When we booked 3 nights at Zero Water Street, it was with a little bit of uncertainty because we weren't sure how comfortable we'd feel staying in someone else's home. Once we arrived it became clear that there was no reason to worry. When you stay at Zero Water Street, you have the entire third floor of the historic house at your disposal. There is a bedroom (with a comfortable bed and good quality linens), bathroom (spotless and airy), living room (with a large set of windows overlooking the water), front hall/study (stocked with a variety of books and a desk set up with free wifi), kitchen (the fridge came in handy for restaurant leftovers), and the piece-de-resistance: a covered porch overlooking the Battery. The entire floor is furnished with taste and thoughtfulness. Jim and Corres Simpson took over the running of the B&B from Corres' parents, around 5 years ago. When this happened, they renovated the entire 3rd floor. It is both restful and roomy, and it is very easy to pretend that this is your home for the time you are there. The hosts are in no way intrusive, and you have a great deal of privacy. We met Jim when we first checked in and he explained how we could walk around the gardens, park in our assigned spot, and visit the little playhouse built for one of Corres' ancestors. He offered to give us a tour of the rest of the house if we were interested. Besides that, the Simpsons stay out of your way. You have your own entrance and key. Housecelaning comes every day between noon and 2 pm, which was great for us so we could sleep in and generally eat a leisurely breakfast, always on the porch. Breakfast was replenished every day: coffee cake, fruit, yogurt, cereal, juice, coffee/tea, and bottled water. It was an ample amount and I can't tell you how much we enjoyed eating breakfast on the porch, looking out onto the water and Ft. Sumter in the distance. One morning we even watched a regatta--best seats in the house! The location of the house was perfect for us, right on the Battery and an easy (and scenic) walk to Market, King, and Queen Streets and the restaurants. We enjoyed walking along the Battery in the evenings and, upon visiting an art gallery dowtown, were delighted to notice that this house is often depicted in paintings of Charleston.
This is the sort of place you pray will not change before you get a chance to visit again. Thank you for a wonderful stay. We look forward to coming back!

My wife and I had never visited Charleston previously and wanted to take advantage of an opportunity following a business trip to FL. After looking at the listings for a lot of B&B's, I finally decided to give this one a try. Looking back at my decision, I don't think that I could have done better!

Zero Water Street is not your typical B&B. If you are looking for a busy place with an out of this world breakfast and interactions with other guests, then you may want to look elsewhere. If you are looking for a romantic getaway with space, privacy, excellent views, and a decent breakfast in Charleston, then look no further!

It's hard to decide where to begin. The inn is the third floor of a house built in 1836 that has been in the current family since 1902. The suite is on the third floor and the second flight of stairs is a bit narrow. The accommodations consist of a bedroom, living room, large hall, a fully-stocked kitchen, a generous bathroom and an incomparable piazza. There is a private enterance to the suite. The rooms all have 10-12' ceilings. There is an unobstructed view of Charleston harbor with Fort Sumter in the distance from the living room and Piazza (and bathroom). Off-street parking is provided. (We parked the car and didn't need to move it again until we left for home.) The bed was firm, but was not uncomforable

Everything you need for breakfast is in the kitchen. During our stay, there was a selection of cereals, a bowl of fresh fruit, juice, milk, water, bagels, English muffins, jams/jellies, a loaf of fresh breakfast bread, fresh fruit cup, yogurt, etc. Breakfast is at your leisure. You could eat at 4 in the morning or sleep in until noon - no problem. We enjoyed breakfast on the piazza each morning. We didn't even notice that it was raining the second morning until we were half way through eating. While being an excellent place for breakfast, the piazza is alos a great place to hang out. In addition to a pair of rocking chairs there is a swing and a hammock. The piazza would be an ideal place to share a bottle of wine in the evening!

My only regret is that I did not book early enough to stay for three consecutive nights. The price was a bit intimidating at $275 a night, but considering that many other inns in the historic district charge that much or more and likely deliver far less, it is really a bargain for the location and amenities.

Do yourself a favor and book a room here. You will love the atmosphere, location and view. You get the whole third floor which includes a completely stocked kitchen. Unlike most B&B's, this allowed us to eat at our convenience. There was so much to eat for breakfast everyday that we often skipped lunch. The rooms were well maintained and very clean. Since you are in the historic district, you can walk to many of the sites and thus avoid the hassles of trying to find and then pay for parking. The off-street parking is a big plus. The owners are very friendly. They showed us around the entire house and told us about its history. We loved the atmosphere...there is nothing like staying in an antebellum era home overlooking the harbor where the civil war started. If we return to Charleston, we won't consider staying anywhere else.

We just got back from a couple of days in Charleston and we stayed at Zero Water Street. I’m not good about posting when I get home, but this time I have to. I had heard about the piazza and it was awesome, but somehow I had not heard about the living room. Imagine my surprise! When I walked into this immaculate, beautiful living room I was literally overwhelmed. Why did nobody mention this view? The front side of the room is all windows;
The harbor looks so close you could reach out and touch it. When you sit in this room to watch tv or read you can feel the view. Yes, you can, you can feel it!

The long piazza does have a beautiful view of the harbor, comfortable rocking chairs, a hammock, a swing and a table with chairs. The back part allows you to have some shade later in the day. We appreciated that as hot as it was. This is a great people watching spot with the occasional clopping from the carriages. We were lucky enough to catch the moon almost full making the view even better. As mentioned by others, do not stay here for the breakfast. Stay here for the view; feel the stress in your muscles relax as you rock. We found the owners to be friendly and hospitable even at a time when they had family priorities. I truly do consider this a little piece of heaven.