Best Things Nearby:
I would have to say that the best things would have to be the historic sites,the dining, and the ghost tours. We were not accustom to eating the way we did. Every time we ate out, it was and adventure. The menus would just intrigue us and we were not used to having gourmet meals all the time, even for breakfast. Not only was the dining close, but pretty much everywhere we wanted to see was in walking distance. Being close to all that history made it even more fun. The last great thing that was nearby would have to be the ghost tours. Most of them started not far from our resort, and talk about fun, each of these things were great and because of how close everything was we got to do about everything we wanted to do.

Best Things About the Resort:
I would have to say that the best thing about the resorts would have to be the location. It was located right in town. When we got there I was worried about traffic, and how I was going to deal with being in the city. I would have to say that I was very pleased with the location. We had access to everything the city had to offer. Most everything was in walking distance. Even the places we had to drive to were not located far from the resort.

Resort Experience:
I would have to say that if you're looking for a place to stay, this would be it—the rooms were great. Our room was a one bedroom. It had a loft with the bedroom being on the second floor. The room was big and had everything you could want. The dining room had a full dining room set made of cherry wood. The room was decorated in an all cherry wood theme. The kitchen was spacious, it had everything you could need. If you are looking for a romantic getaway this place is for you. At night, the courtyard is lit by gas powered lamps, and the fountain is lit up in the middle of the courtyard. Our room was on the second floor and our windows faced the courtyard. The coolest thing I found was the hallways were lit with candle-like lamps. The thing is, just like all of Charleston, our Inn was thought to be haunted. Which made walking down those candlelit hallways even more fun. Not only was the inside of the place great but they offered great service. The concierge helped plan our week. We got great advice on the places we should visit. The information she gave us made our stay great. She made sure we didn't waste our time, and had set us up to see everything. The only downside to the place would be that if you have kids there was not many things on-site to do. The thing that made up for this was the location of the resort. Every thing was within walking distance. The ghost walks were less than a block away. The historic city was in your backyard. The best part is I didn't have to drive. If you wanted to tour you could just walk to everything, or even one of the tours was on a bus, and the bus arrived at the door to pick you up. If you want availability to see the city of Charleston you need to stay at the Lodge Valley Inn, it makes seeing the city great and for a couple this is a very romantic get away.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Not Available
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Good
• Service: Excellent

A Bluegreen Vacation Resort, we stayed here through our timeshare ownership. It's in a wonderful location, right in the middle of historic Charleston, close to the harbor, and perfectly situated for exploring the city on foot. The rooms are in a complex of older buildings, all terrific renovations that kept many of the original brick walls, wooden floors, and other features while creating modern and comfortable rooms decorated in a style consistent with Charleston's 18th-century English origins.

Ours was very spacious, with high ceilings and a columnar brick fireplace through the middle of the room that nicely divided the bedroom from the large living room. The walls appeared to be original brick, and the wide-plank pine floors and oriental rugs were beautiful. I haven't been in a lodging with a living area so large, nicely appointed, and essentially feeling like someone's home. The sleeping area was off the street, a nice piece of planning that made the evenings a little quieter. The buildings are clustered around an inner courtyard and fountain, which is nicely lit at night.

We spent 3 nights here and were sorry to leave. Charleston itself was a large part of this--but so was Lodge Alley. The staff was friendly, especially the concierge, who was a big help in selecting things to do and places to eat during our stay. In-room coffee is provided, as well as nightly sherry and turndown service (with cookies!). I will stay here the next time I come to Charleston--and wish I'd stayed here on my previous trip.

Best Things Nearby:
Restaurants, the battery on the waterfront, many great beaches, the old market, historic homes and buildings. A great walking city.

Best Things About the Resort:
Historic buildings with period furninishings. Romantic and peaceful. Great people.

Resort Experience:
Fantastic. Romantic. Quaint. Historic.

For a romanitic getaway with lots of great places to eat, great places to walk, and a friendly and accommodating staff, this is tops. We have been there twice and will be back again for sure.

It's more a place for adults than families, in my mind. There is nothing about it that would be "bad" for kids--it's just not really laid out for families.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Not Available
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Poor
• Service: Excellent

We were amazed at the luxury and friendly service. The staff were all polite and helpful. They actually knew us by name by the time we left - and we were only there 3 days. The amenities were fantastic and the location was ideal.

Best Things Nearby:
Market Street, restaurants, horse-drawn carriage rides, East Bay Street, the Market Place, just about everything you can think of is within walking distance.

Best Things About the Resort:
All of the staff was just wonderful. The concierge was a great help. Not only did she sit down with us and tell us about some wonderful places to visit, but she gave us discount coupons to most of them. Another nice touch here was the 4 p.m. sherry and cookies. It gave you a chance to unwind and meet some of the other guests.

Resort Experience:
A beautiful courtyard with a fountain in the center. One evening they had a jazz musician there and several other artists. Unfortunately, the fountain was only working the day we got there. I do think this is the highlight of the courtyard. After the first day they shut it off, drained it, and began to paint it. We left before they ever put it on again.

Our room was supposed to be a one-bedroom unit. We were quite pleased when we opened the doors to find a nice size room with the bedroom area separated by a fireplace and then a living room area.

A few drawbacks with our stay, though - there is only one television which was on a cheap metal stand with wheels so you had to turn it to see it from the bedroom. Also, our bed squeaked so much that the maintenance people had to disconnect the headboard from the frame. Another thing is the mattresses are EXTREMELY uncomfortable. We were told that these were new and many people had been complaining about them. When we first arrived our room was not very clean and the quilt on the bed did not match the dust ruffle in any way. I must say, however, that the management and maintenance crew were all very helpful to get things in order within a day or so.

There are MANY Bluegreen salespeople around trying to get you to buy a timeshare, so on our first day there we took the tour just to get it over with since we already own a timeshare in Newport, RI. We did receive three $25 restaurant gift certificates for just taking the tour, though, and our salesman was not pushy at all.

The best thing about the Lodge Alley Inn is that it is conveniently located to everything and everyplace. It is very close to many wonderful restaurants and within walking distance to the Market Place.

• Unit Type: Studio
• Activities: Not Available
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Good
• Family Friendliness: Good
• Service: Excellent