Charleston SC hotel - no shuttle required

[meandmyhoneycruiseforever]

We will be sailing on the Sunshine December 3rd.  Our plan is to spend a few days in Charleston before our cruise.  We are looking for a CHEAP hotel (as long as it's clean and bug-free, we're fine) and we don't necessarily have to be close to the port, since we will have our car.  I've looked at hotels that include a shuttle to the port, but generally they are pretty expensive.  Even with the cost of parking for the cruise, if I can find a really inexpensive hotel (thinking Motel 6, etc), I think we'd be better off because then our car will be at the port and we won't have to wait for a shuttle or uber.

 

I'm not at all familiar with Charleston, so when I use the hotel search sites I can't tell if I'm looking at an area I should avoid.  Any help would be appreciated.

[princeton123211]

4 hours ago, meandmyhoneycruiseforever said:

Even with the cost of parking for the cruise, if I can find a really inexpensive hotel (thinking Motel 6, etc), I think we'd be better off because then our car will be at the port and we won't have to wait for a shuttle or uber.

You might have answered your own question with Motel 6. Charleston isn't a wildly expensive city by east coast standards but from my time there I would say you would be very hard pressed to find something for less than $100 a night in the city proper (and a lot of the nice stuff is in the $300-500 range). On the way to and surrounding the airport (on Rt 26) there are a bunch of hotels/motels that I would imagine would be the cheapest you can get in the area. 

[TruckerDave]

What is your idea of "cheap" and "expensive"?   There is only 1 motel6  in Charleston (the other is up near Summerville) and it is a DUMP. (It is not very far form where I live).   Hotels in decent areas of Charleston are not generally going to be under $100 per night. Downtown will be probably $200+.    Need an idea of actual budget, not just "cheap" to give some ideas. 

[Noxequifans]

I have found that as the price of the hotel/motel goes down the requirement of clean is sometimes hard to meet. 

Edited October 20, 2019 by Noxequifans

[NCTribeFan]

Charleston hotels are never "cheap" imho.  I used to stay at either the Hampton or HIE on West Ashley (the parking/shuttle options are higher than for just the room), but even those are considerably higher than they used to be just a few years ago.

 

I'm staying at the Sleep Inn this Friday night (sailing Saturday).  Again, the parking/shuttle option was more than w/o, so you're paying for those options.  If you don't want them, you can price the rooms w/o the package deals.

 

Prices vary considerably depending on when you're sailing.  I'm guessing that prices at all the hotels are more for the night before a sailing.  Now that there's a larger ship than there used to be, I would think supply/demand has driven up the room prices.

 

Look at hotels in Mt Pleasant also.  And if you haven't already found it, there's a great (very long) thread on this board with all sorts of very useful information about sailing from Charleston.

[meandmyhoneycruiseforever]

Thank you everyone for your input.  Since we will be in Charleston for 3 nights, the price of the hotel becomes more important to me.  I've looked at a couple of travel comparison sites - I've seen hotels as cheap as $50 per night (think Motel 6) with no shuttle to cruise.  The nicer hotels downtown all seem to be in the $150 - $300 range (even without the shuttle).  I thought if I could get a room around $70-$80, even if I have to pay $220 to park, it beats a $200 room.  Since I'm entirely unfamiliar with the Charleston area, I'm just trying to avoid any dangerous areas (if there are any).  Hubby and I stay in Motel 8, Super 8, etc., all the time - generally they are fine.  We've only had a couple where we said absolutely not.

[TruckerDave]

Any hotel you find here in Charleston (Yes, I live here) for about $50 a night is NOT one you want to stay in.  I hate to break this to you but, Charleston is not a cheap city to stay in. Is it New York or San Francisco expensive ?...no, but it is not cheap either. The reality is  any decent hotel is going to run you about $100+ per night.  ( I just did a quick check on IHG's site for Nov 30-Dec 3 and prices ranged from about 85-140 outside of downtown.)

[waterbug123]

19 hours ago, meandmyhoneycruiseforever said:

Thank you everyone for your input.  Since we will be in Charleston for 3 nights, the price of the hotel becomes more important to me.  I've looked at a couple of travel comparison sites - I've seen hotels as cheap as $50 per night (think Motel 6) with no shuttle to cruise.  The nicer hotels downtown all seem to be in the $150 - $300 range (even without the shuttle).  I thought if I could get a room around $70-$80, even if I have to pay $220 to park, it beats a $200 room.  Since I'm entirely unfamiliar with the Charleston area, I'm just trying to avoid any dangerous areas (if there are any).  Hubby and I stay in Motel 8, Super 8, etc., all the time - generally they are fine.  We've only had a couple where we said absolutely not.

 

So here's the thing:  You are going to be in CHS for 3 nights and therein lies the issue.  If you were just coming for 1 night pre-cruise, I'd tell you to book a cheap motel in N. Charleston and be done with it.  But the problem is that if you stay there, you are really far from anything you would want to do in Charleston.  The historic and/or tourist area is mostly in the downtown peninsula where the cruise port is, and those hotels are not cheap.  But they are very, very convenient, as you can typically park your car and not touch it til you leave.  You can head out to sightsee during the day, return to your room to nap or freshen up, and head out again on foot or via 5 minute uber right to any of a plethora of great downtown restaurants for dinner.  Likewise for hotels at the base of the Ravenel Bridge in Mt. Pleasant.  You won't be walking to downtown from there, but you can get a quick Uber back and forth over the bridge so going downtown to sightsee, back to rest, back downtown for dinner etc. is pretty easy.  Or take your car and drive to dinner somewhere in Mt. Pleasant, maybe on scenic Shem Creek.  

I can better advise you if you let me know exactly what you plan to do during your time in Charleston.  If you don't want to sightsee downtown and have sights in mind that are more spread out (plantation houses, Patriots Point etc.) then yeah, you can probably manage for 3 days in a cheapo motel in N. Charleston, or way down south on Hwy 17 (Savannah Hwy) in the West Ashley part of Charleston (still city limits, but not at all the part of the city people picture when you say "Charleston")

[meandmyhoneycruiseforever]

We do plan to spend one day exploring downtown.  We'd also like to tour the aircraft carrier/submarine - we've had several people tell us that is well worth the time.  If there is enough time, we'll probably explore the surrounding area as well - possibly a plantation or Patriots Point.  Is parking a problem in downtown?  We thought that since we have our car, it will give us more freedom to do our exploring.  We're definitely not "fancy" people, so we can probably manage in N. Charleston or the West Ashley part you mentioned.

[waterbug123]

On 10/22/2019 at 9:49 AM, meandmyhoneycruiseforever said:

We do plan to spend one day exploring downtown.  We'd also like to tour the aircraft carrier/submarine - we've had several people tell us that is well worth the time.  If there is enough time, we'll probably explore the surrounding area as well - possibly a plantation or Patriots Point.  Is parking a problem in downtown?  We thought that since we have our car, it will give us more freedom to do our exploring.  We're definitely not "fancy" people, so we can probably manage in N. Charleston or the West Ashley part you mentioned.

 

There are quite a few parking garages downtown, and I've never had a problem finding a space in one, so you can certainly "commute" there from N. Chas or WA.  It's just that makes it very inconvenient to go back and forth to your hotel during the day.   Charleston has wonderful restaurants downtown.  You could possibly stay downtown all the way through dinner, without returning to your hotel for a nap/freshen up, it's just many people would prefer a more convenient hotel for that.  If you go back and have dinner near your hotel, you'll likely end up in a chain restaurant, which is a shame given the restaurant offerings downtown.  You'll also need to watch the traffic; heading downtown from N Chas or WA during morning rush hour or heading back to your hotel in those areas in afternoon rush hour can put you in some pretty heavy congestion. 

Honestly, if you can get a hotel room at the base of the Ravenel Bridge in Mt. Pleasant, that would be a good compromise between a super cheapo motel in the other areas you're considering.  It's much closer to downtown than the N CHas or WA hotel areas, though you'd still have heavy rush hour traffic on the bridge itself.  It would also, conveniently, put you IN Mt. Pleasant, very close to Patriot's Point which you've expressed interest in visiting.  It's a popular tourist attraction and if that kind of thing appeals to you, it's a pretty good option.  And Shem Creek is more or less in between that hotel area and Patriot's Point, so if you go to Patriot's Point, I'd plan on lunch along Shem Creek at Vickery's, and then maybe walk out along the nearby community dock.  There is one plantation house in Mt. Pleasant, Boone Hall Plantation.  If you avoid rush hour, it's an easy 10-15 min from the base of the bridge.  Magnolia Plantation and Middleton Place are both in West Ashley, a little further away  but still very doable, but you will REALLY want to avoid rush hour traffic if you go there....they are both along a 2 lane road (Hwy 61, also called Ashley River Road) that is used extremely heavily by commuters between Charleston and Summerville.  Magnolia Plantation is well worth it though, even if just for the beautiful gardens.  I haven't been to Boone Hall or Middleton Place recently enough to recall details.  Definitely spend some time downtown as well, regardless of where you stay.  Waterfront Park is a lovely, uncrowded place to take a stroll, and a walk along the Battery and adjacent White Point Garden is a must.  Wander through the residential streets closest to the Battery to admire the beautiful homes and gardens, and include a walk on King Street, which is the center of downtown shopping.  There are numerous historical houses downtown that can be toured as well if you like that sort of thing.

I hope this helps; please let me know if you have more questions.  Traffic patterns and distances will all be a little different depending on whether you decide on WA, N Chas or near the bridge in Mt. P, so once you make a final decision, I can give you even more specific suggestions on structuring your days to see what you want and the best way to schedule it all to best avoid traffic issues between your destinations.

[meandmyhoneycruiseforever]

Thank you waterbug123 for the very helpful information.  We have booked the Best Western in Mt. Pleasant.  I understand it's nothing fancy, but it met our price requirements and I think it will be fine.  I do have one final question - is there anything that is not available on Sundays?  Since our 3 days in Charleston will be Saturday, Sunday and Monday, I just want to make sure we don't plan something on Sunday that will be closed.  The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are usually fairly slow tourist times (which is why we cruise then - cheaper too!), so I'm hoping crowds won't be too terrible.

 

I think we have definitely decided on visiting Patriot's Point, doing a carriage ride through Charleston, visiting the downtown market, and walking downtown.  Other than that, we'll just play it by ear.

 

Thanks again for all of the useful info.  Looking forward to visiting this fair city.

[waterbug123]

19 hours ago, meandmyhoneycruiseforever said:

Thank you waterbug123 for the very helpful information.  We have booked the Best Western in Mt. Pleasant.  I understand it's nothing fancy, but it met our price requirements and I think it will be fine.  I do have one final question - is there anything that is not available on Sundays?  Since our 3 days in Charleston will be Saturday, Sunday and Monday, I just want to make sure we don't plan something on Sunday that will be closed.  The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are usually fairly slow tourist times (which is why we cruise then - cheaper too!), so I'm hoping crowds won't be too terrible.

 

I think we have definitely decided on visiting Patriot's Point, doing a carriage ride through Charleston, visiting the downtown market, and walking downtown.  Other than that, we'll just play it by ear.

 

Thanks again for all of the useful info.  Looking forward to visiting this fair city.

 

You're very welcome, and I think you'll be happy with your hotel location.  If you go downtown, wait til 9am to avoid bridge traffic.  Likewise, if returning from downtown in the afternoon, allow a little extra time because the bridge gets heavy traffic back into Mt.P then as well.

As far as I know, most everything should be open on Sunday.  The downtown market is open 7 days a week, and I would imagine Patriots Point is as well; check their website for exact hours.  Sunday is a nice day to go downtown, actually, since you won't have the workweek traffic.  Make a brunch reservation at High Cotton, at the corner of E. Bay St. and Cumberland St.  You can park at the Cumberland St. parking garage a block away, and High Cotton is one of my brunch faves.  An alternative for more standard seafood would be Fleet Landing, 2 blocks east of High Cotton and out over the water.  Afterward, head one block north and you'll be at the market.  You can walk through the market and continue one more block beyond the end of the market and you'll be at King St.  Wander north on King a few blocks to get a taste of it, then double back  and walk back down King all the way to the Battery.  You'll be at the corner of White Point Garden so you can wander through that small park and also admire the mansions along the battery or head to the outer edge of the park and walk along the seawall along Murray and E. Battery.  Continue around onto E. Battery and back up E. Bay past the famous Rainbow Row and on over to Waterfront Park.  At the northern end of Waterfront Park you'll be just a block shy of Cumberland St. where your car is parked.  Before you go though, go back to the corner of E. Bay and Market and go to the Market Pavilion Rooftop Bar; you enter through Grill 225 at street level.  It's a lovely rooftop bar, and while the prices aren't the cheapest, it's my favorite place to get a drink and enjoy the view; on cruise day you'd be able to spit at your ship from the roof, it's that close. 

Monday might be a good day to visit Patriot's Point, and then have lunch on Shem Creek.  You could do it Saturday as well, but Shem Creek can get super busy with locals, as it's a favorite weekend spot.  Oh, and if you're interested, you can also get the ferry over to Ft. Sumter from Patriot's Point. 

One last thing, I always tell people the weather in Charleston is a total crap shoot from November to April.  It could be 40 or it could be 80, so check the forecast right before you leave home!

[Mrs f.]

Also check out Group in Charleston. Some good deals on activities.

A few weeks ago we did the Charleston Harbor cruise ....then walked around downtown French quarter. Then dinner st 82 Queen.....lovely.   municipal parking right across the street $2 per hour.

[Mrs f.]

Sorry  Groupon.....i hate auto correct 

[TruckerDave]

On 10/26/2019 at 3:20 PM, Mrs f. said:

Also check out Group in Charleston. Some good deals on activities.

A few weeks ago we did the Charleston Harbor cruise ....then walked around downtown French quarter. Then dinner st 82 Queen.....lovely.   municipal parking right across the street $2 per hour.

They city parking garages are all $1 per hr (max of $18 per day).  Pretty much the best parking deal downtown. 

[TruckerDave]

On 10/24/2019 at 7:30 AM, waterbug123 said:

  Magnolia Plantation and Middleton Place are both in West Ashley, a little further away  but still very doable, but you will REALLY want to avoid rush hour traffic if you go there....they are both along a 2 lane road (Hwy 61, also called Ashley River Road) that is used extremely heavily by commuters between Charleston and Summerville.  Magnolia Plantation is well worth it though, even if just for the beautiful gardens.  I haven't been to Boone Hall or Middleton Place recently enough to recall details

I live right off of Ashely River Rd and 526 and this  is 100% correct...traffic from about 7:00-8:30am 3:30-6:00pm (Mon-Fri) is a disaster on this road. Weekends are not bad, just normal traffic. But you can also add Drayton Hall to the list of places out this way. It is before you get to Magnolia plantation. 

Edited October 27, 2019 by TruckerDave

[meandmyhoneycruiseforever]

Thank you everyone!  Lots of great information - now I just have to wait for the day to arrive.  Certainly looking forward to exploring Charleston and  our Journeys cruise on the Sunshine!