Wentworth Mansion

Built by a cotton baron, this stately Victorian residence-turned-hotel pierced the city's skyline long before its zoning board enacted height limits, affording spectacular views of the city's steeple-pierced skyline from the mansion's rooftop cupola. Tiffany stained glass windows and palatial bedrooms, plus state-of-the-art marble bathrooms, combine the best of old and new worlds. Enjoy complimentary breakfast on a sunny porch, or evening sherry and hors d'oeuvres in the darkly paneled parlor by a roaring fireplace. The recently renovated restaurant in the carriage house out back, Circa 1886, ranks as one of Charleston's finest dining venues, so you won't have to walk far for a good meal.