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The Cottages on Charleston Harbor
Charleston, South Carolina
While the hustle and bustle of charming downtown Charleston lends a certain energy and appeal to visitors, the Cottages on Charleston Harbor will have you rethinking your home base while visiting the Holy City.
Set just over the Arthur Ravenel Bridge a few miles from downtown, at Patriots Point, the Cottages are nestled into an obscure spot: Toward the back of a parking lot near the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina. Follow the small, white wooden signs toward the main Clubhouse, where you can check-in before seeking out your own personal escape.
The Cottages opened 17 years ago and have seen updates along the way. The kitchens and bathrooms are all modern with elegant touches, making them feel like upscale rental units with a bit of Southern charm. There are 10 residential-like dwellings on site, each fashioned with a casual Low-country elegance. The cottages each have water-facing views, with a few sitting a steps away from a small beach that faces a lagoon. Some feature small yards out back, where Adirondack chairs offer a place to read, relax, or take in the views of the ocean from one angle or Fort Sumter from another.
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Enjoy a light, airy design, with fireplaces in the living rooms, Jacuzzi-style tubs, full kitchens splashed in white tile, and screened-in porches, complete with rattan rocking chairs and hammocks. With two- and three-bedroom options, as many as six can stay in one cottage, making this a solid treat for a gathering of girlfriends or a small family.
While there's no restaurant on site, breakfast is offered in the Clubhouse each morning, with a hot item, like sausage biscuits or grits and gravy, set up alongside pastries, cereal, and fresh fruit, as well as Charleston Coffee Exchange coffee on hand. The Clubhouse is where you'll also find the pool, as well as communal bikes that can be borrowed for a swing around the jut of land where the Cottages reside.
To get over to the city, a water-taxi service runs from the marina over Waterfront Park, giving you quick access to the restaurants and shopping in town, without the headache of parking. But, mostly, you'll likely want to enjoy the peace and solitude that can be found hidden behind the Palmettos and pine trees at this tucked-away, beachside resort.