Charleston Waterfront Hotel

Working for the award-winning Los Angeles-based real estate developer Lowe Enterprises, the McMillan Pazdan Smith team is leading the planning and design of Charleston’s newest luxury hotel. Overlooking the Charleston Harbor and Cooper River, the new hotel will sit adjacent to the city’s popular Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Waterfront Park, just steps from landmarks like Charleston’s Historic City Market and the East Bay Street pedestrian corridor.

A full-service 225-key hotel, the world-class Waterfront Hotel will include multiple indoor and outdoor dining venues, a full-service spa and fitness center, a rooftop lounge and observation deck, as well as ground-floor retail spaces.

The design of the 280,000 SF hotel complements the surrounding French Corridor, drawing on local vernacular and the historic color palette to create a lively addition to the neighborhood. As part of the developer’s arrangements with the city and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the project will extend the city’s popular 12-acre Waterfront Park to wrap the east side of the hotel. This pedestrian plaza will host city events, possess spectacular views of the harbor and Ravenel Bridge, and maximize public access with walkways, a new pier, and multiple seating areas and landscaping features. The park addition also follows the city’s master plan for Waterfront Park’s planned expansion north of Cumberland Street.

The anticipated project is estimated to complete in late 2020.