HISTORIC CHARM
Welcome To Our Hotel
Named for General Francis Marion, the “Swamp Fox” of the American Revolution, the hotel opened in 1924 as the largest and grandest in the Carolinas. It was originally built by local investors at a cost of $1.5 million from plans by noted New York architect W.L. Stoddart, who also built the gracious Poinsett Hotel in Greenville, SC. Throughout the years, many notable historic and famous clientele enjoyed the hotel’s full service and convenient location. In 1996, an extensive restoration earned the hotel the esteemed National Trust Award and once again the Francis Marion opened its doors as Charleston’s Grand Hotel. More recent refurbishments have added to the comforts of today and enhanced the hotel’s historic ambiance with sleek room décor reminiscent of the 1920’s grandeur
Today, our traditional services continue to provide doorman and bell service, concierge, valet parking, room service, wireless Internet services, business center, newsstand, gift shop, Spa Adagio, Starbucks™ and a well-equipped fitness center. Guests can enjoy classic Southern cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner in The Swamp Fox Restaurant & Bar, a Charleston restaurant, known for its artfully prepared dishes using local farm fresh ingredients. Or simply relax with cocktails and jazz piano music in The Swamp Fox Bar.
GREEN INITIATIVES
As a proud member of the South Carolina Green Hospitality Alliance and a member of Green Hotels Association, we offer guests a completely smoke-free facility for a more clean, comfortable and healthy environment. We also take additional environmental care throughout the hotel, shutting off power on floors not in use and keeping thermostats at optimal temperatures over summer and winter months to help curtail energy consumption.
In an effort to conserve water and reduce waste, we have Towel Rack Hangers and Sheet Changing Cards which allow guests the option to decline daily linen and terry change service. The hotel partners with Clean the World, a social enterprise executing their mission to protect the environment and save millions of lives by distributing recycled soap and hygiene products to children and families. We also donate bed linens, mattresses and towels to local charities when they are ready to be retired.
Our entire staff is trained and actively participates in a recycling program that includes the use of collection bins located throughout our various offices and kitchen. We recycle daily newspapers, plastics, glass, aluminum/tin cans, cardboard, paper, as well as used cooking oil.
We are pleased to say we are the first hotel in Charleston to take part in composting and reducing what we send to the landfill by over 80%. With composting bins in the kitchen, wait stations and our employee cafeteria. The organic waste collected is returned to local farmers, which grow the food we purchase, then we compost again, making the process go full circle.
The Francis Marion Hotel is locally owned and operated and we are a certified SC participate of Fresh on the Menu. Guests enjoy our Farmers Market Dinner which is inspired by the locally supplied produce and meats that are showcased during the Charleston Farmers Market.
View our environmental policy to learn more about the Francis Marion Hotel’s dedication to going green.