Dive Brief:
- Four Seasons will bring a new-build luxury hotel and branded residences to Charleston, South Carolina, the hospitality brand announced this week.
- Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Charleston will span 139 guest rooms and 36 residential units. A collaboration with Tampa, Florida-based Strategic Property Partners, the property will also offer event space, dining and luxury amenities.
- With the project, Four Seasons expands its luxury hospitality offerings to a “vibrant city and beautiful destination,” according to Bart Carnahan, president of global business development, portfolio management and residential at Four Seasons. Charleston has seen heightened tourist levels in recent years.
Dive Insight:
Located in Charleston’s historic district, the new Four Seasons Hotel and Residences will “blend Charleston’s charm and heritage with modern luxury, offering guests and residents a sense of belonging, warmth and ease,” according to Four Seasons.
The hotel will offer four restaurants and bars, an outdoor pool with private cabanas and roughly 7,000 square feet of event space. There will be a full-service spa with private treatment rooms and hydro-thermal facilities, a fitness center and shops at the property as well.
The project is a collaboration with New York City firms Morris Adjmi Architects, Lark Design Studios and Hollander Design, handling the residential interiors, hotel interiors and landscape architecture, respectively.
Slated for completion in 2028, the hotel will expand Four Seasons’ North American portfolio to a new destination — and a burgeoning tourism market.
In 2024, 7.89 million tourists visited the greater Charleston area, having an economic impact of more than $14 billion on the region, according to Explore Charleston’s 2024 Economic Impact of Tourism report, obtained by Hotel Dive and conducted by the College of Charleston's Office of Tourism Analysis. Tourism’s economic impact on Charleston last year represented a new city record and a 7.1% increase over 2023, per the report.
“Charleston’s travel demand is driven by a distinctive combination of cultural, hospitality and high-end experiences,” Brad Cooke, executive vice president of development at Strategic Property Partners, told Hotel Dive. “The city’s historic charm, walkable downtown and preserved architecture consistently attract visitors seeking culture-rich getaways. At the same time, Charleston has cultivated a nationally recognized culinary and arts scene, drawing food lovers, creatives and event goers year-round.”
The market’s hotel RevPAR and ADR were also up year over year in 2024, according to the report, though occupancy was down slightly in 2024 and not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
Four Seasons is also expanding to Utah’s Deer Valley, near Park City. In December, the brand announced a hotel and branded residences project coming to the Deer Valley East Village redevelopment, where Hyatt Hotels and Hilton are also expanding.
In October, Four Seasons Hotel New York reopened after being closed for more than four years. Four Seasons currently has some 55 hotels and resorts operating across North America, and more in international markets.
