Bennett Hospitality Breaks Ground On $101 Million Marion Square Hotel Project

New, full-service, luxury hotel will feature 185 upscale rooms, fine-dining restaurant, rooftop pool and bar, spa, ballroom and more.

 

CHARLESTON, SC – Bennett Hospitality, along with Charleston community leaders, officials and guests today celebrated the groundbreaking of Bennett’s $101 million hotel project at King Street and Marion Square.

The project, years in the making, will be among the Holy City’s most significant hotel developments ever.

The more than 200,000 square-foot, eight-story luxury hotel will feature 185 upscale guest rooms and a grand lobby entrance off King Street. A bi-level, fine-dining restaurant overlooking Charleston’s most famed green space and a separate full bar and lounge area will be among the hotel’s amenities. Additionally, a rooftop pool with cabanas and bar will be open to patrons, along with a full-service spa. Meeting space – some of it rooftop – and a ballroom will also be available.

“I purchased this property 21 years ago. I worked on this hotel for twelve years to get all of the entitlements required,” said Michael Bennett, founder and owner of Bennett Hospitality. “Beautiful limestone, marble, bronze and copper. It will be built the way they built buildings 100 years ago. It will be built to last. A luxury hotel in the best location in the best city in the world. Mayor Riley always said to take the 100 year view. If it should be here in 100 years, then build it. And we took the 100 year view and never looked back.”

The project will produce an estimated 350 jobs in Charleston and is expected to be completed in 28 months.

Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr., an integral supporter of the hotel for nearly a decade, spoke at today’s groundbreaking.

“The new hotel at King Street on Marion Square being developed by Michael Bennett will be a stunningly beautiful building. It will enhance our city,” Riley said. “This full-service hotel will become an important part of the civic and community life of Charleston as it will host many special occasions, weddings, anniversaries, community events, and more. It will additionally become a nationally acclaimed hotel. Visitors from all over our country and around the world will enjoy staying here.”

With Charleston’s booming travel and tourism business, the project is poised to become an iconic part of the city’s landscape that will continue to enhance the area’s reputation as a world-class travel destination.

“We are thrilled that Bennett Hospitality is developing a beautiful full-service hotel on this important site,” said Helen Hill, Executive Director of the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. “This property will be a wonderful complement to Charleston’s reputation for gracious hospitality and fine accommodations, and will make us even more desirable as a leisure and meeting destination.”

Balfour Beatty Construction, the second-largest hotel contractor in the U.S., is serving as the project’s developer.

“We are honored to be part of the hotel at Marion Square, an iconic project for the city of Charleston, and to have the opportunity to work with the great team of visionaries at Bennett Hospitality,” said Pat Dean, Carolinas division President, Balfour Beatty Construction. “This is a wonderful, transformational development that will allow us to expand upon our strong portfolio of high-end hospitality projects.”

 

BY THE NUMBERS

• $101 million project cost
• More than 200,000 square-foot luxury hotel located on historic King Street. Will be one of the most significant hotel developments in the history of downtown Charleston.
• 350 estimated jobs produced for the Charleston area
• 185 rooms
• Valet underground parking garage
• 28 month contruction timeline
• Eight stories above ground with roof top bar and pool
• Bi-level, upscale resturant overlooking Marion Sqaure

AMENITIES & FEAUTURES

• Lobby lounge and bar area seperate from main dining space
• Rooftop pool, bar and ballroom
• Full-service spa
• Pink marble ladies social bar with marble reclaimed from the old Library site
• Fitness facilities
• Meeting space and ballroom
• Construction by Balfour Beatty.

ABOUT MICHAEL R. BENNETT:

• Michael R. Bennett is the founder and owner of Bennett Hospitality. Bennett’s start in the hospitality industry began in 1977. As a young 20-year-old in college, he opened Free Wheelin’, a bicycle and moped rental business, and would later serve as a bellman at the Mills House Hotel. From there, he found his passion for the hospitality industry and went on to develop a hospitality company that now owns 16 hotels and eight restuarants in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Montana.

 

“I purchased this property 21 years ago. I worked on this hotel for twelve years to get all of the entitlements required. Beautiful limestone, marble, bronze and copper. It will be built the way they built buildings 100 years ago. It will be built to last. A luxury hotel in the best location in the best city in the world. Major Riley always said to take the 100 year view. If it should be here in 100 years, then build it. And we took the 100 year view challenge and never looked back.”

–   Michael Bennett, founder and owner of Bennett Hospitality

 

“We are thrilled that Bennett Hospitality is developing a beautiful full-service hotel on this important site. This property will be a wonderful complement to Charleston’s reputation for gracious hospitality and fine accommodations, and will make us even more desirable as a leisure and meeting destination.”

–   Helen Hill, Executive Director of the Charleston AreaConvention & Visitors Bureau.

 

“We are honored to be part of the hotel at Marion Square, an iconic project for the city of Charleston, and to have the opportunity to work with the great team of visionaries at Bennett Hospitality. This is a wonderful, transformational development that will allow us to expand upon our strong portfolio of high-end hospitality projects.”

–   Pat Dean, Pat Dean, Carolinas division President, Balfour Beatty Construction.

 

“The new hotel at King Street on Marion Square being developed by Michael Bennett will be a stunningly beautiful building.  It will enhance our city.  This full service hotel will become an important part of the civic and community life of Charleston as it will host many special occasions, weddings, anniversaries, community events, and more. It will additionally become a nationally acclaimed hotel. Visitors from all over our country and around the world will enjoy staying there. Michael Bennett has worked very hard and carefully in the planning and design of this hotel. This native son will be giving his city a very special gift with the creation of this extraordinary hotel on a very heartfelt and significant place in our city.”

–   Joseph P. Riley, Jr., Mayor of Charleston

 

About Bennett Hospitality

Founded as the Bennett Hofford Company in 1983, Bennett Hospitality is today one of the largest locally- owned development companies in Charleston, S.C. The company is a multi-faceted, full-service real estate and development company, as well as a hospitality, restaurant, and asset management company. The company owns 16 hotels, 8 restaurants in four states. Projects are developed, constructed and managed in this framework and range from award-winning resort developments to the redesign and redevelopment of two city blocks, including six restaurants, a 1000-seat music hall and two hotels in downtown Charleston, to hotels all over the Charleston area, as well as Montana, Georgia & Florida.