Battery Number 5 Marker

I think the Ryder Hotel is in a great location and has a great vibe. However, they charge a daily amenity fee and the pool wasn't even open. That was a big reason I booked it. The fact that they didn't provide any warning (even at check-in) and I had to read it the day-of at the pool, left a bad taste in my mouth. Otherwise, the property was cool and I would stay there again in the future.

The Emeline property, staff and rooms are top-notch. We enjoyed the property's coffee shop and restaurant as well. I would definitely recommend staying at the Emeline. It's proximity to everything in the historic district is a plus. The minus would be this: My traveling companion and I arrived at the Emeline just before noon. We had been traveling since very early morning - me by car and she by plane. We were delighted to hear that our room was ready - a pleasant surprise. We'd have a chance to freshen up, regroup and start to enjoy our exploration of Charleston. Not so fast...there was a $50 fee to enter our room early. I have since learned that the Emeline is not alone in this practice, but it is not the welcome we expected, nor did we expect to pay more on top of our room rate for that night's stay. We ended up paying it (remember...tired, grubby and wanting a refresh), but felt manipulated and unwelcome. Fortunately, our stay turned out to be very nice and I still would recommend the Emeline. I would, however, ask the Emeline to rethink their money-making early entrance fee.

It’s just the best of the best