Photos by Woodlands Resort & Inn |
- Semi-formal attire
- cocktail lounge
- cocktails
- Full accessibility.
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(March 2008) Traveling up the wooded and secluded driveway onto the 42 carefully cultivated acres of South Carolina's only AAA Five Diamond dual award winner, it's easy to imagine a trip back in time. Summerville, home of the Five Diamond Woodlands Resort & Inn, was once the cherished refuge from the oppressive summer heat of nearby Charleston. Today, Woodlands is concluding the final phase of an enhancement program blending the hotel's past, reflective of the region’s antebellum grandeur, with the demands of the 21st-century guest seeking the ultimate in luxury and comfort. Sheila C. Johnson, CEO of Salamander Hospitality, owner of the resort, is seeing that this sophisticated hideaway continues to be a hospitable haven for anyone yearning for the finest hospitality and finest dining in the Palmetto State.
The Dining Room at Woodlands won the prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award first, in 1997. And then in 1998, the inn also received a Five Diamond rating, making the Woodlands one of fewer than 20 properties world-wide to have a Five Diamond rating for both lodging and dining. The Five Diamond Award is rare, given only to recipients providing "unparalleled customer service, luxurious surroundings and superb amenities and cuisine," according to AAA.
 Built in 1906 on 100 acres, eighteen years after the International Tuberculosis Congress in Paris described Summerville's climate as one of the healthiest in the world, Woodlands' odyssey began. By 1993, Woodlands consisted of the house and only two acres with developers ready to subdivide the surrounding woods into up-scale homes. Investors from Martha’s Vineyard and the United Kingdom, looking for an opportunity to enter the hospitality business, became "intoxicated" with the beauty of Charleston and purchased Woodlands with its stately white columns and surrounding forest. After 18 months of restoration and reconstruction, Woodlands Resort & Inn opened in May of 1995 as a luxury inn encompassing forty-two private, park-like acres of pines, palmettos, and ancient oaks. Guests from across the country visit; many like it so much they never make it to Charleston, as they’d planned.
 Today, visiting Woodlands, with its attentive staff, resembles staying at the home of a wealthy aunt (or uncle) who wants you to want for nothing. First, the 18 rooms have slow moving fans, some with 17 foot trey ceilings, which set a tone of comfortable ambiance. Deluxe rooms have marble bathrooms with a cascading waterfall to fill the oversized whirlpool tub beneath a window with electronically controlled wooden blinds, or use a separate, full length glass enclosed shower stall. (Actor Richard Gere stayed in a deluxe room while filming scenes for "The Jackal.") Next to the pedestal sink towels hang on heated silver rails, and rheostat lights let you set your own candlepower by just touching them. Lace curtains adorn windows, many of the guest rooms have working gas fireplaces and each room has three telephones, rice beds, gilt-edged mirrors, flat panel HDTVs and wireless high speed Internet service. A charming two-bedroom guest cottage affords guests another option for seclusion and pampering.
When weather permits, walk-out balconies in many rooms beckon for a romantic breakfast overlooking tailored, flowering gardens. Mix all this with an unheard-of service ethic - "Being an intimate, small luxury property affords our guests to enjoy the exact type of experience they are seeking." said Marty Wall, General Manager. "Everything is personalized. The only limits are the guests’ desires."
The inn's charming atmosphere and dreamy Southern pace beckons relaxation. Signature yellow roses and a half bottle of wine await each guest in their room upon arrival. But outside is where guests find the perfect respite from the world – relaxing by the heated outdoor pool, playing a game of croquet, or biking one of the many rustic lanes into historic Summerville.
As evening approaches, make your reservations (jacket is required) for one of the 75 seats in the elegant restaurant where Chef Tarver King reigns. Schooled and shaped by a stint at the famed Inn at Little Washington, King lends his artistic touch to each dish that flows from his kitchen using products at their peak of freshness. His new American cuisine exhibits a Lowcountry flair for such dishes as Roast 'N Toast Swordfish in a Sourdough Shell, Braised Pork Belly, or Hay Smoked Duck Breast with Seared Foie Gras. King wants guests to not only feel comfortable and familiar with the foods being served, but also to experience their flavors in ways they never have before. Dining deities will appreciate not only King’s creations but the wine parings recommended by Sommelier Stephan Peltier of France, one of the few certified sommelier's in South Carolina.
 Peltier oversees a wine list that has won a Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine since 1998. Another culinary artist, pastry chef Sheree McDowell concludes meals with tantalizing desserts, like her signature crème brûlée or Coconut Napoleon with Milk Chocolate Mouse. Just 25 minutes from downtown Charleston, Summerville still attracts city dwellers who may be fleeing summer's heat but equally are lured by the world class experience and exceptional service awaiting them at Woodlands Resort & Inn.
Special features: Immaculate grounds and gardens; heated towel racks; whirlpool with waterfall; signature yellow roses and complimentary half bottle of wine; afternoon tea in the sunlit Winter Garden and adjacent courtyard; service so special you think you're a king (or queen); the intimate bar; the swimming pool and all its attendant creature comforts year round, and a restaurant on-site that is arguably the best in South Carolina. Member Relais & Chateaux. (Updated March 2008) |
