Stayed only one night. Charleston is really worth more than a nights visit. Hotel was in a great location to walk around - or ride the FREE trolley car around the city. Loved visiting the market area and had a great time at the Griffin. Hotel was very old. Someone said it smelled 'funky'. I found that too. The hotel lobby smelled strongly of natural gas. It was very unpleasant. However - the staff was wonderful - the courtyard was fantastic - breakfast in the restaurant wasn't wonderful - but it was O.K. We had a balcony room. It was nice enough for a really old hotel - it was very small. The balcony was like in New Orleans and connected to all the other rooms on the same floor, so if you go out to sit on the balcony - which was nice - you were sitting right with the people in the next room. Furniture was chipped - but things looked clean. Bed was comfortable. Pool area was really nice too!

Elegant hotel with a perfect location for all of the sights in Charleston. Stayed two nights, Thursday and Friday, in January, based on a recommendation from a Charleston native. We did have a difficult time ending up on correct side of Meeting Street to check in, but did find our way. Valet parking was packed, but they were efficient once our turn came. In Charleston, park the car and only pick it up on your way out of town, You can walk everywhere. Parking Fee is worth it and the price we are accustomed to paying for a city with limited parking.

Hotel was full with MSNBC setting up shop for SC primary broadcast, but we were not inconvenienced. Requested corner room in advance and were placed on the top floor. The room had great views, but beware of early morning street noise during the work week if you require peace and quiet. It didn't bother us, as we had to get up anyway. Saturday morning was much quieter. Furnishings were updated, Bed was super comfy, bathroom was plenty big for the two of us. Windows open, which is an unexpected treat these days. We did have a problem with the door to room sticking-it required my husbands heavy shoulder to get it open. Bell hop said he'd notify front desk to have someone fix it, and we notified front desk to fix it, but it stayed that way the entire time. If I'd been by myself, I would not have been able to open it. Being an old hotel, imagine the humidity takes a toll on the wood. This was not enough of an issue to cause me to lower my high rating of this hotel.

The bar was a lovely place to relax after dinner. They were super busy, but the bartender was a master at keeping the drinks served. It was too cold to enjoy the outdoor terraces or pool area, but look forward to those areas when we return and the weather is warmer.

There are so many wonderful restaurants in Charleston, all within walking distance, and Opentable was invaluable during our trip. It was Restaurant Week, so every place was packed.

Overall, very pleased with Mills House.

We stayed at the Mills House for 3 nights in mid January. The location is within walking distance to many of the downtown areas of interest including good restaurants. We got a very good rate through hotwire although I wouldn't want to pay full price for this hotel. The reception area is very nice and spacious. We had a room on the fifth floor which was acceptable for the money we paid. Our only real complaint about the room is that there are no towel racks in the bathroom.

We were booked at the Mills House via hotwire.com -- said it was a 4 star hotel in downtown Charleston and it was 50% off if we didn't learn the identity of the hotel before booking. So we took a chance . . . and it was a pretty good value. (It wouldn't have been a good value if we paid the regular price.) It is charming and historic, and in a perfect location to explore Charleston by foot. (The hotwire listing said it was Holiday Inn, but there were no markings on anything within the hotel to indicate this . . . maybe it either just became one or just stopped being one.) Because we learned that we'd have to pay approximately $20 a day to park in a nearby garage, we dropped the rental car and opted for a taxi from the airport. It cost about $30. Upon entering, we noticed all of the hotel's southern charm and definitely an air of a fine hotel. It does have a funky smell throughout the hotel, like natural gas . . . or maybe it is just an "old" smell. Perhaps it is even the odor of the "ghosts" who are said to haunt Charleston's buildings. It was a bit off-putting, but it didn't smell inside our room, so we were okay with it. It is definitely better than your run of the mill Holiday Inn because of the period furnishings and decor, but it has definitely seen better days. The staff was charming and accommodating. Since we booked the room through a third party, my husband didn't get rewards points, but the man at the front desk gave us drink coupons in the lounge anyway. The room was big enough for 2 with a large draped king size bed and a view overlooking what I believe was Queen Street. Upon arrival, we already had turn down service with dark chocolate mints on the pillows. Amenties are Bath and Body Works Coconut Lime Verbena. Room service prices were surprisingly reasonable. Not cheap, but reasonable! A traditional breakfast of eggs, meat, hash browns, and toast was $12. I'd skip breakfast at the hotel and walk a few blocks down the street to a restaurant that has to have the world's best breakfast. It is called TOAST! and I will review it separately.

Back to the Mills House. We were on the second floor, and on this floor is a fitness room and a lovely outdoor patio area including a separate area for the pool. Although it was 70 degrees F outside, the pool was closed for the season. It was February, so I will let this slide! After exploring the area, we spent a luxurious couple of hours by the pool in the courtyard reading, catnapping, and looking up at the beautiful sky. It was a very peaceful area in the city.

Be careful of the Hibernian Society next door. While we were enjoying a drink in the early evening, a drunk man from the Society ran his car into the wall of the hotel and patio area, causing the building to shake!

Overall, we were happy with this hotel and definitely would return if the price were fair.