The Ryder Hotel

The room was in awful shape when we arrived on 1/16: a bug in the shower, used utensils in a drawer, a broken toilet, and a dirty fridge, which I have pictures of. The front desk had to handle the problems and wasn't helpful. They only offer expensive valet parking, so expect another $60 a day. After checkout, they tried to charge me a $250 smoking fee for something supposedly on 1/17 at 8pm. I showed photo and video evidence that we weren't in the room then, but they wouldn't change their position. They say their room sensors are “100%” accurate, though I don't see how that can be true when I wasn't there. My friend and I don't smoke, either. Disgusting, outdated, unfriendly place, with rude employees. Stay away!

The location is wonderful and the rooms are clean, but what we got over two nights fell well short of what the cost led us to expect. One night the fire alarm went off at 2:15 AM and continued for 45 minutes. The hotel never explained it, acknowledged it, or apologized. Noise was a constant problem. About half the windows face the courtyard and bar, where music played loudly from 7:45AM until midnight, including the morning after the alarm. We heard everything from nearby rooms, people in the halls, and the courtyard both nights. Our AC also didn't work the first night. Staff didn't really acknowledge it, though they fixed it within a few hours of our report. The hall and room smelled stale and musty as well. We wanted to like The Ryder, but for that price we'd expected much more. We'd stay somewhere else in the area.

It really is an adorable hotel, and the staff seemed attentive and nice. But getting sleep here seems unlikely. The walls are so thin that a quiet hallway conversation sounded like it was happening in our room, and we were woken up every hour by people coming and going. Some kids even knocked and yelled at our door as a “prank.” I had thought about booking a wedding block here, but after seeing the sleeping situation I won't recommend it. I might tell people to see the cute place or stop for coffee with the delightful young girl at the lobby.

The room was the cleanest I've ever had in a hotel, the mattress was comfortable, and the location is perfect. But the place feels like a refurbished motel, with paper-thin walls. Many rooms face the outdoor bar, where music goes until 10 PM, or 1:30 AM on some holidays. We prepaid through Hyatt, but the hotel still charged our card every night, saying the charges would later drop off. That tied up $1,600 on the card. They also added a nightly “amenity fee” despite the prepaid booking. We had to contact Hyatt to get the charges removed. We travel to Charleston every year, but don't plan to stay here again unless everywhere else is full.