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1852
Mills House Charleston, Curio Collection by Hilton
Charleston, South Carolina
115 Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29401
Original Property Opened in 1852
Historic Hotels of America member since 2024
Situated in the heart of historic downtown between Queen and Meeting Streets, Mills House Charleston, Curio Collection by Hilton has been an iconic landmark of this coastal South Carolina city since 1853. Once the stately manor of the influential Grimké family (sisters Sarah and Angelina were ardent women’s rights advocates and the first white women to represent the American Anti-Slavery Society in front of a state legislature), it was later turned into a luxurious hotel by entrepreneur Otis Mills. Sparing no expense during its reimagining, the historic hotel debuted to much success following its $200,000 transformation, a pricey sum at the time, and quickly emerged as Charleston’s most in-demand vacation destination. The Mills House Charleston, Curio Collection by Hilton remained a gathering and popular spot despite the Civil War and throughout its history has hosted such illustrious guests as actress Elizabeth Taylor, Tony Bennett, Princess Caroline of Monaco, and four U.S. presidents.
Today, this pretty-in-pink hotel charms guests with its grand Italianate style, warm Southern hospitality, and rich history. Along with its distinctive design and heritage of hospitality, guests staying at Mills House Charleston, Curio Collection by Hilton also delight in elegant yet relaxed guestrooms brimming with Southern-inspired details, a rooftop pool made for days in the South Carolina sunshine, and three delicious dining venues. Whether exploring the city with family and friends or enjoying a romantic getaway for two, The Mills House Charleston, Curio Collection by Hilton is the perfect place when experiencing the best that Charleston has to offer.
Discover
- Discover the fascinating origin story of the Mills House Charleston, Curio Collection by Hilton, a Charleston icon that has welcomed guests since 1853. Before becoming one of the city’s finest hotels, it was the grand mansion owned by Charleston’s influential Grimké family. (Two of the family’s most famed members, sisters Sarah and Angelina, were avid women’s rights activists, a direct response to their father’s belief in women’s inferiority, as well as ardent abolitionists. They eventually went on to become the first white women to represent the American Anti-Slavery Society in front of a state legislature and remained the sole Southern white women actively involved in the abolition movement.) Eventually, the manor made its way into the hands of enterprising businessman Otis Mills, who saw its potential to become the finest hotel in Charleston. He invested some $200,000 in its reimagining, a sizeable sum in those days, adding innovative amenities like indoor plumbing, steam heating, and mounted gaslights. Unsurprisingly, the Mills House Hotel was a success from the time it debuted, attracting travelers from across the country. Notably, the first floor of the hotel played host to the barbershop of Joseph Rainey, one of the most prominent freedmen in Charleston and the first African American ever elected to Congress.
- Admire the remarkable resilience of The Mills House Hotel. Less than ten years after its opening, the Mills House Hotel came under siege with the start of the Civil War, which broke out across Charleston Harbor at Fort Sumter in 1861. The city became a battlefield, with nearly all its city blocks destroyed by the Union army. Still, with the war raging around it, the hotel endured and even continued welcoming guests.
- Marvel at the stunning Italian Renaissance Revival architecture of Mills House Charleston, Curio Collection by Hilton. Upon its grand debut in 1953, the hotel was hailed for its resemblance to a palatial Italian estate, with its intricate ceiling moldings, marble mantels, terracotta cornices beneath every window, and romantic iron balconies anchoring the front façade. In the late 1960s, after decades of disrepair, new owners sought to restore The Mills House Hotel to its former glory. They undertook a reconstruction process based on the hotel’s original layout, salvaging its iconic iron balconies, and bringing in plaster artisans to recreate the ornate ceiling and archway moldings. More recently, Mills House was renovated once again, between 2017 and 2022, with the aim of preserving the hotel’s historical charm and elegant architecture for many guests to come.
- Walk in the footsteps of some of the hotel’s most famous guests. With its exquisite design and charming setting, Mills House Charleston, Curio Collection by Hilton has welcomed many illustrious individuals throughout the years. During the early 1900s, the hotel was the home away from home for President Theodore Roosevelt, who was in the city for the South Carolina Inter-State and West Indian Exposition of 1902. However, he was not the only U.S. commander in chief to check in, as other presidential guests have stayed there, too, including Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Joe Biden. Fittingly, this palatial hotel has hosted both European and Hollywood royalty, too, such as Princess Caroline of Monaco, actress Elizabeth Taylor, actor Paul Newman, and singer Tony Bennett.
Explore
- Explore some of the city’s best museums minutes from the hotel. The Charleston Museum is the oldest museum in the United States, founded in 1773. Home to such artifacts as the table where the state’s secession documents were signed, a whale skeleton, and slave tags, this fascinating museum located just a short drive from Mills House Charleston, Curio Collection by Hilton offers valuable context before exploring the city’s historic district. For an eye-opening look at Charleston’s turbulent past, be sure to visit the Old Slave Mart Museum. Just a five-minute walk from the hotel, this thought-provoking museum was once an open-air market, witnessing the auction of men, women, and children during the mid-1800s. Along with text-heavy exhibits, haunting oral recollections, and artifacts, the museum is also frequently staffed by the descendants of some of the enslaved people of Charleston.
- Take a step back in time and into a piece of American history with a visit to Fort Sumter. Accessible only by ferry, this pentagon-shaped island and one-time Confederate stronghold in Charleston Harbor was the site of the first battle of the Civil War. Though thoroughly shelled by the Union army between 1863 and 1865, some of its original fortifications and weaponry remain. For a more recent look at Charleston’s military history, head across the harbor to Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum. Here, visitors can explore the USS Yorktown, a mighty aircraft carrier that served in many battles in the Pacific Theater throughout World War II and Vietnam, and the USS Laffey, the most decorated U.S. destroyer from World War II still in existence, as well as the immersive Vietnam Experience. Other notable sights to see at Patriots Point include military aircraft and the Medal of Honor Museum.
- Go for a stroll down Rainbow Row, a picturesque stretch of 13 prismatic Georgian row houses. Perched along lower East Bay Street like house-shaped Easter eggs, these candy-colored homes were once wharf-side merchant stores. Although the buildings themselves date back to 1730, their pastel paint is slightly more recent, receiving their kaleidoscopic makeovers around the 1920s. The splashy transformation was a raving success, and soon, the rest of the city followed course, including the delightfully pink Mills House Charleston, Curio Collection by Hilton. Several other historic homes throughout Charleston are also worth a visit. The Aiken-Rhett House offers a snapshot-in-time look at an 1820s urban townhouse complex, (complete with dorm-style quarters for its enslaved African caretakers), while the Heyward-Washington House is the former home of one of South Carolina’s signers of the Declaration of Independence and the temporary home-away-from-home for President George Washington during his weeklong Charleston visit in 1791.
- Bear witness to South Carolina’s involvement in one of the most shameful periods of American history and its efforts to reconcile its role during that time with a visit to one of Charleston’s plantations. Although there are several former plantations in the area, one that is especially impactful is the McLeod Plantation Historic Site. A Gullah Geechee heritage site that centers the stories of enslaved people and freedmen, this 37-acre former cotton plantation is a living tribute to the people who shaped the Lowcountry. Here, visitors learn about everything from the cultivation of sea island cotton and daily plantation life to the role of spirituality, the influence of the Freedmen’s Bureau, and the efforts of the Massachusetts 55th, a volunteer infantry unit of free Black people who emancipated the plantation’s enslaved individuals.
Experience
- Experience the postcard-perfect streets of Charleston from the charming vantage point of a horse-drawn carriage ride operated by Old South Carriage Co. or Palmetto Carriage Works. With its cobblestone streets, confection-colored buildings, waving palms, and stately trees dripping with Spanish moss, Charleston can only be described as breathtakingly picturesque. Under the well-trained hand of expert tour guides, guests take in sights like Rainbow Row, Cabbage Row, the Aiken-Rhett House, Charleston City Market, White Point Gardens, Colonial Lake, and Waterfront Park. Guests can also rest easy knowing that the horses are well taken care of, with spacious, well-ventilated box stalls, plenty of quality food, and even pasture time at farms in the countryside. Visitors are welcome to visit equine team members at their stables in the city to witness their care firsthand.
- Uncover the contributions, both past and present, of Black Charlestonians by exploring local landmarks along the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. The Gullah Geechee people are the descendants of enslaved individuals from Central and West Africa, who retain both rich cultural and linguistic traditions with African roots. (Although often used interchangeably, “Gullah” more specifically refers to descendants in North and South Carolina, while “Geechee” is used for those in Georgia and Florida.) Spanning 12,000 square miles, from southern North Carolina to northern Florida, this coastal region is recognized by the U.S. Congress for its cultural and historical importance. Due to their geographic isolation on the Sea Islands in the Atlantic, both during slavery and following Emancipation, the early Gullah people had less interactions with Colonial culture. This allowed the Gullah language, sometimes called “Sea Island Creole,” and Central and West African traditions like handicrafts, farming and fishing practices, cooking techniques, folk beliefs, music, and storytelling to flourish. Today, however, due to climate change and real estate development, Gullah Geechee homelands and their way of life are at risk, landing the region on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of most threatened places. Visitors to Charleston can help keep the city’s colorful Gullah culture alive in a number of ways, like embarking on the “Exploring the Gullah Culture” tour at Boone Hall, touring the Sea Islands of James and Johns and other Gullah landmarks, enjoying the Gospel Brunch on Sundays at Halls Chophouse, or taking in a performance of “The Sound of Charleston” concert series.
- Search for a souvenir at the Charleston City Market. A city mainstay since 1804, following its transfer to the city in 1788 by Charles Cotesworth Pinckney for permanent use as a public market, this sprawling marketplace stretches for four city blocks from Meeting Street to the Cooper River. Today the market is home to over 300 entrepreneurs. Shoppers can explore both the circa-1841, Greek Revival-style Market Hall and three “sheds,” open-air structures that have stood the test of time, weathering earthquakes, tornadoes, and Civil War cannon bombardments. When searching for that special something, keep an eye out for the “Certified Authentic: Handmade in Charleston” symbol to take home a local product. One such good, the sweetgrass basket, is rich in Charleston history with roots in African culture. Woven by Gullah artisans out of bulrush, locally harvested from the sandy soil of the Lowcountry, these stunning handicrafts were once used to the rice seed from its chaff. The history and craftsmanship of sweetgrass basketry is so prized that one by Charleston weaver Mary Jackson even resides in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
- Revel in Charleston’s role as an early jazz incubator. Although jazz music was born in New Orleans, the product of the mingling of African and Creole cultures, the style was further finessed in other areas like New York City’s Harlem, the South Side of Chicago, and Beale Street in Memphis. In Charleston, the jazz scene, much like many other aspects of the city’s culture, took significant inspiration from the Gullah community. Here, the tribal rhythms brought over by enslaved African drummers combined with the beats of Black drummers attached to white militias and community brass bands to create Charleston jazz. In fact, the workday tunes and Geechee dances of Charleston’s dock workers eventually inspired the creation of “The Charleston” by Cecil Mack and James P. Johnson. The accompanying dance craze of the Roaring 20s also had African roots, descending from the Juba dance introduced to South Carolina by enslaved people from the Kingdom of Kongo. Today, jazz lovers in Charleston can enjoy this uniquely American music style at places like the yearly Charleston Jazz Festival, the Charleston Jazz Academy, and the Forte Jazz Lounge, as well as during performances by the Charleston Jazz Orchestra at the Charleston Music Hall.
Taste
- Taste the spirit of Charleston at Mills House’s Iron Rose Bar & Restaurant. With its black interior, charming courtyard, and elevated Southern Coastal cuisine, this sophisticated signature eatery celebrates the city’s many secret gardens and the flowered wrought iron railings and gates. Here, diners can tuck into a delicious array of Southern-inspired bites, like pimento cheese, crispy chicken thighs brined in sweet tea and served with hot honey and peach compote, blue crab fritters, and local shrimp with house-made andouille sausage. Then, cap it off in true Mills House fashion with a craft cocktail and a toast to former Mills House bartender Jerry Thomas, widely considered the father of American mixology.
- Sample the bounty of the Atlantic Coast by diving into one of South Carolina’s many delectable seafood dishes. Oyster roasts are a popular culinary pastime in the Lowcountry, particularly in the wintertime. During the season, these shellfish feasts take over backyards, beaches, and church parking lots. (Contrary to the name, the oysters are steamed beneath wet burlap on a plate-topped wood fire, not roasted.) Accoutrements like lemon wedges, cocktail sauce, hot sauce, crackers, and plenty of napkins are provided. Another seafood staple is she-crab soup, a decadently creamy Charleston original with roots in Scotch-Irish culinary traditions. The dish was born during a dinner for President William Howard Taft at the home of Charleston Mayor R. Goodwyn Rhett. His chef and butler, William Deas, put the “she” in she-crab soup by adding a cluster of crab roe, elevating the dish from ordinary to extraordinary. Those hoping for the complete ocean-to-table experience can even arrange a crabbing expedition through Mills House with Charleston local Tia Clark. Throughout this culinary adventure, guests get their hands dirty by throwing out the net and even baiting fish before taking their catch to Iron Rose Restaurant for an upscale Lowcountry boil served family style.
- Savor the culinary heritage of the Gullah Geechee people and the South by dining on some traditional South Carolina dishes. Southern cuisine is deeply intertwined with African culture, from the time when enslaved people stirred the pots and cooked the meals in plantations across the American South, fusing Central and West African cooking styles with local ingredients. Gullah Geechee food, in particular, focuses on seafood and seasonality. Must-have dishes include: okra soup, a gumbo-like Gullah staple with a tomato base in place of a roux, and Charleston red rice, a Lowcountry classic with tomato paste and bacon similar to West African jollof rice. Shrimp and grits, South Carolina’s official state food, is another Southern favorite with African roots. Although the Gullah people descend from what is a rice culture, they were introduced to corn and grits during mealtime on the plantations, combining it with the shrimp they caught on the Sea Islands. Enjoy a bowl of shrimp and grits and other Gullah soul food at Charleston eateries like Hannibal’s Kitchen, James Beard Foundation-recognized Bertha’s Kitchen, and My Three Sons of Charleston.
- Drink in South Carolina’s spirited heritage with a stop at one of Charleston’s local distilleries, breweries, or taprooms. In the state’s early days, settlers would imbibe in glasses of madeira wine brought over by sailing ships, picked up in casks at the Portuguese port before setting off across the Atlantic, or swigs of rum from Barbados, a popular last stop for European settlers before dropping anchor in Charleston. Although those libations are still popular around the city, today's locally made drinks tend to be heavy on grains, like malty, hoppy craft brews, boozy bourbons and rye whiskeys, and potent moonshine in flavors like peach, coconut cake, and banana pudding. Meanwhile, vodkas get a Southern makeover, too, infused with the taste of sweet tea, lemonade, and the Carolina reaper pepper.
FEATURED ACCOMMODATIONS
Featured Offers
Best Available Rate
Book the Best Available Rate at this property on HistoricHotels.org and receive a complimentary one-year family membership (a $30 value) to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Stay Two Nights & Save 15%
Experience the beauty of spring at Charleston’s famous pink landmark, The Mills House.
Romeo & Juliet
Enjoy welcome champagne, in-room flowers, a dessert amenity for two, and credit (up to $75) for the elegant Iron Rose restaurant and garden lounge.
