At Stay In The New, we curate recently opened hotels and upcoming openings across Charleston and the Lowcountry — from the French Quarter waterfront and King Street to Daniel Island and Kiawah — so you always know what's new and worth booking.
THE NEWEST HOTELS. THE BEST STAYS.
A Stay In The New curated city guide
The genuinely new — every property below opened within the last two years, from the French Quarter waterfront and King Street to the Kiawah River.
Opened Mar 2026
Featured · Brand New
The peninsula's first major luxury waterfront hotel, The Cooper is the long-awaited sister to The Charleston Place, on the banks of the Cooper River in the French Quarter. Its 191 rooms come with a rooftop infinity pool over the harbor, a 7,000 sq ft wellness spa, a private hotel marina with a charter fleet, and four dining venues led by the coastal-Mediterranean signature, The Crossing.
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Opened Apr 2026
Live Oak Charleston debuted as South Carolina's first Tribute Portfolio hotel, a 120-room design-forward retreat on Meeting Street built around wellness and intentional living. Light-filled rooms in natural textures pair with poolside cabana suites, the Tracer espresso bar, and Terra, a Lowcountry-meets-Mediterranean signature restaurant.
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Opened Aug 2024
On the banks of the Kiawah River about 30 minutes from downtown, The Dunlin brought Auberge Resorts Collection to the Lowcountry — 72 cottage-style rooms and suites styled as a refined Carolina coastal retreat, with a spa, a riverfront pool, and Linnette's restaurant. It's the area's marquee nature-luxury escape, near Kiawah's beaches and golf.
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Opened Jun 2025
The Nickel Hotel brought a 50-room, apartment-style boutique to restaurant-heavy upper King Street, built around a lush three-story, European-inspired courtyard. Guests get the members-style Bar Daniel lounge, while the Rosemary Rose rooftop draws locals and visitors alike.
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Opened Jun 2025
Indigo Road Hospitality Group's first hotel in its hometown, Hotel Richemont is an intimate 25-room boutique at the corner of King and Society streets, named for the ship that carried French Huguenot families to Charleston. It pairs design-forward, residential-style rooms with the Vietnamese-inspired Two Bit Club restaurant, a short walk from Marion Square and the city's best dining.
💰 Why Overpay? See the Lowest Rate →Check live rates across hundreds of booking sites for every new Charleston hotel — from the French Quarter waterfront to King Street — and grab the lowest one.
Brand-new, wallet-friendly stays just outside the historic district — strong bases near the airport and I-26 when downtown rates climb.
Value Pick
Drury Plaza Hotel North Charleston opened with 252 rooms just off I-26, minutes from the airport and Daniel Island. It's a dependable, value-driven base known for Drury's generous free extras — hot breakfast, evening kickbacks, and Wi-Fi included.
💰 Why Overpay? See the Lowest Rate →Element Charleston Airport opened near Charleston International with bright, sustainable studio-style rooms, free bikes, a seasonal outdoor pool, and a sun terrace — an easy, well-priced landing pad for fly-in trips and airport-area business.
💰 Why Overpay? See the Lowest Rate →The pipeline is led by a true first for the state. Here's what's next across the peninsula and the islands.
The headline of Charleston's pipeline: a Four Seasons hotel and private residences planned for Meeting Street in the Historic District — set to be the first Four Seasons in South Carolina, a mixed-use luxury development rising on the former Days Inn site.
A three-story, 36-room boutique complex planned for Daniel Island, surrounded by cottages, cabanas, and guesthouse lodgings, with a first-floor restaurant and top-floor event space — a refined island base near the golf and the Cooper River.
A proposed suite-style boutique at the northern end of King Street — potentially the street's northernmost lodging to date — with a first-floor restaurant and café and a rooftop pool and bar overlooking the upper peninsula.
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Bookmark this page — we update it as new Charleston hotels open. When you're ready, compare live rates from the French Quarter to King Street in one place.
The Holy City rewards staying close to the action — but "close" means different things on the peninsula versus the islands. Here's how the areas differ, and where the newest hotels sit.
The cobblestone heart of historic Charleston — Waterfront Park, the City Market, and the harbor all within a short stroll. This is where the marquee new arrival landed: The Cooper, the peninsula's first major luxury waterfront hotel, with a rooftop infinity pool over the harbor and its own marina.
The city's restaurant-and-nightlife corridor and its most energetic stretch, lined with shops, bars, and boutique stays. The new Nickel Hotel anchors it with a courtyard and rooftop, Hotel Richemont sits just off King on Society Street, and Live Oak Charleston is steps away on Meeting Street.
The peninsula's southern tip is its most picturesque — pastel mansions, Rainbow Row, White Point Garden, and the seawall promenade of The Battery. A quieter, residential base for travelers who want to wake up inside a postcard.
A planned island community across the Cooper River, with riverfront parks, golf, and the Credit One Stadium tennis events. Calmer and more spacious than downtown, with the boutique Bellinger on the way to add a stylish island base.
Southwest of the city lies the Lowcountry at its most scenic — tidal rivers, ancient oaks, and the beaches and championship golf of Kiawah. The new Dunlin, Auberge Resorts Collection sits on the Kiawah River here, the area's marquee nature-luxury retreat.
Just up I-26, North Charleston offers the best value near the airport and the buzzy Park Circle dining-and-brewery scene. New value stays like Drury Plaza North Charleston and Element Charleston Airport make it an easy, affordable base for fly-in trips.
The fast facts on what's just opened across the peninsula, King Street, and the greater Lowcountry.
The newest is Live Oak Charleston, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, which opened on Meeting Street in April 2026 — just after The Cooper debuted on the French Quarter waterfront in March 2026 as the peninsula's first major luxury waterfront resort.
The Cooper — the long-awaited sister property to The Charleston Place — is the headliner, a 191-room five-star waterfront hotel with a rooftop infinity pool, a 7,000 sq ft spa, and its own private marina on the Cooper River.
Yes — The Nickel Hotel opened on upper King Street in 2025 as a 50-room, apartment-style boutique built around a three-story courtyard, with the Rosemary Rose rooftop. Hotel Richemont, just off King on Society Street, adds an intimate, design-led option nearby.
The Dunlin, Auberge Resorts Collection, opened on the Kiawah River about 30 minutes from downtown — a 72-cottage Lowcountry luxury retreat with a spa and riverfront pool, ideal for travelers who want nature and beaches near the city.
The big one is the Four Seasons Charleston — South Carolina's first Four Seasons — planned for Meeting Street with a hotel and residences. Also in the pipeline: The Bellinger on Daniel Island and a boutique hotel at 657 King Street.
Stay near the French Quarter and Waterfront for history and harbor views, upper King Street for dining and nightlife, South of Broad for antebellum charm, or Johns Island and Kiawah for beaches and nature. North Charleston offers the best value near the airport.
Charleston is in the middle of a genuine boutique-hotel boom. The Holy City has always drawn travelers with its cobblestone streets, Lowcountry cooking, and antebellum architecture — but for years its room inventory barely moved. That's changed: a wave of design-forward openings has reshaped the peninsula, led by the city's first major luxury waterfront hotel and a run of intimate, locally rooted boutiques.
The landmark arrival is The Cooper, the long-awaited sister to The Charleston Place. Rising on the French Quarter waterfront, it pairs a rooftop infinity pool and a destination spa with its own private marina and charter fleet — the peninsula's first true resort-style luxury hotel, and the anchor of a new chapter for Charleston's lodging scene.
Upper King Street is where the boutique energy concentrates. Live Oak Charleston debuted as the city's first Tribute Portfolio hotel, wellness-minded and pool-focused on Meeting Street, while The Nickel Hotel wraps apartment-style rooms around a lush three-story courtyard with a buzzy rooftop bar. A few blocks south, Hotel Richemont brought a hometown hospitality group's first hotel — an intimate, design-led stay with a standout restaurant — to the corner of King and Society.
Beyond the peninsula, the Lowcountry's natural beauty anchors a different kind of stay. On the banks of the Kiawah River, The Dunlin brought the Auberge Resorts Collection to Johns Island with cottage-style rooms, a spa, and serene marsh-country calm — a luxury retreat within easy reach of both downtown and the beaches. Value-minded travelers, meanwhile, have solid new options near the airport and just off I-26.
We track every new opening across Charleston and the surrounding Lowcountry so you can skip the dated inventory and book something current. With more on the way — including South Carolina's first Four Seasons — we'll keep this guide updated as the city's pipeline delivers.
For first-timers, the historic peninsula is ideal — the French Quarter and the lower King Street area put you walking distance from Waterfront Park, the City Market, and the best restaurants. Upper King is livelier for dining and nightlife, South of Broad is quieter and more residential, and Mount Pleasant or Johns Island suit travelers who want water, beaches, or a resort feel.
Charleston International Airport (CHS) is about 12 miles from downtown, roughly 20 minutes by car. The historic peninsula is very walkable, and many visitors skip a car entirely — rideshares, pedicabs, and hotel bikes cover most of it. A car helps if you plan to visit the beaches, Kiawah, or plantations outside the city.
Downtown Charleston isn't beachfront — it sits on a harbor peninsula. The nearest beaches are Folly Beach, Sullivan's Island, and Isle of Palms, each about 20–30 minutes away, with Kiawah and Seabrook a bit farther south. A stay like The Dunlin on the Kiawah River puts you closest to that Lowcountry-and-beaches side of the region.
Charleston is a famously dog-friendly city, and many boutique and resort properties welcome pets. Policies, weight limits, and fees vary by hotel and change often, so confirm the current policy directly when you compare rates and book.
Resort-style options work best for families: The Cooper's pools and waterfront setting downtown, or The Dunlin's cottage layout and riverside calm on Johns Island. For value with family-friendly perks like free breakfast, the new Drury Plaza in North Charleston is a practical base near the airport.
Spring (March–May) and fall (September–November) are the sweet spots — mild weather, blooming gardens, and the city's festival calendar, though rates run higher. Summer is hot and humid but lively, and winter is the quietest and most affordable season, with cool, pleasant days for exploring on foot.
The headline project is South Carolina's first Four Seasons, a hotel-and-residences development planned for Meeting Street. Also in the pipeline are The Bellinger on Daniel Island and a boutique hotel at the north end of King Street — adding to one of the most active hotel development cycles in the city's history.
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We track new hotel openings across major U.S. and international destinations — updated regularly as new properties open.
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We review new openings regularly and update city pages as developments are confirmed.