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Charleston South Carolina is a city considered by many to be the best preserved example of the Old South in the state and even throughout the entire southern region. The buildings alone make a statement; more than 70 buildings are in place from before the Revolutionary War, more than 130 are in place from the late 18^th century, and over 600 buildings are still in place from before the 1840's. The feel of these charming and mostly well-maintained structures adds an air of historical importance to any Charleston vacation and contribute to making Charleston tours through the city delightful as well as educational.

The history of Charleston South Carolina begins in 1670, when the town was first settled by colonialists from Great Britain. Currently, Charleston is the second largest city in South Carolina (after Columbia, the state capitol) and has attracted the nickname, "The Holy City" due to the high number of churches found in the city and the line of steeple outlines visible in the city's skyline. Charleston South Carolina today is also one of the major tourist attractions in South Carolina, with travelers coming from around United States to view the historical Charleston attractions and enjoy some of the authentic southern cooking found in many of the city's restaurantsCharleston, SC – February 2008 – “What’s New” is a quarterly release listing new venues, activities, awards and much more compiled by the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CACVB). For past issues of “What’s New in Charleston”, visit www.charlestoncvb.com and go to the News section.

New Honors & Awards

• Southern Living magazine’s January edition features the Readers’ Choice Awards, in which several honors go to the Charleston, SC area. In competition with other southern destinations, Charleston was once again named Favorite Southern City by readers of the popular magazine. Honors also include top billing for best shopping. Magnolia’s Restaurant was named No. 2 Splurge Restaurant. Hyman’s and Hank’s were named No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in the Seafood Restaurant category.
• Orbitz.com has named Charleston a Top 10 Winter Destination. The Holy City placed 6th on the list, and is the only winter destination that isn’t in Hawaii, Florida or California. The results were based on the percentage of growth in hotel bookings on Orbitz.com
• Travel + Leisure’s 2008 World’s Best List included many Charleston area properties including: Charleston Place, Planters Inn, Wentworth Mansion, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Boardwalk Inn at Wild Dunes on the Isle of Palms, Woodlands Resort & Inn.
• For the fifth consecutive year, Mobil Travel Guide bestowed upon Woodlands Resort & Inn and The Dining Room at Woodlands its most coveted rating – the Mobil Five-Star Award. This award maintains Woodlands’ elite status of being one of only three properties in North America currently to hold a Mobil Five-Star rating for both lodging and dining. For more on the property, restaurant and award visit www.woodlandsinn.com
• In other five-star award news, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island has been named a five-star property for the first time since it opened in 2004. Mobil also recognized The Sanctuary’s spa with its separate Five-Star rating for hotel spas, making it only the third spa to achieve this designation. With this new honor, Kiawah Island Golf Resort becomes the first property in North America to have a Mobil Five-Star hotel and a golf course (The Ocean Course) rated five stars by Golf Digest. For more visit www.kiawahresort.com.
• Properties that received four Mobil stars include: Charleston Place. Restaurants graced with four star honors are: The Ocean Room at The Sanctuary, Charleston Grill, Peninsula Grill and Circa 1886.