By Kathleen Dayton
Staff Writer

Hoteliers managing the area’s most exclusive accommodations won’t answer those kinds of questions. Trying to get them to reveal any information about some of their high-profile guests is not an easy task, and most won’t even reveal the names of celebrities or other public figures that have stayed at their properties unless it is already public knowledge.

What they will say is that the Charleston area is attracting an increasing number of high-profile visitors, thanks to a number of factors that include the area’s top-tier hotels and restaurants, its participation in the film industry, world-class events and festivals such as Spoleto Festival USA and even Hurricane Hugo.

“The city has undergone a renaissance since Hurricane Hugo, and that renaissance has put it on top of many well-deserved lists,” said George Buell, general manager of The Market Pavilion, a 70-room luxury property that opened on East Bay Street in 2002.

A relatively new property among Charleston’s fine hotels, The Market Pavilion has been growing its business and is seeing repeat guests. Recent visitors include Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Buell said the hotel has also hosted film, television and music stars, but he would not name them.

“Word of mouth among the celebrity set carries a lot of weight,” he said. “That gang is always looking for a place where they won’t be constantly bombarded by people looking for autographs.”

Buell noted Charleston’s popularity as a wedding destination and its nine-year reign as the Best Mannered City in the United States among other attention-getting factors that are luring more well-heeled guests.

“In the dozen years I’ve been here, I’ve seen an explosion of travelers coming here,” Buell said. “It’s a culinary destination, it’s one of the great restaurant cities, it’s got history, all sorts of outdoor sports. What’s not to like about it?”

The Charleston area had an estimated 4.21 million visitors in 2006, up from 4.06 million in 2005, according to the latest tourism impact study released by the College of Charleston’s Office of Tourism Analysis. Visitors spent an average of $235 a day during their stay, helping to create 50,000 full- and part-time jobs and $1.1 billion in earnings either directly or indirectly related to tourism. It is estimated that each of the area’s 15,450 hotel rooms can generate an average of $31,000 annually in revenue.

“One of the strengths of Charleston is the small-town feel,” said Bing Pan, assistant professor and director of research for the Office of Tourism Analysis. “It is very hospitable, but at the same time it’s not so small; it’s a metropolitan area. We don’t want to lose that strength.”

Small-town feel plus big-city amenities are helping Charleston gain a reputation as a chic hideaway for celebrities and other public figures looking for a suitable getaway.

“We were discovered, really, from the moment we opened our doors by celebrity types who were seeking privacy and seclusion and a level of service comparable to what they’ve seen at the finer hotels in Europe,” said Doug Lester, director of sales and marketing for Woodlands Inn and Resort in Summerville.

Lester said the number of major feature films that have been produced in Charleston have opened up the gate to the sophisticated traveler and to celebrities and individuals who want to be pampered. Former guests and visitors at Woodlands include Sidney Poitier, Richard Gere and Oprah Winfrey.

Marty Wall, general manager of the Woodlands, said once film stars visit the area once, they often return on a leisure basis.

“The interesting thing about celebrities is, most people think they’re very demanding, but typically they’re easy to please,” Wall said. “Really they just want to be left alone. They want peace and quiet and good security. They just want to live life normally, and we go to great lengths to protect their privacy.”

Woodlands, an 18-room inn that was once a private estate, has been a winner since 1998 of the AAA Five Diamond Award, the automobile club’s most prestigious hotel and restaurant rating. The Dining Room at Woodlands also holds Five Diamond status. The inn was recently recognized by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine as the second highest rated hotel in the United States and Canada for service, and it is the only Mobil Five Star-rated inn and dining room in South Carolina. Woodlands is also a member of Relaix & Chateaux, an international organization that collectively promotes some of the world’s most unique and luxurious hotel properties.

Through Relaix & Chateaux, Woodlands can recruit hospitality industry professionals from around the world, an advantage when trying to find employees that fit into a discreet environment where room rates range from $350 to $495 per night or $850 nightly for a guest cottage.

“In terms of securing quality staff, we search the world over,” Lester said.

While hospitality industry careers are not among the world’s highest-paying jobs, hoteliers and innkeepers are extremely discerning about whom they hire.

Lisa Anderson, assistant innkeeper at the Wentworth Mansion, downtown Charleston’s only AAA, Five Star hotel, said staffing is always a challenge.

“You’re just always looking for the right fit,” Anderson said. “I hire the smile. I can train you to do most things, but I cannot train you to be a genuinely nice person. The staff here is gracious and hospitable without us doing a thing. They are naturally that way. Their grandmothers and mothers took care of that. I didn’t do a thing.”

Betty Murray, who serves breakfast at the Wentworth Mansion and has been working for the Charming Inns group since 1983, was recently named the 2007 Hospitality Employee of the Year by the Hospitality Association of South Carolina. Hotel guests have been known to schedule their stays around Murray’s work schedule, and she is affectionately known as “Miss Betty” by co-workers, friends and guests.

“Miss Betty not only garners hundreds of positive guest comments each year, she is an inspiration to our younger staff. Miss Betty is what Southern hospitality is all about,” said Rick Widman, owner of Charming Inns.

Southern hospitality is being served oceanfront at The Sanctuary, Kiawah Island’s AAA, Five Diamond property that opened in 2004. Matt Owen, the hotel’s spokesman, would not reveal the names of celebrities who have checked in to the 255-room hotel or stayed in its $4,500-per-night presidential suite. President George W. Bush visited last year during a speaking engagement, but Owen would not say how often the presidential suite is booked throughout the year.

Kiawah Island is consistently at the top of the “best” lists in magazines such as Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure, and has been rated the No. 2 island to visit in the United States as well as the top golf and tennis resort.

“Kiawah’s not a new destination,” Owen said. “The resort has been in existence since 1976, and we didn’t all of a sudden attract a whole new clientele, but without a doubt, we have certainly seen an increase in high profile visitors and celebrities since The Sanctuary opened.

“Opening The Sanctuary allowed us to attract new visitors to the Charleston area that might not have been here before and to groups who might hold their meeting here who might not have held them in the past. It’s the jewel in our crown.”

Perrin Lawson, deputy director of the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the type of editorial coverage the Charleston area has been receiving and the area’s festivals and events have fueled growth in high-end hotels.

“Our marketing efforts for the last 10-plus years have been designed to attract a more educated, affluent group of visitors,” Lawson said.

Officials at the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism say that as the destination’s offerings become more upscale, so will its visitors. The Charleston area is a leading product for the state’s tourism promotion efforts, said Chad Prosser, director of SCPRT.

“The trend of new, upscale hotels, spas and resorts catering to this market should continue as demand increases for Charleston’s one-of-a-kind culture and historic beauty,” Prosser said.

“Charleston is well positioned to take full advantage of the growing market of affluent travelers.”

Kathleen Dayton is a staff writer for the Business Journal. E-mail her at kdayton@charlestonbusiness.com.

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