Description: Going from the sublime to the ridiculous is really hard, especially when you do it in less than 7 days, where we stayed in 5 different venues.
In all fairness, however, for the rate that I was able to obtain on line, and the fact that it was year end, last minute kind of deal, it wasn''t bad at all. We were less than 1 mile from downtown Charleston by car, and nowhere had we a more magnificent view of the Ashley River. We also enjoyed a balcony in the room, which very quickly doubled as our natural laundry dryer. Room 705 faced the river, a few buildings in progress, and the road leading to Folly Beach.
This section of town is not as gentrified as downtown, but surprisingly, there are quite a few hotels around, with more in anticipation. Howard Johnson offered free parking and access to an outdoor pool, but it was freezing for this sort of indulgence. Lodged inside the hotel was the BrittleBank Diner where breakfast is available every morning from 7am to 10am.
Since we were not planning to spend a lot of time in the room, this afforded us the basic necessities while we got acquainted with the rest of the city and its environs. They were booked solid for New Year''s Eve, which meant yet another move for us for our last night in South Carolina.
Our room was large with two queen size beds, sparse decor, but plenty of drawer space, 2 tables with armchairs, and bathroom with a fan, which is becoming more of a rarity as bathrooms go. The amenities leave a lot to be desired, but we had our own, so it wasn''t a problem. Bring your own dryer if you need one and a magnifying mirror. What I found extremely practical was a second sink right near the entrance door which was mirrored, so if Chuck was using the bathroom, I was able to have running water and/or the mirror for make up and hair drying.
The staff at the desk were friendly, but not terribly knowledgeable. They also seem to change front desk people quite often, so it''s hard to remember a face. For people traveling with children, this is most likely a good spot to hang your hat because all the fast food places are around here including one which we tried called "Hardees" . You would also be much closer to your drive toward the beaches, like Kiawah, and the plantations.
Note that ice machines are located on alternating floors such as 1, 4, 6, and 8; don''t ask me what happened to 2 or 3. Vending machines with snacks are on 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7. If you''re really ambitious, there is a bona fide laundry room on the first floor. And weather permitting, the pool is open until 10 pm.
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