Trip GrapevineTop places, picked by travellers

North Charleston · Hotel shortlist

The best hotels near Riverfront Park

Britt Sorensen

Britt Sorensen India and the Himalaya

Updated 1 September 2026 · 6 North Charleston hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in North Charleston, out of the 6 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.9 down to 3.6.

All five are within 2.1 km of Riverfront Park.

The Starlight Motor Inn

Highest rated of the five

The Starlight Motor Inn

★★★★★4.9 from 1,466 reviews

The Starlight Motor Inn comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.9 from 1,466 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 2 star property, found under poi and around $113 a night on the dates we checked.

6 hotels in North Charleston qualified for this list and five made it. Mavis at the Quad | Steps From Park Circle is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Bara drink without going back out
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. The Starlight Motor Inn1

    The Starlight Motor Inn

    ★★★★★4.9 from 1,466 reviews

    1.7 km from Riverfront Park, about a 21 minute walk

    • Pool
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

  2. Mavis at the Quad | Steps From Park Circle2

    Mavis at the Quad | Steps From Park Circle

    ★★★★★4.7625427 from 236 reviews

    1.6 km from Riverfront Park, about a 20 minute walk

      Check rates Read more

    • Hotel Circulo3

      Hotel Circulo

      ★★★★★4.8 from 72 reviews

      1.6 km from Riverfront Park, about a 20 minute walk

      • Bar
      • Parking
      • Air conditioning
      • Accessible

      Check rates Read more

    • The Pelican | Haven in Park Circle4

      The Pelican | Haven in Park Circle

      ★★★★★4.733333 from 84 reviews

      1.6 km from Riverfront Park, about a 20 minute walk

        Check rates Read more

      • Siesta Motor Lodge5

        Siesta Motor Lodge

        ★★★★★3.6 from 350 reviews

        2.1 km from Riverfront Park

        • Parking
        • Air conditioning

        Check rates Read more

      How this list was put together

      6 North Charleston hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating first and on how close they are to Riverfront Park second, then took the top five.

      Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

      The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

      What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

      Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

      Britt Sorensen

      Britt Sorensen India and the Himalaya

      Her work season is winter, leaving whole summers free for mountains in the other hemisphere or trekking at altitude in Nepal and Peru. Carries the lightest pack of anyone she travels with.

      Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.