BIJOU, Boutique Inn

Cotton was a sweet room, though a little small. It worked fine for our short trip. The hotel is charming and pretty, and as others have mentioned, the location is great for exploring Charleston. I expected the room to be cleaned, but the only thing that happened was fresh towels left on the bed. The glasses and cups weren’t changed, which was disappointing and felt like a basic service. Otherwise, it’s fine for a short stay.

We slept wonderfully in the clean Indigo Room, thanks to a very comfortable bed. The inn is full of historic character and has been beautifully preserved. Staff were friendly and helpful from the moment I arrived, and the 24-hour snacks were a fun extra when I wanted a little pick-me-up. It’s a charming downtown Charleston place with a warm, welcoming feel. I had a wonderful stay and can’t wait to return. Highly recommend it for a Charleston getaway.

**Update in response to Katherine:** Thanks for your note and for explaining the inn’s policies. I take full responsibility for entering two guests instead of three, including our one-year-old. We’ve never had a problem doing that elsewhere, and it was an honest misunderstanding, not an attempt to misrepresent our party. The adults-only policy and occupancy restrictions weren’t clear to us when we booked. Whether booking directly or through a third-party platform, that detail wasn’t easy to see when choosing the room. I respect the need to follow fire and licensing rules, but I stand by my review. The way this was handled felt unnecessarily confrontational and left us uncomfortable and unwelcome. I wanted to help future guests, especially families, make an informed choice. I wish Katherine and the team well. We booked the Magnolia Room at Bijou Inn months ahead through a third-party site. Since our one-year-old sleeps with us and doesn’t need another bed, we entered two guests. The listing didn’t make it clear that the inn was strictly adults-only. We arrived very late, got our keys from the mailbox, and went straight to the room. At breakfast the next morning, a woman we presumed was the owner approached without greeting us or asking how the stay was. Instead, she questioned whether we were guests. Once we confirmed our room, her tone turned sharp as she sternly said children weren’t allowed and that our stay violated fire codes. She implied we had deliberately misrepresented our booking. That was upsetting and surprising, since we’d misunderstood honestly. When I checked the reservation again, I couldn’t find an adults-only policy on the third-party site. The only mention was buried in an attachment to a follow-up email from the inn, easy to miss. The room was clean and nicely decorated, but the bed slanted and was uncomfortably soft. The owner’s confrontational manner overshadowed what might have been a pleasant visit. Adults traveling without children may be happy here, but families, or anyone expecting warm hospitality, should know how confrontational the owner can be.

The Indigo room was clean, and the beds were comfortable. Staff were friendly and helpful, and someone came each day to replace towels and clean the room. We stayed five nights in March and loved the boutique hotel’s old Charleston charm. It’s right by the market, with everything within walking distance. We’d stay again on our next Charleston trip.