Palmer Home

I just wanted to write a review of the Palmer House Bed and Breakfast in Charleston, SC I think is also known as the Pink Lady and a Lady she is. From the moment we made our reservations, Martha, the Manager could not have been more helpful even when I wanted to change rooms. When we arrived we were just thrilled. This is old Southern charm at it’s finest. And I am Southern so I love all things Southern. To say we were just amazed at the house would be an understatement. William the cook and Angie, head of housekeeping and Carla who helps out with housekeeping could not have been more accommodating and nice. There was nothing we did not want for that the staff quickly met. It exceeded our expectations 1000%. And we cannot wait to go back. The owner Frances is a wonderful and engaging woman. And her dog Harry Potter was just precious. And the house cat Yin was my little snuggle bunny at night for a while. I just loved that. And let me tell you about the fabulous southern breakfast served every morning to our delight. This place is such a gem in Charleston I cannot imagine anyone staying anywhere else. We cannot wait to return again and again. Wine and cheese served every night between 4 – 6 pm was a delight. Most nights we had that and never went out for dinner as we wanted to spend the time sitting on the comfortable chairs overlooking the Battery. I believe they have the only B&B with such unbelievable views. It was magnificent. The house is full of such history and charm you cannot go wrong staying there. It was such a great experience. And the staff just made it all the better. Southern hospitality and charm are in abundance there. Before booking another B&B I hope you will give the Palmer House serious consideration. I promise you, you will NOT be disappointed. The Pink Lady stands gracefully overlooking the Battery with the best view. We we so entertained and relaxed after our wine and cheese every night on the giant porches. Thanks again Martha, the manager for attending to all our needs and being so very helpful. We will see you and the rest of the gang hopefully very soon. I give this place 10 stars at least.
Cathy King
Apex, NC

This house has the best location in Charleston. You are right in the middle of all the gorgeous preserved mansions across the street from the water. We were supposed to stay at a different BnB but they were having issues in one of the rooms so they moved us to this place. We never got to see the rooms at our original location but this had to be a huge upgrade. We were given the front room which was gorgeously decorated, had access to the piazza, and the most outstanding views. Breakfast was served each morning by a very welcoming and helpful staff. There was wine and cheese in the afternoons, one night we even came back after they had put it away and she offered to set it back up for us! Saw the owner, Francess Palmer, every day we were there. She was very friendly and told us some great information on the history of the house. She does have pets that roam around the house so if you aren’t into cuddly kitties and a very sweet dog then this might not be the place for you. A couples items to note… there is parking onsite which is nice since all the parking in the area is 2 hour. There is also a pool which I am sure would be enjoyable in the warmer months. I am glad we got to experience this place and thank you for the warm hospitality.

Full disclosure. We only paid 135.00 per night thanks to a purchased coupon + taxes and early commitment. We reserved the Front room after research revealed the best views and direct access to the piazza. Could there be any better location in all of Charleston? Our stay was free of any negatives… a perfect Charleston getaway. The room was charming and evocative. The views from the rocking chairs and the ocean breezes were perfect. We are quiet homebodies so the atmosphere was perfect for us. If you want an antiseptically unremarkable place to sleep after partying into the late hours downtown this is not for you. If you love a homey casual atmosphere on your own without a staff catering to your every whim (though I have no reason to believe they would not be as accommodating as possible) this is for you. We spent a full day with tours, Shopping, 5:00 dinner and a relaxing hour at nearby battery park before we retired for the evening on our 3^rd floor veranda drinking wine, listening to music and reading. Heaven. The buffet all you can eat breakfast was also perfect: eggs with cheese, grits and bacon for us. Cereal was also available, but you can have anything you want if you ask for it. After coming home after a full day, we lounged in the drawing room for awhile where we met Francess, the owner. Very nice but not overly intrusive. The Tour we took (Charleston Ventures-​highly recommend) stopped at the battery and talked about our house, and the houses on either side. That was pretty cool. I will say that if you hope to do some swimming in the pool on your visit (why? When you can travel to the beach and there is so much more to do) I probably would not recommend it. The water was green. They do have a small flat screen TV and WiFi. This was a mini-​break we will remember with a great deal of fond nostalgia.

I was recently part of a wedding that used the Palmer Home as a venue for some of the festivities. It rained all day so we didn’t get to use the lawn as much as we planned, but the house was huge and accommodated all of us very comfortably. Our photos still turned out awesome. The staff helped keep the bride happy and dry. Spectacular views even with the bad weather.

My husband and I were really looking forward to a return visit to the Palmer House for the Holidays, after staying here on our spring vacation this past year and we very disappointed to say the least.
On our first visit we had a really nice lady that had just moved from somwhere in the Mid-​West working as the receptionist and she was wonderful and we were told that Mrs. Palmer was out of town. She did a great job at managing every detail and we loved the rooms, the wine and cheese in the afternoon and the wonderful southern breakfast spread and her wonderful hospitality.
On our recent visit we were greeted by Mrs. Palmer herself who was very unkept and I was surprised that it was the grande dame herself. We never saw her again after being checked in and her two high school buddies were always there for wine and cheese, which the first night they ran out of red right away and it took about an hour for her friends walking aimlessly around to finally find it and the second night one of the employees brought in a few bottles an hour later. Our breakfast the first morning was an hour and half late, and was not as nice as our previous visit by far and the second breakfast was only about 30 minutes late and the biscuits were not the same freshly made and most were burnt on the bottom.
With the big difference between the two stays there in less than a year, one can only guess that this wonderful gem of a house will fall to hopefully an historical society so that it can be properly maintained, or bought by someone that understands and wants to run it properly, since the views from the porch are some of the best in the battery.

Palmer Home was a tremendous disappointment!!! I saw the disheveled mistress Palmer only once during my 3 days. She was watering the garden. The once beautiful old home lacks love and respect. Dusty and worn, rooms are neglected and overpriced. Breakfast was certainly not an event to look forward to. Cold grits and congealed scrambled eggs. Biscuits may be available if not scoffed up by the tourist group touring and having breakfast during the breakfast hour for guests. The history of the home consisted of 3 ragged pages of information, hole punched and yellowed and held together at the top hole with string. I am not being honest to give 1 star. it is the lowest rating available.

I don’t even know where to begin!
The staff is incredibly friendly and willing to help in any way possible. We arrived a little earlier than check-​in, so they allowed me to park my car in the back until the room was ready.
I thoroughly enjoyed breakfast every morning, and the cheese and wine hour in the afternoon.
The view from the piazza is breathtaking.
Our room was much larger than I had anticipated and it was very clean.
Absolutely loved staying here!

Hanging on to her glory days of fine possessions and gracious southern hospitality, this weathered jewel of Charleston will soon be abolished as a must see B and B. One expects a slanted porch here, a hint of mildew in the air at a 150 year old place. But the stains, cobwebs, layer of dust, and dirty rooms are not acceptable at any price. I have stayed at Super 8s that are cleaner than this once glorious gem.
From my front row seat on the veranda and beyond I saw the mistress Palmer detached and disinterested wandering around her downstairs unit, trailed by a couple of down on their luck high school chums from back in the day. Two black workers, one male and one female, seem to do all of the heavy lifting, from cooking the entire breakfast to cleaning ALL the rooms (hence the rush job is apparant) to doing laundry. Some things stay the same in the south, it could appear to the out of town guest.
The breakfast spread is far and away the saddest thing I have ever seen at a «B and B». This poor jack-​of-​all trades male worker humps away in the outdated kitchen and manages to cook some tasty grits and eggs. But one would expect an actual culinary master to whip up some southern masterpiece. Special K boxes were plunked down alongside a few warmers and drinks, and a pan of some hot desserty item was brought out almost as an afterthout to round out the SAME buffet daily. I went down the road for fresh lattes and pastries.
The service is FANTASTIC because folks in the south are darn fantastic. The reason this place is a good value is because it boasts the finest view in all of Charleston off it’s weathered, sloping deck. Grap a fading wicker chair coated in furry white dog hair and soak up the salty air. It may just make staying here worth the bother.

AWESOME LOCATION! GREAT VIEWS! DELICIOUS TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN BREAKFAST BUFFET!
I’m not really sure why the listing says that Palmer House is closed… it was definitely open when I was there in November of 2009…
This house is so charming, the people who work there are very friendly, and if you are looking for a chance to get inside a historic beautiful home in the Battery, then you NEED to check this place out. We stayed at a different bed and breakfast, but went here to eat for breakfast. We sat out on the balcony overlooking the water, and had all the eggs, grits, biscuits, and coffee we could handle…
I can’t wait to go back