How did it strike you on arrival?
This hotel feels brand new even though it was redesigned and relaunched in 2017. Please note the name change: for those of you who knew it as The Renaissance Charleston, it is now The Lindy Renaissance, which frankly is much more fun. If you’ve never danced The Lindy Hop, it’s an energetic, enthusiastic, even acrobatic swing dance, a spinoff of the classic 1920s dance rage The Charleston, and it’s that kind of energy this hotel aims to channel.
Nice. What’s the crowd like?
Anyone and everyone, Marriott loyalists, business travelers, extended families (in connecting, ADA accessible suites), giggly little girls playing chase in the lobby.
The good stuff: Tell us about your room.
Room numbers are engraved with images of Charleston door knockers, and entrance hallway ceilings sport the telltale superstitious “haint blue” believed to ward off evil spirits. Wood vinyl flooring feels both rustic and clean. Curated artwork in my Executive King drew my attention, especially the framed image of a folded starched shirt with bowtie and cufflinks as seen through an X-ray scanner. Whimsical black-and-white rabbits line the bathroom wall—a deliberate allusion (per the bellhop who brought up my suitcase) to Alice in Wonderland falling down the rabbit hole. I like this place.
How about the little things, like mini bar, or shower goodies. Any of that find its way into your suitcase? In keeping with the playful spirit here, I absolutely loved the framed art piece made entirely of Dum Dums lollipop wrappers folded into tiny origami boats. Genius. The in-room coffee and tea maker carries Charleston Tea Plantation varieties (a working tea farm you can tour on nearby Wadmalaw Island). Large flatscreen TVs can link your Netflix and Hulu accounts for streaming, and Wi-Fi is included in your “destination fee.”
Drinking and dining—what are we looking at?
Chef Vivian Howard has got you covered. She’s the brains (and the beauty) behind the PBS television series A Chef’s Life. Her Handy & Hot pit-stop branches off the hotel lobby, “open every dang day.” The bake shop serves fist-sized biscuits with sweet & savory fillings, and piping hot hand pies stuffed with delicious and surprising flavor combos like fresh ginger with sweet corn and onion. From heavier fare (pimento cheese grits and sausage) to lighter fare (chilled shrimp succotash) everything is portable if you wish. You can even order up a BBQ beach basket to-go for a small group. Hit up the Life Raft Treats cart for a locally made banana pudding ice cream popsicle dipped in dark chocolate. A sit-down dinner or weekend brunch is a MUST at Howard’s onsite restaurant Lenoir where southern flavors marry with upscale culinary technique.
Anything stand out about other services and features? Whether it’s childcare, gyms, spas, even parking—whatever stuck with you.
There’s a small gym full of cardio equipment and free weights, if you want to work off some of those biscuits and hand pies. Plus an outdoor, heated saltwater pool on a rooftop, surrounded by cushioned sofas and chaises longues.
Bottom line: worth it, and why?
This is a top notch, Marriott branded, completely refurbished hotel with all the technological perks you would expect. Better yet, it is situated on a lesser trafficked cross street downtown, so it feels hidden despite being in the center of everything.
68 Wentworth St., Charleston, South Carolina 29401
United States
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/chsbr-renaissance-charleston-historic-district-hotel/
(843) 534-0300