I few weeks ago, I wrote an article as an Embassy Suites Ambassador entitled: Embassy Suites helps ‘More-imize’ your vacation with a contest where I discussed ways to get ‘more’ out of your vacation. I was recently given the chance to visit an Embassy Suites hotel when I went on vacation with my family to Charleston, SC. This is the first time I have ever stayed with Embassy Suites and it was truly an amazing experience! From the beautiful accommodations to the helpful staff and the abundance of things to do in Charleston, our vacation was absolutely wonderful!
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When choosing the hotel I wanted to stay at, I chose the Embassy Suites historic Charleston location because of the unique history of the hotel itself. The building was first built in the early 1800’s as a result of a slave uprising and was later turned into the original Citadel Military Academy. The architecture and history surrounding this particular Embassy Suites location is absolutely fascinating and I enjoyed showing it to my children! I must say that the staff was extremely knowledgeable about the building’s history and provided me with a whole packet of historical information and directed me to a hallway upstairs that was lined with historical photographs.
When we first pulled up to the hotel, we were excited about the valet service. It only cost a few dollars extra than parking our car ourselves in the lot across the street but it made dropping off our luggage so much easier! If any of you have ever visited Charleston, SC in July you will understand how grateful we were for the air conditioner when we walked in that front door! Wow, the heat and humidity were overwhelming but check in was very quick and our room was like an oasis when we got off the elevator!
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The kids were in awe of the room we had for the weekend and thought it was awesome that there was a living room with couches and TV, a small kitchen area, and a separate bedroom. I don’t think they have ever seen so much space in one hotel room! No more fighting over chairs and since there were 2 TVs, my husband and I got to relax without listening to the kid’s cartoons in the background!
Since we arrived around 5 PM we had plenty of time to enjoy our first manager’s reception and were thrilled to not have to run right out to find something for the kids to eat. A light snack of veggies and dip along with some chicken fingers, chips and salsa was enough to tide them over while we unpacked and asked about nearby dining options. The staff was extremely knowledgeable and directed us to a wonderful seafood restaurant right around the corner that was excellent.
The full breakfast that was offered in the morning was wonderful…everything from omelets cooked to order to fruits, pastries, and cereal. There was tons of seating and they even set up seats and tables in the beautiful atrium. There was a 12 foot fountain and real live palm trees right inside the hotel. It brought a bit of tropical paradise to our breakfast!
I loved the outdoor market right outside the hotel where we found tons of local farmers, crafters and vendors to explore. From the green we got a better view of the magnificence of the Embassy Suites we had chosen. You could see the narrow spaces that used to be openings for the guns and cannons and it was easy to imagine the building as a fortress back in the day!
Embassy Suites, Charleston, SC
After a day of exploring Charleston, taking a ferry to Fort Sumter, wandering through the aquarium, and indulging in some excellent seafood we were ready to wind down in the hotel pool, have a glass of wine at the manager’s reception and then head to our room for some much needed rest! A hot shower with Crab Tree and Evelyn bath products and a soft bed with comfy pillows was the perfect ending to a busy day! And when we woke up, ready to see a few more sites before heading home I got to enjoy some rainforest certified coffee in the room before heading down to another wonderful breakfast. I am always thrilled to see that hotel chains are working to increase their sustainability initiatives! And I can honestly say that Charleston as a whole is a very ‘green’ city! We even saw a green taxi company while we were out and about! Many of the restaurants offer sustainably harvested seafood and locally raised produce.
My family had a wonderful time on our Charleston vacation. We headed to the library before we left to get some books about the area and it made some of the sites we saw much more ‘real’ to them after reading about them in books. The Embassy Suites staff was friendly, efficient and knowledgeable about the area which made finding our way around very easy, especially since we left our car in the valet lot and did most of our site seeing on foot. I think their favorite part of our trip probably hanging at the pool and manager’s reception because they didn’t have to walk around in the heat and humidity anymore! They could just swim, eat and relax!
Since my husband and I are huge foodies, I have to say that my favorite part of the trip was probably getting to eat seafood for 3 days! I would have eaten seafood for breakfast if it was available! The hotel made it incredibly easy to find nearby restaurants because of an amazing digital kiosk they had located right in the main lobby. Between the kiosk and the help of the staff, we ended up eating some amazing meals!
Now that our vacation is over and we are back at home, it is time to sort through our photos and find the ones that really capture the spirit of our time in Charleston. I told my daughter she could start doing some scrapbooking so hopefully this week I can get some photos printed for her to put in her scrapbook. There are some really good photos that capture the real spirit of the south and I want to make sure to remember this trip for a long time to come!
If you want to learn more about the Embassy Suites hotels, you can check them out on Facebook and Twitter. While you are there, why don’t you enter the Embassy Suites Get More Vacation Contest for a chance to win your own amazing Embassy Suites vacation!
Disclaimer: I wrote this post while participating in a blog campaign with Embassy Suites and Mom Central Consulting. I received one free night of accommodation in exchange for my review. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.
Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire and has worked in cancer research, academics, and biotechnology. Concern over the growing incidence of human disease and the birth of her children led her to begin living a more natural life. She quickly realized that the information she was learning along the way could be beneficial to many others and started blogging and freelance writing to share this knowledge with others. Learn more about her HERE.