Charleston Travel Advisor: A Local’s Guide to Booking Charleston With VIP Perks

It’s no secret that I love Charleston (I fell in love with it so much we decided to make it our home!). As a Charleston luxury travel advisor, I book Charleston’s best hotels for my clients constantly, and when you book through me you get VIP perks like daily breakfast, a hotel credit and an upgrade when one is available, at no extra cost.

Because I live here, and know every hotel and restaurant like the back of my hand, I can tell you which rooms are worth it, where the locals actually eat, and how to get a table at Chubby Fish. Here’s how I plan Charleston trips, the hotels I recommend (and stay at myself), and how to book yours with me so you get free breakfast, champagne at check in, resort credits and more.

Plan your Charleston trip with me or book it yourself (with my perks like free resort credits and breakfast every day!) on my private portal (password: JETSETTERS).

Why Book Charleston With a Local Travel Advisor?

• Free VIP perks like daily breakfast for two (or a breakfast credit), a hotel credit at most properties, an upgrade on arrival when available, a welcome amenity, and early check in or late check out.
• Honest room advice. Charleston’s boutique hotels can have small rooms, and I’ll tell you which categories actually fit your group.
• The right neighborhood. Upper King, the waterfront, or the beach on Kiawah or Isle of Palms? I’ll help you choose.
• A local’s restaurant list. When you book with me, you get my list of the restaurants locals actually fight for.
• Planning for celebrations. Anniversaries, girls’ trips, bachelorettes and family weekends are what I plan most here.

The Charleston Hotels I Recommend (and Why)

The Cooper

If I’m picking where to stay in Charleston, The Cooper is it. It’s the peninsula’s first true luxury waterfront hotel, with a rooftop pool, a serious spa and a marina full of boats right outside. We stayed here with our two kids, and they even put little baby robes in the room. My honest advice: the standard rooms are a little small, so for couples I book a Waterfront King with Balcony, and for families a Waterfront One Bedroom Suite. Order the Battery Rose Margarita at Bar Marti (my favorite drink in Charleston right now) and book dinner at The Crossing. Read my full Cooper Charleston review.

Hotel Bennett and The Dewberry

Hotel Bennett is my pick for couples and girls’ trips, and if you’re celebrating a honeymoon, an anniversary or a big birthday, the terrace suites are the rooms in town I’d put you in. The Dewberry is for design lovers, and The Living Room downstairs is the best hotel bar in Charleston for a quiet drink. Here’s my full comparison: The Cooper vs. The Dewberry vs. Hotel Bennett.

Boutique Charleston Favorites

For a smaller, charming stay, I love The Pinch (be sure to book Lowland, and the shopping across the street is the best block of King Street) and Planter’s Inn, a Relais & Chateaux inn in the historic district. See all of the cutest boutique hotels in and around Charleston.

The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island and Wild Dunes

These are our go-to staycations, and I’ve stayed at The Sanctuary and The Dunlin more than once. I’m a beach girl through and through, so The Sanctuary wins for me, especially with kids (Kamp Kiawah is one of the best-run kids clubs I’ve seen on the East Coast, and the Club Level upgrade is worth it). Wild Dunes on Isle of Palms is a favorite for families who want more action, and I recommend the Sweetgrass Inn by the family pools. Compare them in The Sanctuary vs. The Dunlin and Kiawah vs. Wild Dunes.

How Booking Charleston With Me Works

1. Tell me where and when. Send me your dates, who’s traveling and what you’re celebrating (or just the vibe you want, if you’re still deciding where to stay). The form at the bottom of this page comes straight to me.

2. I send you hotel options with your perks. I compare rates and offers for your dates and show you exactly which perks come with each one, plus the room I’d actually book. Prefer to look on your own? Everything is live on my portal too (password: JETSETTERS).

3. You say yes and I book it. I send you a secure card authorization and lock in your room. You pay the hotel directly, so you keep your credit card points.

4. I take care of everything before you land. I’m your direct line to the hotel team. I share your celebration, your preferences and your arrival time, and if you’d like the full itinerary (transfers, dinners, boat days and private tours), I plan that too.

My Local Tips for Charleston

• Line up for Chubby Fish. Kenny and I love the 6:30pm seating, with cocktails at Seahorse next door first. Here’s how to get a table at Chubby Fish.
• Get coffee at Harken Cafe on Queen Street, my favorite local coffee shop.
• Shop King Street from Upper King down. Head to the Kenny Flowers flagship at 345 King Street (the kids section is in the back!).
• With kids, go to Isle of Palms for the beach, since it has public restrooms.
• Even on Kiawah, plan a couple of dinners downtown. Charleston has some of the best restaurants in the country. Start with my foodie guide to Charleston.

Live in Charleston? I’m Your Local Travel Advisor for Trips Anywhere

If you live in Charleston and you’re looking for a local travel advisor, hi neighbor! I plan trips all over the world for Charleston couples and families, and I love working with clients who live right here. I book Hawaii honeymoons, Italy summers, the Maldives and Bora Bora, plus Caribbean and Mexico beach weeks, ski trips and easy getaways closer to home (Kiawah staycations count too!).

You get the same VIP hotel perks wherever you go, at no extra cost, plus a travel advisor in your own town who knows your family and plans every trip as if it were her own. Tell me where you’re dreaming of going using the form below, and I’ll take it from there.

Does It Cost More to Book Charleston With a Travel Advisor?

Booking your hotel with me is complimentary. There is no fee and no markup, ever, and you pay the same rate as booking direct (or better), with the perks on top. If you’d like me to plan the whole trip (vetted guides, private transfers, dinner reservations and day-by-day logistics), I offer custom itinerary planning for a planning fee. Just ask and I’ll send you the details.

Why Book Charleston With Me?

I’ve been a luxury travel blogger for 13 years, and I’m a mom of two who has taken over 150 flights with my toddlers in tow. Now I put all of that into planning trips for my clients as a luxury travel advisor with SmartFlyer. My clients trust me with their honeymoons, their anniversaries, their big birthdays and their first family trips, and I plan every single one as if it were my own.

Charleston is my home, my favorite staycation and the city I eat my way through with Kenny and our kids. Planning a girls’ trip or a bachelorette? See my Charleston girls trip guide and my Charleston bachelorette guide, plus my ultimate Charleston travel guide. Booking through SmartFlyer also means VIP perks at hundreds of luxury hotels worldwide, including Four Seasons, Rosewood, Belmond and One&Only.

Charleston Travel Advisor FAQs

What is the best hotel in Charleston?

The Cooper is the best hotel in Charleston right now, and it’s what I’d book for my own family and for most first-timers. It’s the peninsula’s first luxury waterfront hotel, with a rooftop pool and great restaurants. Hotel Bennett is my pick for couples and girls’ trips, and The Dewberry is for design lovers.

Should we stay downtown or on the beach near Charleston?

It depends on your trip! Downtown is best if you want to walk to restaurants and King Street. For the beach, I love The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island and Wild Dunes on Isle of Palms, and I always plan a couple of dinners downtown either way.

Can a Charleston travel advisor help with restaurant reservations?

Yes! When you book with me, I’ll send you my list of the Charleston restaurants locals actually fight for, plus my tips on how to get a table at Chubby Fish.

Is Charleston good for families?

I’d argue it’s one of the most kid-friendly cities in the US. We live here with our two kids. The Cooper’s rooftop pool has a shallow entry for little ones, and The Sanctuary at Kiawah has one of the best-run kids clubs I’ve seen on the East Coast.

Does it cost more to book a Charleston hotel with a travel advisor?

No. You pay the same rate as booking direct, and I add perks like daily breakfast (or a breakfast credit), a hotel credit, an upgrade when available and early check in or late check out when possible.

Where should a bachelorette group stay in Charleston?

For a smaller group, I love the rooftop pool at Hotel Bennett. For a bigger group, I’d rent a house on the beach in Isle of Palms.

Is there a luxury travel advisor based in Charleston, SC?

Yes! I’m a Charleston local and a luxury travel advisor with SmartFlyer. I plan trips anywhere in the world for Charleston couples and families, with complimentary hotel bookings and VIP perks like daily breakfast, a hotel credit and an upgrade when available.

Ready to Plan Your Charleston Trip? Here’s How to Book With Me

Fill out the form below with your dates, who’s traveling and what you’re dreaming of, and I’ll personally get back to you within 24 to 48 hours with hotel options, perks and next steps. You can also email me at [email protected], or see live rates and book yourself on my private portal (password: JETSETTERS).