Four Seasons hotel coming to South Carolina — here’s where

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One of the world’s best known luxury hotel brands soon will be coming to downtown Charleston.

A Four Seasons hotel will be built at 155 Meeting St. on the former location of the Days Inn budget motel.

Strategic Property Partners LLC, based in Tampa, Fla., is the developer. Proposals for the project call for three different buildings to be constructed on the 1.9-acre site. The mixed-use development for the site will also include residential condominiums and retail space.

“Strategic Property Partners LLC has agreed on terms with Four Seasons Hotels and Resort, the world’s leading luxury hospitality company, to manage the planned hotel and residences at 155 Meeting Street in downtown Charleston,” said Brad Cooke, senior vice president of development for SPP. “The project is subject to public approvals and more details will be communicated as they become available.”

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Required zoning changes for the project have received approval from the Charleston City Council and plans for the property have been submitted to Charleston’s Board of Architectural Review.

No specific date for the demolition of the former Days Inn has been revealed. The site had been the home of budget accommodations since the 1960s when it was the home of the Golden Eagle Motel. Days Inn took over the property in 1983.

The site’s budget past will be long gone when Four Seasons moves in. The chain was started with one motor hotel in 1961 by founder Isadore Sharp, and now operates 100 luxury hotels and resorts worldwide.

This will be the first Four Seasons in South Carolina. Other locations in the Southeast include Atlanta; Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Surfside, Orlando and Palm Beach in Florida; and New Orleans.

Leaders in the tourism and hospitality industry say the newest luxury hotel addition to Charleston’s peninsula will bring new attention to a city that is already known worldwide.

“It’s an honor that Four Seasons selected Charleston for one of their inspiring properties – it’s an incredible addition to the region’s travel and hospitality offerings,” said Chris Campbell, vice president of strategy and external affairs for Explore Charleston, which handles marketing for the city of Charleston and the surrounding region.

Campbell is also excited about renderings of the future property that show a structure more in sync with the neighborhood’s aesthetic than the Days Inn was.

“Redevelopment of that property with the aesthetic and character of the historic district in mind will be a big benefit,” he said.

The arrival of Four Seasons is part of a long-time effort to bring more higher-end accommodations and upscale travelers to the Palmetto State that goes back more than 20 years, according to Duane Parrish, director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Parrish has significant past experience in the hotel industry, including senior management roles with several major chains, and he is well aware of the visibility a world-renowned name like Four Seasons can bring.

“This is a big deal for both Charleston and the state of South Carolina,” Parrish told SC Biz News. “It verifies and confirms the fact that Charleston really is a world class destination because a chain with the service level of a Four Seasons wouldn’t go there unless the market was there for it.”