This grand old lady was a treat to stay. It's loaded with history, nicely renovated, and very clean. We stayed in the third floor suite . The long steps are quite steep especially to the third floor and a challenge with a suitcase. As noted by other reviewers, the noise of a nearby hospital, especially with the frequent medivac helicopters was disturbing at night.

The staff and owner were very friendly and welcoming. Our primary complaint was we chose the Ashley because of they advertised a gourmet breakfast and an ability to accomodate our vegan dietary requirements. We gave them plenty of advanced notice and noticed a "vegan " notation on our registry . However, the staff was not aware of our dietary needs and made little effort to respond the next two mornings. The breakfasts for others was attractive and semmed to hit the mark. Fifty percent of a B & B is the breakfast. We felt short-changed and disappointed, especially for the price which was not inexpensive.

My husband and I stayed at the Ashley Inn for 3 nights while in Charleston in May 2007. We enjoyed it overall, but there are a few (mostly minor) issues that could bug some people.

First the pros:
We loved the breakfasts that we got everyday, and especially appreciated the afternoon tea and lemonade. They have tea snacks that change every day and were always delicious. Having on-site parking was a plus. And our room was very clean. The house itself was very nice and located near the Hominy Grill (a restaurant I loved!). The staff were also very friendly.

The cons:
We had room 1, which was the only room on the first floor. The location was poor--it was directly off the breakfast room, which limited privacy. Also, if people decided to hang out in the living room or on the veranda, it could be loud. (I wasn't bothered by street noise though--but I'm used to it from a few years of living in a city.) The bed was kind of uncomfortable, with an odd ridge running down the left side of the mattress. Also, I will mention this even though I was fully aware of it when booking--the location is not in the historic district of Charleston. This was not a problem for us, but you will need to drive there and park downtown. (It was about a 5-10 minute drive--not bad.)

Overall, I would consider staying at the Ashley Inn again, but I would get a second floor room.

Stayed at Ashley Inn in April, 2007. The room itself was nice and the breakfast was outstanding. The two main drawbacks were the traffic and the location. My husband was up two nights in a row because of the loud traffic outside. It goes on all night!! Also, the Inn is located too far from the shopping and bay area to walk. Parking is a disaster!!! We will not stay here the next time because of the location and traffic. Next time I will read the reviews before I book.

This Inn is a block from a hospital and on widely traveled street so there are noises at night (sirens and even an emergency helicopter). So it is not peaceful. The bathroom was just a toilet and shower - The sink was in the bedroom - not in the bathroom - so not very private or convenient. The room was not worth the $200 a night charged, more like $100 or less a night room. Tea is served til 6pm.. I arrived at 6:10 PM too late for tea! It was just too bad for me...Breakfast only from 8-9 AM -so you best be on time or the staff will be out of sorts and you may go hungry.