The exclusive Woodlands Resort & Inn in a restored 1906 mansion about 25 miles from the coast is the only resort in South Carolina to receive both five star and five diamond ratings for 2007.
The Mobil Travel Guide again awarded the Summerville resort, as well as its restaurant, the coveted five-star rating Friday. Only 53 hotels and restaurants in the United States and Canada received five stars.
Last week, the Woodlands and its restaurant were again awarded five diamonds by AAA. The Wentworth Mansion in Charleston and The Sanctuary at Kiawah Golf Resort also received five diamonds from the motor club.
It's the fourth consecutive year the Woodlands has had a five-star rating for both lodging and dining. It has held the AAA five diamond dining award for 11 years and the five diamond hotel award since 1998.
"I think the secret has been the continuity of the vision of the Woodlands management team," said Doug Lester, a spokesman for the inn.
The Woodlands features 18 guest rooms and a country guest cottage set in 42 acres of parkland. Room rates run from $295 a night for a room in the mansion to $850 a night at the cottage.
Awards won by upscale hotels can only help tourism, said Rick Mosteller, the chairman of the board of the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
"There is no question the Sanctuary and the Woodlands help put us in a different classification," he said.
Upscale properties "add a certain luster to the destination. It broadens the awareness Charleston enjoys in so many different areas," Lester agreed.
Tourism means $15 billion to the state economy and last year attracted 32.5 million visitors _ up 2.5 million from the previous year.
But Mosteller said Charleston isn't just an elite destination.
"If you look at Charleston over the last 10 to 15 years, you have seen a gradual increase in the income level of the tourists" but there have also been dozens of new midrange hotels as well, he said.
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On the Net:
The Woodlands Resort & Inn: http://www.woodlandsinn.com
