smashed avocado and a delicious salsa macha atop handmade corn tortillas elevate your average Mexican fare to out of this world. The brisket taco, though, is the ultimate menu highlight: suadero-style brisket that’s so tender you can cut it with a fork, complemented with a tangy salsa roja and fresh guacamole to create the best taco you’ve ever eaten.

Across town, Indigo took a completely different concept and turned it into one of the hottest reservations in Charleston. Brasserie La Banque opened in historic South of Broad in a circa-1700s bank and serves some of the best French cuisine in the South. The menu was designed by seasoned Charleston chef and French gastronome Jeb Aldrich and is chock-full of classic French dishes with an innovative twist on some. The most coveted seats in the house are at the far end of the bar, where a foursome of stools is
reserved for a chef’s tasting. The immersive experience not only allows you to taste some of Aldrich’s best dishes, but it also provides that one-on-one time with the chef to watch preparation and ask questions as each dish is plated.

Charleston is constantly bustling with tourists, so sometimes it’s worth getting out of town for a bit. Grab a picnic lunch and a bottle of rosé from Caviar & Bananas and drive out to the countryside to nearby Drayton Hall or Middleton Place. Both have shaded places for throwing down a blanket, sipping wine, and noshing on paninis before touring the historic properties.