Hotels

Charleston has many of the best historic inns in America, surpassing even those of Savannah. Hotels and motels are priced in direct ratio to their proximity to the 789-acre historic district; if prices in the center are too high for your budget, find a place west of the Ashley River, and drive into town for sightseeing. In the last decade, the restoration of inns and hotels in Charleston has been phenomenal, although it's slowing somewhat. Charleston ranks among the top cities of America for hotels of charm and character.

Bed-and-breakfast accommodations range from historic homes to carriage houses to simple cottages, and they're located in virtually every section of the city. For details and reservations, contact Historic Charleston Bed and Breakfast, 57 Broad St., Charleston, SC 29401 (tel. 800/743-3583 or 843/722-6606; www.historiccharlestonbedandbreakfast.com; Mon-Fri 9am-5pm).

During the Spring Festival of Houses and the Spoleto Festival, rates go up, and owners charge pretty much what the market will bear. Advance reservations are essential at those times.

In a city that has rooms of so many shapes and sizes in the same historic building, classifying hotels by price is difficult. Price often depends on the room itself. Some expensive hotels may, in fact, have many moderately priced rooms. Moderately priced hotels, on the other hand, may have special rooms that are quite expensive. When booking a hotel, ask about package plans -- deals are most often granted to those who are staying 3 days or more.

The downside regarding all these inns of charm and grace is that they are among the most expensive in this area. Staying at an inn or B&B in the historic district is one of the reasons to go to Charleston and can do more to evoke the elegance of the city than almost anything else. Innkeepers and B&B owners know this all too well and charge accordingly, especially in the summer season.

If you simply can't afford a stay at one of these historic inns, you can confine your consumption of Charleston to dining in the old city and sightseeing and, at night, retire to one of the many clean, comfortable -- and, yes, utterly dull -- chain motels on the outskirts.

By and large, the double rooms in the recommended hotels and inns have private bathrooms with tub/shower combinations, unless otherwise noted.

Moderate -- Reliable motel accommodations are also available at the Hampton Inn Historic District, 345 Meeting St. (tel. 800/HAMPTON or 843/723-4000; http://hamptoninn1.hilton.com), across from the visitor center.

Inexpensive -- To avoid the high costs of the elegant B&Bs and deluxe inns of historic Charleston, try one of the chain motels such as Days Inn, 2998 W. Montague Ave., Charleston, SC 29418 (tel. 843/747-4101; fax 843/566-0378), near the international airport. Doubles range from $69 to $99. Children under 12 stay free in their parent's room, and cribs are also free. Lands Inn, 2545 Savannah Hwy., Charleston, SC 29414 (tel. 843/763-8885; fax 843/556-9536), is another bargain, with doubles costing from $79 to $99, and $10 extra charged for each additional person. Children under 16 stay free. A final bargain is Red Roof Inn, 7480 Northwoods Blvd., Charleston, SC 29406 (tel. 843/572-9100; fax 843/572-0061), where doubles cost $49 to $69, and $6 is charged for each additional person. Those 18 and under are housed free.