I stayed at the hotel with my wife and son for three nights in July. We stayed in room 624, which is a wonderful reasonably priced suite. I couldn't recommend the room more. Perfect for parents to have privacy in one room with a teenager to have privacy in the adjacent room, still part of the suite. The staff were also helpful and friendly. Our only problem was the breakfast. It would have been slightly above average for the free breakfasts at most hotels, but I would say below average for breakfasts you have to pay for. I would recommend eating breakfast outside the hotel if possible if you don't get it free with the room, as we did not. The hotel location was excellent. Just a few blocks walk to King Street, the main shopping street, and walking distance to downtown sites. We will definitely stay there again should we return to Charleston.

We arrived at the Holiday Inn on the afternoon of June 20, after driving through a torrential downpour and flooded streets. When we finally got to the hotel, we were warmly greeted and pointed towards Kevin McQuade, their extraordinary concierge, to help us with our weekend plans. After a brief question-and-answer session of our likes and needs, Kevin started putting together a plan of activities and reservations for the weekend. I have to admit, it's my first time for using a concierge. Was I ever impressed! It was like clicking on some "what I would like to do" buttons on a webpage, hitting "submit", and out would come a report, personalized to your needs. Kevin hit everything right on the mark, setting us up with an eco tour of an island, a Tommy Dew walking tour of the city, two fantastic reservations (Hanks and Coast), and a special night walking tour of Charleston's streets and gardens. There was another shelling tour out to Morris Island that got cancelled at the last minute due to the same weather system going through. The restaurant that is on-site was excellent for morning breakfast. They have two buffets, one being the typical "danish and pastry" style buffet, and the other being the full blown breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausage links, biscuits and gravy, potatoes, etc. The second also includes whatever is on the pastry bar. We had the full breakfast every morning, and that got each day off to a good start. We did swim in the hotel pool. The temperature was good. No hot tub though. The one small thing that bothered me on the stay was that we decided to use a cart and haul up our luggage ourselves, which we do at most places. That in itself wasn't bad, but it was when the creepy bellhop literally followed me up the elevator looking to get his cart back. Who knows, maybe it was their only cart. The parking was tight at night. Like a previous poster said, if you showed up late you had to park across the street at the church. All in all, it was a great stay for us. I would go back again!

I was expecting a "Holiday Inn" but discovered this hotel had ramped up the quality to make itself an outstanding example of what can be accomplished with stellar service. Check-in was smooth, and the staff recommendation for a dinner I had to eat alone while waiting to meet my traveling companion was perfect in distance, menu, and location for a single woman alone for a few hours in a new city. Turn-down service included chilled water, pralines, and chocolates. We ate only breakfast at the hotel, and the staff accommodated our needs smoothly without disruption but easily engaged in conversation when we had questions. The first morning, we decided to get a few pointers from the concierge. Too bad there is only one Kevin McQuade. He should be cloned for every hotel that aspires to employ a superior concierge. He tailored a four-day stay for us that brought every element of the city into focus. History, geography, architecture, gardens, island life and culture, food, cemeteries, and ghost walks illuminated a city that can't be done justice in a travel brochure or guidebook. He steered us away from the tourist traps and touted the truly worthwhile experiences. With a quick phone call, he even adjusted our rental car agreement to make it easier to rent and return. I'll not travel again without expecting every concierge to have the interest in discovering what visitors want, the knowledge, and the connections Kevin has. I'm sure to be disappointed. He's THAT good. The people at this Holiday Inn gave us a springboard for an experience we'll never forget. Without these people, anticipating our needs and extending their hospitality, our vacation would have been just a visit to another city.