Why did this hotel catch your attention? What's the vibe?
Emeline’s spacious foyer feels more like hip living room than lobby, with a boisterous Motown soundtrack. Walk up the center steps to check-in where you are handed a strong punch cocktail (or house lemonade if you wish). As you sip, take a sidetrack down the discrete wheelchair ramp to locate a hidden curio cabinet of Lowcountry treasures: taxidermy shorebird, turtle shell, barnacle-covered sea glass, cicada, guinea feathers, and much more.
What's the backstory?
Hospitality visionary Makeready, the brand behind Dallas’s Adolphus Hotel, The Alida in Savannah, and Nashville’s Noelle (among others), has a talent for working closely with local artisans to create signature venues. Here, they tapped local maker Urban Electric for innovative light fixtures, and vinyl record guru Mike Gomez for a curated playlist.
Tell us all about the accommodations. Any tips on what to book?
With a vinyl record collection of 500 and growing, it’s only natural to settle into your room by slipping a record out of its sleeve, placing it on the Crosley turntable, and setting the needle. I launched the Beatle’s Abbey Road before touring my suite. A steel beam pierced through the sitting room, a relict of the building’s pre-Civil War mercantile beginnings. Thick blackout drapes the color of raw mustard concealed a second layer of gauzy privacy drapes. Vintage Spoleto art festival posters adorned walls. A locally-made ceramic soap dish personalized the state-of-the-art bathroom, with walk-in rainshower, smooth travertine underfoot, and signature toiletries of amber and spice.
Is there a charge for Wi-Fi?
Wi-fi was free and good. I stayed up late watching Rainman on the truly ginormous flatscreen set into a custom caned unit.
Drinking and dining—what are we looking at?
Emeline’s restaurant Frannie & The Fox is a destination in its own right. Dim globe lighting, low ceilings, potted plants, leather chairs you won’t want to get out of, all opening onto a wide open inner courtyard with blazing fire and trellised jasmine. The menu is designed around a central wood-fired oven, so blistered pizzas are a main draw. We went for crispy-creamy blue crab fritters, local wreckfish, and a truly addictive side dish of charred corn, feta, chilis, and shredded mint. You can also dine across the street at Hank’s, one of Charleston’s revered upscale seafood venues. By day, Emeline boasts its own sunny coffee shop with excellent pastries, wraps, warm teas, and even cocktails (burnt maple old fashioned, please).
And the service?
Streamlined and professional, from the valet team to the bellmen to the meticulous housekeepers.
What about the neighborhood? Does the hotel fit in, make itself part of the scene?
Hotel Emeline sits just north of the historic open-air market. Despite this being a heavily touristed area, Emeline feels private, particularly the higher floors and the “masonette” bi-level townhouse-style rooms opening onto the inner courtyard. You’ve got countless restaurants within walking distance, including award-winners Peninsula Grill, F.I.G. and Husk. You can catch a horse carriage literally out the front door, or hop on one of the hotel’s beach cruisers to pedal around town.
Any other hotel features worth noting?
The hotel is full of little surprises, so take your time to explore it. Check out the circular iron staircase leading to a mezzanine balcony overlooking the entry. The lobby-level “Keep Shop” brims with well-curated local collectibles, some of them tailored specifically for Emeline, like the hand-stitched leather tote in signature Emeline green by J. Stark. Check out the hallway between kitchen and bar, with lots of artistic eye candy including a deconstructed skateboard wall-hanging. Pause at the kitchen viewing window to watch cooks hand-pulling mozzarella. Or push a button on the opposite wall to access the “foxhole” speakeasy drink window, a hidden direct access to the bar.
Bottom line: Worth it? Why?
A hotel that makes you feel at home—Emeline’s retro-glam home, that is.
181 Church St, Charleston, South Carolina 29401
United States
https://hotelemeline.com/
(843) 577-2644