Last month, a few of my best friends from Texas and my wonderful mom made the trip to Charleston to see my wedding venue and to help me find the perfect bridal gown! I was so excited to have them come visit, but of course I couldn’t host 5 people in my tiny house, so I suggested we stay at one of my favorite spots downtown; the Restoration Hotel! It’s in the perfect location for walking around King Street, plus the rooms are amazing (not to mention super cute and Instagrammable!). Since my Texas people don’t have a chance to make it to Charleston that often, I wanted to show them the best that the Holy City has to offer, and the Restoration definitely fits that standard!
We had the opportunity to stay in one of the Grand Two-Bedroom residences. This room was INSANE! It comes with two large bedrooms (each with a full bath and a large closet), a giant living space, a huge dining room table, a full kitchen (really, I mean full! Tons of cabinets, every appliance, it’s like you’re in someone’s home), and access to a large rooftop terrace. It was raining all weekend when we were there, so we didn’t get much use of the terrace, but on a nice day we would have totally spent some time out there. It was so cute!
I think I was most impressed by the living and dining area. The decor was was dreams are made of, and just like the kitchen, it was absolutely huge and made you feel like you were staying in some trendy it-girl’s home. I loved the couches and huge windows! I also was obsessed with the full bar that was available. Definitely a step up from the traditional hotel mini-bar, this bar cart was so cute and came equipped with larger bottles of spirits and mixes to make fun cocktails.
The other awesome draw that The Restoration has is it’s amazing rooftop bar and restaurant, the Watch Rooftop! I have been obsessed with the Watch for a long time and have always considered it a necessary stop for Charleston visitors. There aren’t that many rooftops in Charleston where you can get a great view, and the Watch has one of the very best! On a nice day, Brent and I love to come and sit outside on the patio, and on more dreary days (like the weekend when we stayed) there is still plenty of indoor seating with gorgeous views through their large windows.
Also, the food is SO good! It’s a farm-to-table restaurant, so the menu celebrates all the amazing local ingredients we have here in the Lowcountry. I recommend getting the truffle fries, charcuterie board, and the spicy fried chicken sandwich, but really you can’t go wrong with anything you order. Also, be sure to grab a Starburst Pouch drink! It’s basically an adult Capri-Sun and it is so delicious (and cute).
The Restoration Hotel also has a fun and unique perk, the ability to rent one of their bikes for free to cruise around town on! Since parking can be tough downtown, it’s so nice to have this option for guests.
If you walk downstairs from your room, you’ll also find The Rise Coffee Bar, which is the Restoration’s coffee shop. Quaint and cute, The Rise offers a full menu of coffee drinks brewed with their exclusive local brewing partner Springbook Coffee Roasters, plus a selection of yummy fresh pastries. Even though we had great coffee in the room, it was nice to stop in at The Rise for a to-go cup on our way out for the day.
Overall, our girls weekend at The Restoration Hotel was incredible! We felt like queens staying in our grand two-bedroom and couldn’t have pictured a better dinner spot than The Watch. If you’re visiting Charleston sometime soon, make sure you check out the Restoration for your accommodations!
