Review: The Pinch, Charleston

Why book? 

Centrally located, chic, clever, stylish – a great addition to the city.

Set the scene: 

The Pinch sits on King Street’s popular north-south artery of clothing shops, wine bars, palm trees, and decorative facades. The steady hum of activity hits a particularly resonant pitch on the Second Sunday of each month when the street closes to vehicular traffic and becomes a European-style pedestrian mall with outdoor eateries and prancing pets on leash. The hotel’s understated marquee anchors the corner of King and George, but the private entrance is tucked discretely off-street. Just follow the flickering lanterns to a cobblestone-laid courtyard where the valet will greet you.

The backstory: 

This is a passion project more than four years in the making. Philadelphia-based hospitality visionary Randall Cook and his team at Method Co. fell in love with Charleston and quietly purchased a cluster of historic structures on King. They meticulously restored exterior facades while unifying interiors into a seamless flow of indoor and outdoor spaces, with guest rooms above. Locals still associate this corner with the decades-old landmark Bob Ellis shoe shop (the go-to spot for Manolo Blahniks, Jimmy Choos, and Louboutins). But a century ago, this was a billiards hub named The Quinte, where World War I enlisted men let off steam and braced for deployment. To honour those roots, The Pinch named its on-site oyster bar The Quinte, a wildly popular little nook with oak-framed double doors connecting to the lobby.

The rooms

Choose from 25 rooms, lofts, suites, plus a few longer-term residences. The larger suites are perfect for families or groups of friends traveling together who want to lounge in the living room and cook in the generously sized kitchen, equipped with a smooth walnut island, Mauviel copper cookware, and a craft cocktail recipe book for the bar. Even the smallest rooms don’t disappoint, because no matter the layout, every single room boasts design finesse: handcrafted furniture, artistic lighting (bunched linen pendant shades), pinched stoneware in the kitchen, wood-fired ceramics, hand-painted accent wallpaper, potted cacti on windowsills, one-of-a-kind antique woven rugs. The Pinch is a design collaboration between CEO/co-founder Cook and his orbit of trusted talents, like Morris Adjmi Architects and architect Aaron Poritz, and an ensemble of international artists whom Cook knows personally. I found myself coveting a number of items in the kitchen and taking notes on items to purchase for my own dream home: the sleek copper Dualit toaster hand-assembled in England, or the razor-sharp Misen knife set with its smooth blue grip.

Food and drink

Top notch. For lunch and dinner, go no further than The Quinte downstairs. Helmed by Colombian-born chef Nicolas Quintero, this cozy 40-seat oyster bar is rightfully one of Charleston’s current “it” spots. I went for dinner and experienced a cocktail epiphany that had me Googling how to make a grapefruit-peel cordial. Many diners choose the seafood tower, with cracked oyster claws and yuzu (Japanese citrus) dijonnaise, creative mignonettes and hot sauce “droppers” for the oysters. That’s all good, but the individual dishes rival anything in the city. “Chef Nico” sharpened his knives in San Francisco and Chicago before settling here, and he brings a very sophisticated, inspired, nuanced, balanced palate to the city, using local ingredients like micro-wasabi-arugula, popped sorghum, and straight-from-the-boat triggerfish. My favorites: The tuna & beef sashimi over dry-aged tartare in a creamy tonnato sauce dotted with grassy EVOO; and the “Catch of the Day,” kombu-steamed golden tilefish ladled with a fried caper brown butter sauce to die for. Soon, the hotel will open an additional restaurant called Lowland in the adjacent historic house that is part of the hotel’s complex.

In the rooms individual brass cocktail kits, well-curated minibar labels (don't miss the canned Unspiked mocktail, with blood orange and cardamom), oversized ice cubes in the freezer, excellent salty snacks and small-batch spirits. You can ask the hotel to stock your kitchen to order before your arrival, so technically, you’d never need to dine out, but then you’d miss out on Charleston’s culinary scene. For breakfast, you can grind and brew coffee in-room or head to the lobby for fruit, yogurt, and pastries. 

The spa

The single-room spa hides in the building’s center, buffered by silken clay walls, so it’s very tranquil. Make an appointment for individualised treatments, from deep tissue massage, to facials using the homegrown botanicals and clean, eco-conscious skincare line from Davines Village in Parma, Italy.

The neighbourhood 

You’re in the heart of activity. Walk west into quaint neighbourhoods and the timeless “cistern” quad of the College of Charleston (founded 1770). One block north is Marion Square and the weekend farmer’s market for all sorts of nibbles and souvenirs. Gourmet market Caviar & Bananas is half a block away. Shop for clothing, books, antiques, jewelry (Croghan’s is amazing) up and down King Street. Many of Charleston’s top restaurants are nearby (like Lenoir, FIG, and Le Farfalle).

The service

Service is top-notch and personal: seasoned professionals lured away from other luxury brands, so the hotel has clearly staffed itself well.

For families

All these gorgeous design touches might be lost on families with young children, so I would recommend The Pinch for working travelers, shoppers, couples, and groups of friends. The hotel is not pet-friendly, but I can’t blame them for not wanting to scratch up the handsome herringbone flooring.

Eco effort 

Sustainably sourced spa products, custom-designed refillable water carafes: The Pinch is clearly cognisant of its eco-imprint. Plus the fact that all of the buildings making up The Pinch’s enclave (with the exception of one new structure) are themselves “recycled” preservation victories.

Accessibility

There is one ADA accessible King bedroom in the hotel, so be sure to request it specifically if you need ample doorways, handy grab bars, and roomy desks. This is a brand new hotel, built to code, so hallways and elevators are not a problem.

Anything else? 

I wish I could kidnap The Pinch’s design team and have them redo my house with their clever mix of tactile pieces: hand-painted black-and-white floor tiles in the bathrooms, beveled glass shower doors (for privacy), perfectly honed sink basins, alabaster sconces, craftsman furniture. I love it all.