Charleston development seeks more hotel rooms and less multifamily (2024)

Developers of a property at the upper peninsula'sMorrison Yardare seeking to add floors and 100 rooms to a hotel while eliminating the residential element in response to rising interest rates.

The Kimpton, which would be built at 860 Morrison Drive, will once again go before the city's Board of Architectural Reviewthis week.

The panel gave conceptual approval to the original project about 18 months ago, in September 2022. At the time, plans submitted byDSM Real Estate Partners showed a 9-story, 150-room hotelalong with 175 multifamily units to be added in a later phase.

The two 12-story residential towers have been axed, as the Roswell-Ga.-based developer seeks tomove the project in a different direction.

DSM is now seeking to build a 12-floor, 250-key hotel on the marshfront property. It would include 16,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, and a rooftop restaurant and bar with a pool. A four-story mixed-use outparcel structure also is shown.

Matt White, a principal at the development firm, said the proposed changes will decrease the overall vertical density and the day-to-day parking. Borrowing costs for the residential portion were a big factor.

"It was driven by the financial aspects of multifamily units," White said. "With costs and interest rates so high right now, it seemed untenable to achieve multifamily on the site, so we opted to just increase the hotel size and have one 12-story building instead of two, in addition to a nearly 10-story hotel."

The BAR meeting is set for 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 at 2 George St.

Kimpton is a boutique brand owned by U.K-basedInterContinental Hotels Group.The chain operates several dozen U.S.properties in cities that includeSavannah,CharlotteandAsheville.

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Top notch

Two upscaleLowcountry hotels were recognized by Forbes Travel Guide’s 2024 Star Awards.

For the second consecutive year, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, The Spa at The Sanctuaryand The Ocean Roomflagship restaurant were awarded five stars each, making it one of only 15 properties worldwide to earn a "triple" rating.

Forbes described the island's 255-room oceanfront hotel as a grand seaside mansion witha top-notch spa and distinctive dining.

“The five-star rating recognizes properties that consistently provide the very highest level of anticipatory service, genuine hospitality and unsurpassed amenities," general managerBill Laceysaid.

The Charleston Placealso earned a nod as a "recommended luxury hotel" for 2024, when a major renovation gets underway. The review described the 434-room property owned by Ben Navarro's locally basedBeemok Hospitality Collection as the city's "grande dame" of lodging with "forward-looking with seasonal offerings like a dream concierge for better sleep and a book butler who works with a local bookstore."

The Forbes guide said on its website that its inspectors go undercover to review hotels, restaurants, cruise ships and spas across the world. Each venue and experience are based on hundreds of standards, with service accounting for 70 percent of the score. Among the new guidelines that were added this year is how interesting and photogenic each property is.