The Lindy Renaissance Charleston Hotel — Hotel in Charleston

A Five-Star Stay at The Lindy Renaissance Charleston Hotel

My wife and I spent 3 wonderful nights at The Lindy Renaissance Charleston Hotel this December (2024) to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. We redeemed Marriott points earned through our credit card, and after plenty of research, chose downtown Charleston—an area we love for its charm, history, and holiday festivities. Visiting during Christmas turned out to be a magical decision.

This property, formerly the Renaissance Charleston Historic District Hotel, is part of Marriott International’s Renaissance brand, which emphasizes local inspiration and stylish design. From browsing the beautiful online photos to reading countless glowing reviews, I felt certain this was the right choice—and the actual experience surpassed even those high expectations.

Warm, Attentive Staff: Before our arrival, I spoke with Seth, one of the front desk managers, who ensured we had a private balcony so we could watch the sunrise and sunset. Upon check-in, Sean, Regina, Magdalene, and the two evening front-desk associates greeted us warmly, always offering coffee, tea, or water. If they didn’t have supplies immediately at hand, they sent them straight to our room. On top of that, I want to give a big thank-you to Seth for the thoughtful anniversary surprise—a bottle of champagne that truly made our stay extra special.

Valet & Parking Ease: On arrival day, Bryan at Valet was incredibly helpful. Though I decided to self-park in a nearby garage, he provided clear directions and allowed us a brief pull-up out front so we could unload our bags in comfort.

Stylish, Inviting Lobby: The lobby immediately delighted us with its signature fragrance and upscale ambiance. In keeping with the holiday spirit, there was a charming gingerbread house display adding festive flair.

On-Site Dining: Just off the lobby, you’ll find two distinct food venues:

Handy & Hot – A casual eatery by PBS personality Vivian Howard, offering delicious treats I couldn’t resist.

Lenoir (Southern) – Vivian’s newer (2021) venture focusing on the flavors of the rural South, guided by the idea that “food with a story tastes better.” I didn’t dine there this time but will on my next visit.

Modern Fitness Center & Outdoor Pool: The fitness center features moderate workout equipment, warm towels, bottled water, and headphones. An adjacent door opens to a heated saltwater pool, surrounded by a small lawn. Though too chilly for a dip, it made for a fun photo spot!

A Room with a View & Fresh Air: Our corner room on a higher floor—with that coveted balcony—was outstanding. Whimsical bunny-themed wallpaper added a unique flair, complemented by modern lighting and art. The bathroom boasted black marble floors, excellent water pressure, and a powerful toilet flush (often underrated). Also, the elevators were impressively quick—no long waits here.

Gracious Management & Memorable Service: From top to bottom, the team made our stay feel special. It’s clear that the Renaissance Hotels brand prides itself on local flair and impeccable service, and The Lindy delivers that wholeheartedly. Kudos to the general manager and everyone involved in staffing such a dedicated, friendly crew.

Final Thoughts: All told, my wife and I will forever cherish these three nights as part of our one-year anniversary celebration. The blend of stylish design, top-notch amenities, and phenomenal staff made us feel like VIPs every moment.

Merry Christmas and thank you again to The Lindy Renaissance Charleston Hotel for an unforgettable experience—we can’t...

PROS: The best thing about this hotel is the valet team. They are efficient, kind and go over and above for guests!

CONS: The beds/mattresses are TERRIBLE and need a complete overhall! Ours creaked when we sat on the bed or moved and you could feel the springs through the bedding. Our initial room upon check in was VERY dirty! There was dust and hair all over the side tables next to the bed and also the bathroom counter. The bathroom door was extremely sticky. We wiped it down with the sanitizing wipes that were provided in our room and black dust and other “stuff” came off in just a single swipe. Looks like black mold in the grout in the shower also. There were stains all over the side chair and the windows had greasy handprint smears all over it. The A/C wasn’t working very well in our room and we couldn’t get the temperature to drop below 77’F! It was very stuffy as well. We also tried to put a few things in the mini fridge, but it was completely iced over and had food stains on the top. I took pictures of everything. We called the front desk, but they didn’t have another king room to move us to that night, but said they would the next day. Needless to say, we hardly unpacked and didn’t sleep well the first night (our reservation was for 5 nights). I talked to the front desk the next morning and they got us moved to a different room that afternoon. Although the second room was cleaner, the mattress was still not great. The house keeping also didn’t service our room the next 4 days and we had to ask them for towels. Two days later, we came back to the hotel late afternoon from being out all day. Housekeeping hadn’t serviced our room yet. The cart was on our floor, so we asked them for new towels and also asked if they would empty our trash cans since they hadn’t come for two days. We also explained that our five year old was going to take a nap, so they said to just set the trash cans outside the door because they didn’t know what part of the rotation our room was in. A couple hours later as we were leaving for dinner, we noticed that they had actually taken our trash cans. So…we had no trash cans in our room until the following day after we had to request them. I’ve been a Marriott member for over a decade and have stayed all over the US over the years. All in all…it was a pretty frustrating and disappointing stay! Definitely not what I would expect from a 4 diamond hotel! We’ve stayed in Marriott Courtyards that have been cleaner and had more comfortable beds. The other thing we were disappointed in was that we had 5 night suite upgrades we had requested three weeks in advance to use for our vacation. Upon arrival, we were informed that there are only 3 suites in the entire hotel and upgrades rarely get awarded. In addition to the general high standards of other 4 diamond hotels that we’ve stayed at in the past, this was one of the main reasons that we chose the Renaissance Charleston Historic district. The marketing pictures online are awesome…too bad the rooms in actuality are not as great. Super bummed that we used our points...

My trip was pleasant to Charleston, but I recommend staying elsewhere. Staff was friendly and professional in passing. Valet was super polite. As someone who stayed in a Marriott 122 days last year, this place doesn't meet the standards. The following is what we encountered.

There was no response to out early check in request in via the Bonvoy app. No recognizing of Titanium elite bonvoy status at anytime when speaking with the front desk. Was unable to get a hold of anyone at front desk by calling the hotel to follow up on early check in prior to arrival. We had to wait 30 mins past check in time, no big deal. It just adds up in the end.

Bathroom towels had a stain and what appeared to be makeup. No biggie, we asked for new towels. I just had to ask twice to get some. Again, no biggie, but it adds up.

The A/C was struggling to keep up. The thermostat was set to 68, but the thermostat read 70. It didn't feel 70. The fridge was also not cold. We had concerns as we had to store breast milk. In person, I spoke to the front desk and explained what we had encountered. They said they would send up an enginer.

The engineer turned up the fridge for us. The dial was in the back of the fridge; that corrected the issue. The engineer removed a filter from the return and it was stuff with lint/fuzz. It appeared to not been changed in over a year is my guess. I did not get a picture of that filter, but I did take a picture of the vent in the bathroom, which supports that the duct work is nasty here. I also mentioned that the water pressure is low. You literally have to stand close to the tile to get water. The engineer mentioned there is plans to upgrade the water pump system. The engineer was friendly. We went to dinner and then rechecked the room. It was still hot. I explained to the hotel front desk and also mentioned about the towels. They had no rooms available to move us. I was told that the manager would call me the next day and discuss compensation that never occurred. They said they would send someone up with towels; that did not occur.

The next day we were able to get clean towels. In the early evening, I spoke to the front desk, mentioning that the manager was supposed to call me and he/she had not. I began explaining what had happened but was kind of cut off and just offered an engineer again and or a new room. I appreciated those offers, but the manner could have been better. I don't want to complain, and I definitely do not want to repeat myself. Marriot you can do better. Reference photos for to form your...