Wish you were here?
Hotel overview
Property information
{{title}}
Hotel details
General policies & fine print
Ratings & reviews
TripAdvisor traveler rating
2831 reviews
-
Feb 10, 2025Pubic hairs in bathroom, wall paper and paint peeling off walls! In need of renovation!
We arrived late on with small children and 2 small dogs. The hotel was so dirty we couldn't even stay the night. There were black curly pubic hairs in the bathtub and toilet. The paint on the wall was bubbling up, you could push on it with your finger. The wall paper was peeling up in the bathroom and the room was just old, outdated and in need of renovations. Since we arrived late, there was no one in the lobby, just us. The staff was so unfriendly to us. The valet guy just played on his phone while my wife walked in with a full baggage carrier, with our kids & dogs, and didn't even offer to help. The lady at the front desk was not any better. Maybe the day staff is friendlier? The only reason I'm not giving them a 2/5 is because I called corporate the next day and they were very apologetic. After watching my video of the condition of the room they said "it looked disgusting" and gave me a full refund. The manager did say they are going to have a "full renovation" in the upcoming year. Before you book at this hotel I encourage you to call and see if they have completed the renovation on this old and outdated hotel. I'd stay away for the rest of 2025. This hotel does have great potential with a great location so hopefully they can fix it up. FYI, the room we booked was a: 2 RM CORNER STE-1 KING BED
-
Feb 07, 2025
Disappointing stay in the former Citadel Academy of Charleston
The positive; the staff was very friendly, the location convenient and the building has a wonderful history, but all the rest was not great. The hotel is very tired and hasn’t been renovated inside in years. They were working on the exterior during our visit so fingers crossed they’ll work on the inside too. The hotel started as the state arsenal in 1829 and later became the Citadel Academy in 1843 before the college moved to its present location. Our room felt like it was left over from that time too. It smelled musty, the carpet looked dirty and frayed and the furnishings were dated and looked left over from the 90s. The lighting in the room was awful with a startlingly bright LED chandelier and one table lamp with a bulb wattage so low I could barely read by it. We had a two-room “suite” with one small windowless room as the living area and a separate bedroom with one queen bed. The room was so small such that the bed was crammed next to a wall so I had to hop off the end of it to get to the bathroom. The draperies weren’t fully hooked in place and the pull cord didn’t work, everything looked cheap and tired. Also, you couldn’t open the one, small window to get any fresh air into the musty room. We went to the afternoon reception for guests and again, the staff was nice. There was free wine and beer served in flimsy plastic cups and self-serve pretzels, chips and hummus on styrofoam plates. The included breakfast the next morning was better with made-to-order omelettes. We go to Charleston every year and have stayed in some wonderful hotels, but this isn’t one of them. On a side note, according to friends in the area, the Hampton Inn in the Historic District suffers the same neglect and lack of updates so spend your money elsewhere.
-
Jan 25, 2025Disappointing & Filthy Stay at Embassy Suites Charleston Historic District
I recently stayed at the Embassy Suites in Charleston’s historic district, and unfortunately, it was an extremely disappointing experience. For a property with such a prime location and a history of being a reputable choice for travelers, the current state of this hotel is unacceptable, particularly considering the premium price. The facility is severely run down. Peeling wallpaper, stained carpets, and filthy bathroom grout were just the beginning. The worst part of my stay was discovering brown water coming out of the shower, which is simply unacceptable in any hotel, let alone one charging such rates. This is a glaring health concern that should be addressed immediately. The staff were present and polite, but even they seemed to express frustration with the state of the hotel, openly acknowledging the urgent need for renovations. While I appreciated their honesty, it is clear that the hotel's management needs to prioritize these much-needed updates to restore the property to its former standard of excellence. I remember this hotel being much nicer in the past, but it has unfortunately deteriorated to a point where I cannot recommend it to anyone. For the price, guests should expect cleanliness, functionality, and a more comfortable stay. Until significant renovations are made, I strongly urge travelers to look elsewhere for accommodations in Charleston. I have included photos showing the peeling wallpaper, stained carpets, dirty bathroom grout, and the discolored water to provide transparency about the condition of the hotel. The manager on duty said he would have someone come look at the shower and never offered to move us to another room, but he did offer to waive our $40 a night parking fee- what a joke.
-
Jan 20, 2025An Artist's Dream
I was in love with our room. I pick a corner room on top floor, hoping for a great view, and boy was I in for a treat. Not one, not two, but THREE windows. AND, the original Citadel castle-esque architecture was right outside of my bedroom window. I was tickled!!! My king bed was EXTREMELY comfortable: linens, mattress, pillows, all felt like Heaven. I loved the giant wardrobe in the bedroom, so classy I could die! I also loved the fabric used to craft window treatments. The views from windows reminded me of Paris. I was visiting Charleston with my family, but I thought room and hotel were very romantic. Our room was at the end of an alcove; it was very intriguing to go down. Our room was also positioned next to four-story spiral staircase, with wrought iron handrail. I loved the carpet, again, very European. Do explore the Mezzanine, which you can get to by another beautiful spiral staircase. There are multiple spots hidden away, throughout the hotel, for a coffee and paper or drink and a smoke. Just lovely. Also, I think it is very special that the Citadel has been preserved. I think it is delightful that I had the opportunity to stay in such a historical place. I loved seeing the artifacts that have been found on site, they are featured next to concierge. The evening reception drinks were the best I have ever had at an Embassy Suites. Ashley was our tavern hostess, she was very kind and efficient. Nancy, Amber, and Chloe took very good care of us, and made sure we had everything we needed. Thank you. I think this hotel is a buffet for the eyes.
-
Jan 03, 2025VINTAGE hotel iin desperate need of a refresh and renovation! Great location.
This hotel is in desperate need of a refresh! I chose it because of the fantastic location and because it looked like it had vintage charm. It was definately vintage. It needs a complete overhaul and renovation, but in the meantime, please just replace the carpets, drapery and furniture! It was very drab, both in the rooms and in the common areas. We had two rooms and the bathtub in my sons' room had rust stains which looked gross, although it seemed clean otherwise. Our room was freezing cold and theirs was too hot. We could not adjust the temperature (there was an ancient thermostat but it didn't seem to work). The TVs in my sons room did not work (did not report it until check out because they did not want someone coming to their room to fix it as we were only there one night). The beds were very comfortable though and I appreciated having a living area with a couch. I read the room tips ahead of check in (unfortunately had not read the reviews before booking) and I chose rooms with a park view, which was very nice. The photos online showed walls with exposed brick which looked very nice but our rooms did not have this. We enjoyed the evening cocktail hour and the complimentary breakfast and the staff was friendly. I found out after check in that the hotel is notoriously haunted, but thankfully we did not see any ghosts! Valet parking was very expensive, so we parked in the lot down the street, but still spent a pretty penny.