Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / United States / Charleston / The Pinch Charleston
The Pinch Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina, United States · Independent · High Luxury
The Pinch sits at King and George in Ansonborough, Charleston's first residential neighborhood, laid out in 1745 by Captain George Anson. The 1843 Lequeux-Williams House now holds Lowland, a Michelin-recognized kitchen Conde Nast Traveler ranked among the world's best hotel restaurants; the 1869 Bob Ellis buildings carry the 25 rooms, each with a full kitchen. Michelin rates the house at One Key in 2026.
- 25 rooms
- Opened 2022
- Neighborhood: Historic District
- Rooms from 380 sq ft (35 m²)
- Architect: Morris Adjmi Architects
- Interiors: Method Co.
About The Pinch Charleston
- The hotel combines three buildings, including the 1843 Lequeux-Williams House and the 1869 former Bob Ellis buildings, built in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War.
- Its King Street facades were retained intact through the renovation and are part of the Charleston Historic District's listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Every guest room includes a full kitchen and washer and dryer, an unusual amenity for a historic boutique hotel.
- Entry-level rooms start at 380 sq ft (35 m²).
History
The Pinch occupies an assemblage of three buildings at the intersection of King and George Streets in Charleston's Ansonborough neighborhood, two of which carry histories that reach back to the antebellum city. The Lequeux-Williams House, now home to the Lowland restaurant, is a freestanding neoclassical structure dating to 1843 — built when Ansonborough was a prosperous residential neighborhood of merchants and professionals, its streets lined with the single-house and double-house forms that define Charleston's domestic architecture. The former Bob Ellis buildings, which house the hotel lobby, guest rooms, and suites, were built in 1869, in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War; their King Street facades, retained intact through the renovation, are part of the Charleston Historic District listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Pinch was developed by Philadelphia-based hospitality company Method Co. in partnership with New York architect Morris Adjmi, opening in April 2022 as a 25-room luxury boutique hotel. Adjmi's approach respected the Victorian bones of the historic structures while introducing a contemporary interior palette — bold patterned wallpapers in conversation with parquet floors and cream plaster walls, midcentury furniture alongside period architectural ornaments, a recurring tension between the city's Lowcountry heritage and a distinctly present-tense design sensibility. The hotel's entrance is reached through Ellis Alley, a gas lantern-lit cobblestone passage that connects the lobby to the Lequeux-Williams House across a cobblestone courtyard.
The room program was conceived with unusual practicality alongside its luxury: every accommodation includes a full kitchen with marble countertops, a BlueStar range, and unlacquered brass fittings by deVOL, as well as a washer and dryer, making The Pinch more akin to a sophisticated private apartment than a conventional hotel room. The Lowland restaurant, in the 1843 house, earned MICHELIN recognition and has been named one of the world's best hotel restaurants by Conde Nast Traveler. The MICHELIN Guide currently lists The Pinch at One Key in 2026, with Lowland remaining the restaurant recognition.
The setting
The Pinch Charleston occupies the intersection of King and George Streets in Ansonborough, Charleston's first residential neighborhood, laid out in 1745 by Captain George Anson — for whom both streets are named. The hotel assembles two Victorian-era buildings dating to 1843 and 1869, both on the National Register of Historic Places, with a new structure that preserves the original King Street facade. The Charleston City Market is nine minutes on foot, the Charleston Museum ten minutes away, and the Gibbes Museum of Art twelve minutes by foot. King Street — the city's premier retail corridor of boutiques, galleries, and restaurants — begins at the hotel's doorstep.
Restaurants and bars
- Lowland — Restaurant · Southern-inspired modern comfort food · Chef Matthew Dion (Executive Chef)
- Lowland Tavern — Restaurant · Simple, flavorful dishes rooted in nostalgia and timeless cl · Chef Chef Stanhope
- The Quinte — Restaurant · Oysters and shellfish towers, sandwiches · Chef Executive Chef Jason Stanhope
Experiences
- The Quinte oyster bar — Spirited oyster bar connected to the hotel, serving sandwiches, shellfish towers, and crushable beers and Champagnes.
- Lowland restaurant — Michelin-recognized Southern tavern across the courtyard, spanning two floors of the historic Lequeux-Williams home, serving local-ingredient Lowcountry dishes.
- Private dining and events — Intimate private dinners and evenings of cocktails in The Quinte, the courtyard, and Lowland's Dining Rooms.
Amenities
- Spa
- Fitness center
Awards
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
- Andrew Harper Editors Choice (2025)
Open The Pinch Charleston in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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