BestBeds
I sleep around so you don't have to
Charleston does historic hotels rather well. There are antebellum mansions, carriage houses, piazzas and enough four-poster beds to satisfy even the most committed Scarlett O'Hara. The Dewberry does something entirely different. The hotel occupies the former L. Mendel Rivers Federal Building, a striking mid-century modern building commissioned during the Kennedy administration and completed in 1964. Government employees occupied it for decades until Hurricane Floyd damaged the building in 1999 and it was abandoned. Developer John Dewberry eventually bought it and spent eight years transforming what was essentially a rather severe federal office block into one of Charleston's most stylish hotels. The Dewberry opened as a hotel in 2016, retaining the building's wonderful 1960s bones while warming things up considerably with marble, brass, dark woods, handcrafted furniture and a superb collection of art and antiques. Today it holds 153 rooms and suites, many with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Marion Square and Charleston's church-spired skyline.
The Citrus Club up on the eighth floor where The Dewberry suddenly becomes rather less restrained. This panoramic bar has sweeping views across Charleston’s steeples and rooftops towards the harbour, accompanied by cocktails and a distinctly playful atmosphere. It is exactly where you want to be at sunset, preferably with nowhere particularly pressing to go afterwards. The rooftop is adults only, and seating is first come, first served. A very close second is The Living Room downstairs. Rather than a conventional hotel lobby, it genuinely feels like an extremely glamorous sitting room, complete with mid-century furniture and a brass bar. It has become as much a Charleston meeting place as a hotel space—which is generally a good sign.
The John Derian Flat at 511 square feet, this isn’t the hotel’s largest accommodation, but it is certainly one of the most interesting. Designer John Derian, famous for his decoupage and wonderfully eccentric interiors, created it to feel like the home of a particularly well-travelled collector. There are vintage-inspired textiles, Derian pieces, a separate living and dining area and a king canopy bed. More importantly for those of us who judge hotel rooms partly by their bathing opportunities, the marble bathroom has both a glass-enclosed shower and a deep cast-iron soaking tub. Excellent priorities.
The Dewberry is opposite Marion Square, putting you at the northern end of Charleston's historic centre and just a block from King Street. The Charleston Museum, Gibbes Museum of Art, College of Charleston and the boutiques and restaurants of King Street are all easily walkable.
The Dewberry Spa was inspired by John Dewberry's own Charleston carriage house and is lined in fragrant cypress wood. Treatments incorporate Lowcountry ingredients including botanicals, sea extracts and, naturally, the dewberry plant. There are five treatment rooms and a relaxation room, plus a fitness studio.
