The Barksdale House Inn — Hotel in Charleston

I have been staying at the Barksdale House for many many years. I love Charleston, SC and everything that it has to offer in the downtown area, and one of my favorite parts has been staying at this B&B; however I have watched this hot spot slowly decline over the past few years. We recently stayed for the Spoleto arts festival in early Summer 2014. Upon arrival as we walked in the back entrance we noticed shingles were missing from all around the walkway beside the fountain, it was easy to trip, and someone just left the shingles stacked in piles next to the stairs. The garden or lack there of hardly existed, much less was in its prime. We stayed in room #8 a small red room on the 3rd floor. Upon walking in our room everything seemed dingy and there was a very musty odor. Curtains were tattered, boards in the bathroom looked rotten, paint was peeling off the ceiling, inlay and chunks were missing from the ornamental wooden bed frame. The air conditioning unit in our room barley worked, and the one on the floor below us ran so loudly that the whole floor shook. The room did have a refrigerator, but if you turned it down low enough to keep your beverages cold it made a loud squealing noise. A refrigerator was available in the "community" kitchen, but they have now started locking up the kitchen at night. Also if you were expecting breakfast in bed that is also a thing of the past. The only breakfast available was a small sampling of whatever the house decided to offer for the day. For the price next time I will be staying at a first class hotel like the King Charles Inn, Francis Marion, the Mills House, or...

This was my first B&B experience and it was fantastic. The folks who work the desk and lay out the hot/cold breakfast, afternoon tea/iced coffee and pastries (sometimes little sandwiches), are as delightful as can be. They are super helpful and always greet you with a smile. I felt very comfortable here. I am not sure where they get their mattresses but they are the most comfortable I’ve ever slept on in my life. 👍 Definitely got an excellent night’s sleep 💤. Staying on the top floor also helped because I had no one over me and it was a bonus that the Keurig machine with an assortment of coffee/teas was just outside my door. I honestly thought I was the only guest in the whole place because I never passed a single guest until it was breakfast and then I was surprised to see so many others in the lobby. Nice & quiet here. Guests are respectful because I never heard a peep. Truly a lovely place and because it is slightly tucked away from the main drag you avoid all the street noise of cars and tourists but yet you are just around the corner from King and Meeting Streets where there is a lot going on. I stayed at the Francis Marion a few months back and although you are smack in the middle of all the restaurants/bars, with that comes a lot of noise, cars honking, loud music, and people yelling. All that noise on King Street made me feel as though I was in the heart of NYC. I much prefer this place, just a 3-4 min walk off the beaten path where you can feel relaxed. I would definitely...

We have been staying at the Barksdale on and off for over 20 years. Magical experience. The Barksdale is perfectly located where you can walk to everything. The building is three hundred years old and they have done a beautiful job keeping it up. The rooms are absolutely stunning and the breakfast is by far the best B&B breakfast in all of Charleston. But what makes this place special is the staff. The Assistant Manager Parker is absolutely incredible and went above and beyond to make sure our stay was comfortable. He is perfect for that position, his troubleshooting abilities are handled calmly and professionally. Bernadette "B" and Brenda will serve you your breakfast and are so incredibly friendly and efficient. Donna is very sweet and helpful as well. And then there's Aleeyah... I cannot say enough good things about this wonderful woman. She not only makes you feel like you are family , but makes you feel that the Barksdale is truly your home. I would hire her in 2 seconds. She is amazing, and I never saw her once stop working. She consistently goes above and beyond. She's is the perfect person to greet you when you arrive! The only thing that I would recommend to management is putting larger tvs in the room for old folks who can't see a...