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The Woodlands Inn extends it trademark Southern hospitality to pets, too. The South Carolina hotel allows dogs, and there’s no weight limit. Woodlands Inn’s dog butler takes care of arranging animal visits, finding out ahead of time how big they are and whether they have a tendency to bark — if they do, the staff will make sure you book a soundproofed room. All doggies receive a bone upon arrival, and the chef prepares a meal specifically for your four-legged companions. Since the Five-Star hotel provides dog beds, food bowls and grooming services, it makes bringing your furry friend along easy, as does the low $25 fee charged to pet owners.

You won’t find a standard mini-bar at Woodlands Inn, but the Five-Star hotel offers snacks that can be stocked in your room. When you check in, you’ll be offered a list of snacks and drinks, including Godiva chocolate bars, trail mix, fresh whole fruit, cheese and nuts, as well as beverages including juices, lemonade, soda, Jack Daniels, Absolut Vodka, and bottles of chardonnay and cabernet. Any items that you choose will be delivered to your room and replaced throughout your visit, but know that unlike your run-of-the-mill mini-bar, you’ll be charged when they’re brought to your room, not when you use them. If you order anything that requires refrigeration, the staff will place a mini-fridge in your room with no extra charge.

If your itinerary at Woodlands Inn includes a night out in Charleston or just a kid-free dinner at the hotel’s Five-Star Dining Room, the concierge can arrange in-room babysitting with a reputable outside service.
The staff at Woodlands Inn extends its Five-Star service to the kiddie set as well as parents. Should you decide to keep your youngest travelers around during a meal, you’ll find flexible menus for kids in the restaurants. The hotel also provides helpful extras for your stay, such as childproofing items, games, puzzles and DVDs available from the concierge. Your little ones will stay as busy as you at the Five-Star hotel.

When you need to sneak in some out-of-the-office work, visit Woodlands Inn’s business center, a tiny room located off the lobby. Inside the small nook, sit in front of the desktop computer to get that report done and use the phone to make business calls. Even if you aren’t working during your vacation, take advantage of the free printing in the center and get a jump on the airport routine by securing your boarding pass. The business center is not staffed, but the front desk team and concierge are just steps away, and they’ll be able to help with any snafus. If you brought along your laptop, working might be easier in Woodlands Inn’s guest rooms, where there are Ethernet connections and desks with phones, as well as convenient outlets.

Even though Woodlands Inn doesn’t have its own gym, you can still get in a workout by jogging right at the resort. The Five-Star hotel’s 42 acres of grounds are full of trails perfect for jogging and experiencing the outdoors. Ask the concierge for a route or take off exploring one on your own. If you prefer a pair of wheels, Woodlands Inn has complimentary green cruiser bikes that you can borrow. For more calorie burning, use the YMCA in Summerville. The hotel provides free transportation to the facility, which is well-equipped with weight equipment and cardio machines.

Unfortunately, Wi-Fi is only available in some rooms at Woodlands Inn, so make sure you request a guestroom with good connectivity if you like to surf the Internet wirelessly. Otherwise, an Ethernet connection is available in all rooms and suites in the Five-Star hotel, so you’ll be able to hook up your laptop at the desk.
You can also check your e-mail, print boarding passes or get some work done in Woodlands Inn’s business center, a small nook off the lobby. There’s not much room to spread out, but the space features a desktop computer, chair, phone and printer, all the basics to help you with your work.

You’ll have to go a little out of your way to hit the gym while staying at Woodlands Inn. There’s no gym on the grounds, but you can work out at the YMCA in nearby Summerville. The Five-Star hotel provides free transportation for the quick ride, or you can even make the mile-and-a-half trip by bike if you choose to borrow one of the complimentary green cruisers from the resort. Once you’re there, you’ll find the community gym should have everything you need — free weights, Cybex weight machines and cardio equipment.
If you don’t feel like working out at the Y, just substitute your treadmill time with a jog outside on Woodlands Inn’s trails, bicycle ride around the property or yoga class at the Charleston hotel. Or practice your backhand on the red clay tennis courts onsite.

Woodland Inn’s Five-Star standard doesn’t stop at the guest rooms and amenities, it also extends to its restaurants. The Dining Room at Woodlands Inn is a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star as well. The elegant eatery serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a sun-drenched space, complete with large windows and elegant crystal chandeliers. Breakfast and lunch are laid-back, providing dressed-up crowd-pleasers such as pecan pancakes and a lobster BLT. By night, the Dining Room delivers a true fine dining experience, offering new American tasting menus from chef Andrew Chadwick.

For more casual meals, you’ll find Pines Bar and Café just outside the Dining Room. The cozy space is open from 2:30to 9:30 p.m. It serves a changing menu with fare similar to the Dining Room’s lunch —choose from salads, pastas and composed dishes such as veal cheeks with red wine syrup. The small dining room has brick walls and banquette seating, while tasseled lamps hang above leather stools that line the curved bar.

Woodland Inn’s touch of British flair extends right into the shower, where you can lather up with Molton Brown bath products. The London-based company has remained a major player in the bath product business since its start in 1973, and it prides itself on using natural ingredients from sustainable sources. The Five-Star Charleston hotel provides soap, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion by the luxury brand, and we don’t blame you if you set aside some extra room in your dop kit for the free toiletries. Cotton swabs and cotton balls are also on conveniently on hand by the sink.
The bathrooms at this Five-Star hotel are traditional, with pedestal sinks and white decorative molding. Suite bathrooms have a bit more room to spread out, as well as bidets — there’s that British influence again — and separate soaking tubs and showers.

If you speak a language other than English, the concierge staff at Woodlands Inn might be able to help you out. Members of the concierge staff can converse in Spanish, German, Italian and a bit of Japanese. Regardless of the language, the friendly concierge staff is endlessly helpful for arranging your trip. It can recommend things to do around the converted Southern mansion, such as visiting the nearby plantations and taking in the landscaped gardens, or spending a day at the beach. Should you need someone to help you snag dinner reservations at The Dining Room, that’s another language the concierge speaks.

Should you drive to Woodlands Inn, make sure to take advantage of the free valet parking at the hotel. The circular drive leading up to the dramatic columned mansion adds to the Southern charm of the South Carolina resort, but its gravel surface makes walking from the nearby parking lot less pleasant — especially with rolling luggage.
The cheerful valet staff is also the first line of defense in Woodlands Inn’s exemplary service arsenal. On a recent visit, the valet jogged out to meet us, grabbed our bags and used his radio to alert reception of our arrival. Now that’s what we call Five-Star service.

If you’re heading to South Carolina’s Low Country for a stay at the Five-Star Woodlands Inn, there are a few things you should know. Here are five tips to keep in mind:

1. The hotel is isolated. Woodlands Inn is a mile and a half outside the small town of Summerville, on thick-forested grounds — so you really feel like you’re getting away. We’d recommend renting a car for the trip if you’re interested in seeing any sights or leaving the hotel for meals.

2. It sports a traditional style. The Five-Star hotel feels like a step back into another time — one where formal sitting rooms and crystal chandeliers are the norm. Woodlands Inn’s elegant décor is graceful, but not stuffy. You’ll feel at ease in the converted mansion, which dates back to 1906.

3. The service is Five-Star. The staff members will call you by name at this intimate hotel and are always on hand to help out with any request. The staff is small, so you’ll get to know the employees during your stay — the sommelier might recommend pairings in the dining room for dinner and pour your drink in the bar later that night.

4. The hotel is closed Mondays during warmer months. The sticky summers are the off-season in Charleston, so from June through September the hotel is open Tuesday through Sunday and The Dining Room is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

5. Wi-Fi can be spotty. Only some of Woodlands Inn’s rooms have Wi-Fi, so make sure to ask for one if you need it. Otherwise, all rooms have an Ethernet connection conveniently located at the desk.

Whether you’re returning from a tasting menu at the Five-Star Dining Room at Woodlands Inn or a night of jazz and dancing in downtown Charleston, the hotel’s turndown service will prepare you to wind down and turn in for a good night’s sleep. The heavy toile drapes are drawn, the lights are dimmed and soft show tunes fill the room. The linens and blankets are pulled back, and your robe is placed on the bed. On the bedside table, you’ll find a pair of small, layered fruit cookies, perfect for munching while reading, flipping channels on the flat-screen TV or even soaking in the large bathtub.

Once you hop off the plane, the 25-minute trip from Charleston International Airport to Woodlands Inn is easy to make by rental car. Take Interstate 26 west from the airport and exit on 199-A toward Summerville. You’ll merge onto Highway 17-A, Summerville’s Main Street. Drive two miles and turn right onto Richardson Avenue. After a mile and a half, turn left onto Parsons Road when you see the Woodlands Inn sign. When you enter the grounds, follow the curving road through the thick woods and drive up to the front of the impressive columned mansion, where the valet will meet you.

If you’re planning a carless trip, arrange beforehand to have the Woodlands Inn house van pick you up from the airport for a $50 fee.

There’s a lot to love about Woodlands Inn, the historic getaway near Charleston, S.C. Here are the five things we love most at the Five-Star hotel:

1. Service, service, service. From the concierge to the sommelier, Woodlands Inn’s staff is gracious and über-helpful, which comes in handy because the hotel’s small size means you really get to know those friendly faces.

2. Teatime. You can take your complimentary afternoon tea on the porch, in your room or wherever you please in the elegant mansion. The sophisticated silver tea service comes complete with dainty snacks such as petit fours and breads.

3. The grounds. Woodlands Inn sits on 42 acres of pines and flowering gardens. The thick woodlands make the property feel very private, perfect for a soothing respite away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Take advantage of the outdoors by exploring the walking trails, especially if you’ve brought along a pet.

4. It’s a true getaway. The secluded inn is an ideal place to take it easy. It’s up to you whether you want to spend a day relaxing in the rocking chairs on the porch of the mansion, playing a game of croquet on the lawn or doing absolutely nothing at all.

5. The house bikes. The luxury hotel keeps shiny green cruisers on hand for ambling rides through charming Summerville. The concierge can suggest routes, or you can take off on your own to tour the blooming azaleas. And the best part? There’s no charge for your joy ride.

You won’t find extra fees on your bill when you check out of Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Woodlands Inn. There’s no resort fee at the small hotel, where many of the activities and extras are free, such as valet parking, use of the green cruiser bikes and transportation to downtown Summerville. However, if you bring a pet along to Woodlands Inn, you will be charged a $25 fee. In our opinion, it’s a small price to pay for being able to bring your furry friend, in addition to the welcome the hotel rolls out for four-legged guests — they get treats, a chef-prepared meal and their own bed.

If you need to call off your trip to Woodlands Inn, the luxury hotel has a simple cancellation policy to abide by: Make sure to call three days before your stay. Otherwise you’ll be charged for one night at the Five-Star hotel. Call 72 hours beforehand and you won’t face any unnecessary fees. Keep the hotel’s phone number handy so you can call as soon as possible. Sitting on gorgeous grounds in idyllic South Carolina, the small hotel is well-suited for taking it easy, so reschedule your stay and take advantage of the Southern hospitality Woodlands Inn offers.

The average price for one of Woodlands Inn’s rooms is $229. During Charleston’s sticky summers, room rates go down and you can stay at the elegant converted mansion for as low as $115 a night — but keep in mind the hotel is closed Mondays from June through September. Rooms at Woodlands Inn are a bit more expensive during the winter months, when visitors flock there to enjoy the Low Country’s mild weather. The Five-Star hotel also gives discounts for AAA and AARP members, so ask for the special rates when you book and remember your membership card when you pack your bags.

Woodlands Inn is located outside Charleston, S.C., at 125 Parsons Road in Summerville. The Five-Star hotel sits burrowed in the middle of 42 acres of pines and gardens, a 25-minute drive from downtown Charleston. The charming town of Summerville is just a few miles from the resort, and it offers shopping and a few restaurants in its historic core. Woodlands Inn offers complimentary transportation to Summerville and can arrange rides to Charleston, the airport or surrounding attractions — such as the nearby plantations or beaches.

Woodlands Inn is an intimate getaway that’s different from Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotels. Its small size — just 19 rooms — means you’ll feel as if you’re staying in an extremely well-appointed traditional home. In fact, you are, since the hotel is a 1906 mansion, originally built as a winter abode. The Neo-Georgian building is decorated in a Southern-meets-British style with rich fabrics and ornate details. The ultra-attentive service is another standout at Woodlands Inn. From the valet who greets you in the circular drive to the servers in the Five-Star Dining Room at Woodlands Inn, each staff member calls you by name and seems sincerely eager to help. The small size helps here, too, since you’ll get to know the hotel team, including the sommelier and front desk staff.