The Starlight Motor Inn

My husband and I stayed here for two nights in April while visiting a friend who lives in North Charleston. The price was definitely reasonable and no charge for parking our car. I made the reservation on-line before I got my smart phone, but Ham was very personable, understanding and helpful getting us checked in when we arrived and got me set up to receive all the pertinent texts related to our stay. Ham also gave my husband the lay of the land, so we were better able to navigate around the Charleston area. The decor of this place is just delightful. A refurbished 60s motel, the rooms are a mix of tropical Southern charm, retro Mod, and 21st century technology. The furnishings all looked brand new and were clean, clean, clean. It had an impressive modern walk-in shower and the bed was inviting and very comfortable. We did not have time to visit the lounge, but were invited and made aware of the schedule of each evening's entertainment. They had a beautiful outdoor pool area, but we did not have time to enjoy it. They had not yet refurbished the lobby when we were there, but it was clean, comfortable and had some great pictures of famous visitors from the past. I will definitely keep The Starlight in mind when we visit Charleston in the future and I definitely recommend it to others.

What a fun place to stay! It’s almost like staying in a movie set—retro and kitschy in the best way! We loved all the fun decor touches! The rooms were clean, well appointed and comfortable! Not loud like I feared it may be! Pool and lounge were awesome touches. Quick Uber in to downtown Charleston. The communication prior and during was great. We will stay again!

We had booked a hotel downtown at almost 3 times the cost but saw this place listed and as a fan of Schitts Creek and nostalgia was intrigued by a renovated motor inn. So glad we switched. While outside downtown, we had no problems getting down and back and it offered easier access to some great restaurants and sites north. The room was wonderful. Thoroughly enjoyed the very comfortable king size bed sans my 3 dogs. 😊 The level of communication was phenomenal and the amenities such as a pool and lounge with cocktails delivered to your room were a welcomed convenience. Definitely will stay again when i find myself back to Charleston.

This hotel is the most adorable tribute to the Travel Lodges my hubby and I remember as kids on summer vacations with our parents except WAY better! The bed was SO comfortable and the room was so clean and updated with wifi/electrical/charging stations and designer finishes in the bathroom. Very close to historic downtown Charleston, definitely felt safe on the property but be extra careful if you walk off property for a block or two till you get over the bridge to Charleston. Overall a fantastic experience!

Can't say enough good things about this place! Probably one of the cleanest and most comfortable rooms we stayed in a long time and for an incredibly reasonable price. People there were so helpful. Additionally, the pool area was nice and the bar was awesome. The bartender, a really nice lady, made really interesting cocktails that she's created! Even the security guy was a really nice guy! If we're ever in Charleston again, this will be our first choice for lodging. Highly recommend!

You are not going to want to walk around the neighborhood but it feels very safe at the Motel. There is no front desk person and all communication is done through a remote service... not great. Our cups in our bathroom were moldy... we were hoping to borrow a wine opener... no help here. The bed is nice although metal base makes some noise. The shower is great, AC works well... you're close to downtown, and it has a pool...The parking lot lights are so bright, despite how far you close the shades, your room is going to be partially lit up all night. For the price, I would have preferred someone on site and not an automated/online check in service. Dear Hank, why do you post a security guard at the front entrance in a big white suburban? I have an open mind but the people wandering aimlessly in the street is unsettling, and I did go to King BBQ, worst meal I had in Charleston but they were proud of it. Why don't you attend to your property and remove the giant bee hive on the back end? Seems like a better use of your time than insulting guests who leave honest reviews. Also there were no glasses in your amenities cart so I went to the dollar store down the street...

Our new favorite place to stay in Charleston! Love the vibe! The kids didn't want to leave, between the pool and the ping pong, we had a tough time getting them away from the hotel. Comfortable room, convenient to downtown, and more affordable than most places!

I love this motel! It’s decorated so well. The pool looks nice although we didn’t get to swim this time. They were very communicative and personable, I always felt like I was talking to someone who really cared about how our stay was. They were also very helpful when I accidentally booked the wrong dates! The location is very convenient if you need to be in North Charleston- there’s surprisingly not that many hotels and motels in the area I needed to be, which is how I found starlight. We can’t wait to stay here again!

Thank you all for comfy and clean accommodations while we in town for High Water. Your shuttle service paired up to do good in your community was much appreciated! We loved the decor and your renovation is amazing! Will be back again.

It's nice on the inside. The have a live band on Thursday nights and it seems very historical! The bartender was not knowledgeable of drinks and she also charged me too shelf prices for a mid shelf liqour. It's definitely a cute place to stay and checkout but I would suggest getting the price list before ordering anything.

This was easily one of my favorite stays ever. We love to travel and have stayed in a lot of nice places, but this hotel is so nostalgic and so well done that I couldn't recommend it enough. The rooms were so clean and comfortable, and the staff was phenomenal. They text you before your check in with your code for your room, so no need to have to get out and check in, and that text number is available for anything you need, we loved that. If you are ever in Charleston, do your self a favor and check this place out. I promise it will not disappoint.

The place had such a charming vibe! Even though finding parking was a little tricky, I had a blast attending this afrobeats gathering at this location. The hotel was spotless, had a one-of-a-kind design, and a lovely pool area.

Delightfully renovated mid mid motel. Don't be swayed by the industrial and liquor store surroundings it is quite safe. Thoughtfully retro decorated and well appointed with all you need for an overnight. Exceptionally loud patrons and guests on karaoke night and loitering in the parking lot. It's definitely a hip place to be on a Saturday night. Room comes equipped with a sound machine but I recommend earplugs and a eye mask. Clean comfortable bed and easy check in and out.

After you turn into the parking lot, you take a trip back in time. You take a step into the 1960s. You see the classy sign at the entrance. The architecture and the pool have the retro vibe. The atmosphere gives you that nostalgic mod vibe. It's like the 60s got frozen in time. The staff greet you with a smile. The live music is great. The interior decor is eccentric and eye catching. Whether you are meeting for drinks, dancing the evening away to live music, or staying a night or two--it is a perfect place to go.

Very sketchy area but isolated to offset this somewhat and advertised as 'updated' hip interiors. However my room had mold on bathroom countertop, on the light switches and some sort of blood or fecal matter on the shower floor which also had large stain. I brought this to attention of the front desk and they told me I was the first person to ever complain about their cleanliness standards. Then when I sent them a video of me cleaning the mold in different areas. They continued to be defensive and said it was paint. Lol. Business 101 don't argue with or gaslight your potential return customer(s). Should welcome the feedback if anything. Then I asked for my room to be cleaned this AM and returned four hours later. Not done. Looks like great bargain online and would come here monthly but not until they up their game in the sanitary/cleanliness area(s).

What a great addition to lodging in Charleston. We heard that this motel was being renovated and updated, while still maintaining the look and feel of a sixties motel. I remember traveling across country and staying at motels, so I was interested in seeing and staying in something more than a national chain, or a long overused and tired motel. The Starlight is great! The original sign seems to be shining on an industrial boulevard in North Charleston, which connects the airport, through North Charleston, to the center of Charleston itself. The room is modern, super well finished, still fresh from complete renovation, with lots of loving touches from the past, in its decor and its approach. But with a great bed and linens, a great shower, and a keurig! It's still being finished, so the pool isn't ready yet, and there is some work going on to finish the project, but it's an honor to experience the loving work of the owners, and to get a great night's sleep!

We had a great stay . The location is central to anywhere you want to go in Charleston, though the neighborhood isn't the best the location served us very well. I loved the boutique-y retro rooms. They are small but well appointed , comfy beds. There is some more reno to do there but I really can see the vision they have ! The bartender in the lounge was very sweet and we had a good time hanging out in there for a few cocktails - really liked the vibe. I will absolutely stay again.

I highly recommend this property! They office manager was very nice. The place was clean on the outside. Once into the room we were pleasantly surprised! Super clean and well maintained! The pillows and bed were some of the best we have had in a hotel room. The surrounding area looks a little sketchy but give this spot a chance.

Great 1960s vibe. Beautiful rooms, great pool and wonderful bartender in the lounge! Family Friendly and very close to attractions including Charlestowne Landing. We will be back!

We went to a cocktail party here and was impressed how they brought an old motel back to its original look. Great job and definitely a place to check out. We will be back

Was pretty leery about the neighborhood, but this place is a gem. Super cool. Comfy beds, clean. Close to everything. Check in/out is very easy. Communication is excellent via text. Run like an air bnb, with staff of site.

Hands-down, the coolest and most unique cocktail lounge in town. It's got a speakeasy feel, with real "Mad Men" vibes, and great cocktails. Can't wait to come back!

We are visiting from CA and read about Starlight. In spite of the location, we wanted to stay because we were so impressed with the story and the look of the motel. It did not disappoint! Everything was excellent. The service, communication, recommendations of where to shop and eat, the nice sized room great shower, comfortable bed, and the entertainment in the bar during the evenings were just some of the details that made it great. The decorative attention to detail was cool. It felt like a trip into the past. We just took Uber or Lyft each day and came out ahead of the cost of a premier hotel downtown. Super easy. As a point of contrast, we stayed in a historic hotel in the heart of Savannah that was 3.5x more expensive and this place was better by far. We are rooting for long term success! Thank you for a great stay and for preserving the history.

BEAUTIFUL HOTEL for the location. Service was amazing even though it was all no contact and online, it was still very easy and simple to book and get into our room. Rooms were very nice and clean with a beautiful bathroom design!!

We loved staying here. The rooms were extremely clean and updated. Everything in room was brand new. The TV was a Roku which was already logged into the motel's account- didn't even have to login to your own. Check in and check out was the easiest we've ever experienced. Our only concern prior to visiting was the location, but after being there for a few days we realized how easy it was to get to downtown and other surrounding areas. We split our stay between here and another "nicer" hotel in Mt. Pleasant and actually ended up preferring this place over the other and wishing we could go back. We'll absolutely stay here when we come back to Charleston. The price is unbeatable for how great it was.

Awesome place to stay. From the moment you pun in you just get a good feeling. Rooms were super clean with a really cool 60's theme. Staff was great. Great swimming pool and game room. Highly recommend. We'll be back.