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We had a great time on our girl's trip to Charleston, South Carolina! We stayed in The Palms Oceanfront hotel and I wanted to share my full review here. You know I will share all the good, bad, and ugly (but good news, no ugly thoughts here about our stay).
I have been visiting the Isle of Palms & Charleston since I was a teenager. Isle of Palms is a great beach in my opinion, especially for families. However, if you are not familiar with the area then let me give you a quick run-down. Isle of Palms is one of several beaches outside of Charleston, South Carolina. There are not a ton of hotels directly oceanfront in the area (especially Isle of Palms) so a lot of people will stay across the bridge in Charleston or Mount Pleasant and then drive the 15-20 minutes to the beach each day.
Two summers ago, we had a larger group of women plus my two kiddos so we stayed in a surrounding town and made the drive to the beach each morning. I did not enjoy this at that time because dragging all of the beach gear and two sandy small kids to and from the beach was really challenging. So I do suggest if you have small kids, to find a house, hotel, and/or condo to rent that is oceanfront. Regardless, this year it was just a girl's trip so we decided to take a chance and stay at one of the few boutique-style hotels that happened to be right on the beach, which meant we wouldn't have to drive to the beach every day. We did not stay in an oceanfront room at the hotel but stayed in an interior room on the first floor. It was our plan to be on the beach most of the time so we didn't care about the oceanfront room. So let's go through the pros first and then the cons of our experience at The Palms Oceanfront Hotel.
Oceanfront-there is nothing more relaxing than waking up and walking directly down a boardwalk to the beach. This was a major plus for us. The Palms Oceanfront Hotel is one of the few hotels that are located on the ocean. It was a few short steps from our hotel room to the beach so that was a win.
Cleanliness-the hotel room was clean and roomy despite the negative reviews I saw online on Google. I have a very high standard (which can sometimes be unreasonable lol) of cleanliness-as you all know about me. However, for a hotel, it was cleaner than I expected. There were some little imperfections like scuffed-up baseboards that needed attention but otherwise, the bathroom, bedding, and overall room was clean and comfortable. I have certainly stayed in far worse and have also enjoyed far more fancier hotels. Additionally, the common areas were also really clean as well as the large hallways. Lastly, I can't comment on the pool area because we never even went to the pool. HA!
Staff-every staff person we met was nice and helpful if we needed them. We didn't have any problems with our room so we didn't require any help from anyone but check-in and check-out were easy.
The smell in the lobby-I know this might sound strange, but I LOVED the smell in the lobby. I asked the receptionist what they were pumping through the air and she told me it was from a company that comes and refills their diffuser-type of gadget. She said it was a mix of mandarin and coconut. Since then I have been on the hunt to find out how to get that smell in my home.
Things to do close to the hotel-The Palms Oceanfront hotel is directly on the main boulevard so there are a few restaurants just steps away from the hotel. Here are a few places we visited and liked: Coconut Joe's Beach Grill, Acme Lowcountry Kitchen, IOPizza Co, and Shaka Shack which had cold treats.
Proximity to Charleston-our hotel was about 30 minutes tops from downtown Charleston. I love the charm of downtown so I was glad to be close to those restaurants and shops. If you're in the mood for seafood, you have to eat at Hyman's downtown.
Breakfast-the breakfast was complimentary every morning but it only contained things like granola bars, muffins, etc. There was not a whole to choose from and once it was gone, it was gone. So if you wait until later on in the morning you will miss out.
Parking-the parking underneath the hotel is super narrow and hard to get a space. I drive a smaller SUV but barely fit in some of the spaces so if you have a large vehicle, you will not be able to park underneath the hotel. However, they do have two lots within walking distance across the street to park your car in which wasn't a big deal.
Price-most hotels/condos/homes in Isle of Palms are pricey this time of year. The average hotel price is $367 per night in the area during the on-season. However, we did pay close to $320 a night so for that price, I think we got enough "bang for our buck" as they say. Price-wise, I think you can stay in a surrounding town a little cheaper but you also have to drive to the beach every day so that is a personal choice of what is worth it to you and your family.
So would I stay again?
Yes!
If I was taking another girl's trip or a trip with my husband, I wouldn't mind staying again. To me, the convenience of being on the beach was the best part and I felt the hotel was safe and clean. Those three things would convince me to stay again. If I was going with my children, I would most likely feel comfortable staying with my two kids. However, if you have a larger family, I am not sure you'd have enough space for everyone to live and sleep comfortably. So with that being said, I give it a 8/10 stars.
Here are a few pictures from our trip...
Before I go, I will also be adding a few other blog posts about our favorite places to eat and one on Boone Hall Plantation so keep a watch for those two.
My best,
Jordan
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