The Willcox Hotel

Best overall experience we've had traveling so far ever! We stayed in the Hitchcock suite. Loved our room so much we ordered room service stayed in it for 2/3 of our visit. 🥰 Food was perfection EVERY meal. Portions and flavors on point. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert the small details are what make this place outstanding. Free games for families to play. Bar and live jazz music on Thursdays. The clientele are friendly and pleasant, most likely because the experience overall is such a genuine southern hospitality ambiance. Definitely want to come back to stay again!

The hotel is so charming! Food is delicious, service was amazing and spa was also great! We stayed two nights in the Roosevelt suite. All that to say, the pool was dirty and we didn't see anyone clean it the 3 days we were there and multiple parking spots were filled with horse feces. We also didn't see anyone clean it so we had to park further down to ensure we didn't step in. It isn't the cleanest place to stay but if you're wanting to come for dinner and drinks in the lobby, it's worth a visit.

I had a massage today at Willcox Spa, and Heather did a wonderful job! Her technique is absolutely perfect—firm where needed, relaxing throughout, and incredibly intuitive. I walked out feeling amazing. Highly recommend her if you're looking for a truly rejuvenating experience!

I went to the Willcox for a work dinner. Property is nicely maintained and comes with a nice story. The food we had was good, my pasta was unfortunately overcooked. The wine list is wonderful and includes a few unexpected offerings (Swiss wine, etc). I believe that this is the ideal location for a more intimate dinner.

I had a business meeting there. The lady at the bar with red hair was phenomenal. The best customer service. She was attentive, kind and went out of her way to stack logs for the fire to keep going in the fireplace. The ambience was great. There salmon salad was good. I would order it again with a glass of Merlot. Just a perfect visit. I'll be back. M

The Wilcox recently added an afternoon tea to their menu! I was thrilled to see this being offered because The Wilcox has all the charm to be an exceptional tea experience. My daughter and I enjoyed the tea BUT the only reason for 4 stars is the “ scones” were like biscuits! Scones should be served with clotted cream, lemon curd and jelly and are tender and buttery! Service is excellent, rest of food good but so disappointed in the scones.

My daughter and I were in town for an equestrian event in Aiken and our stay at the Willcox could not have been better! We escaped from one night at another hotel and called the Willcox, who helpfully told us that one room was available and they would get it ready for us. When we walked in, we felt instantly at home and relieved. The beautiful lobby was buzzing with diners and friendly people having drinks. They welcomed my daughter with a fox plushie, my Cavapoo with a doggie welcome bag, and a glass of champagne for me. The room was beautiful with everything you could want or need attended to. Turndown service with a pitcher of ice water, fresh cookies, and soft music. Dinner and breakfast was superb, the pool refreshing and everyone we encountered so helpful and friendly. Thank you to the Willcox for "saving" our first trip to Aiken and making it a place we long to return to! We are ready for our next horse show!

My husband and I had a wonderful dinner at the Wilcox. You don't often go out to dinner and have a perfect meal from start to finish. We started with the ham and burrata. It was delicious and light. For dinner, we had the CAB 6oz filet and Chilean Sea Bass. We finished out meal off with the Lemon Lavender Crème Brûlée I can't recommend it enough. The dried lavender flour was smoking when it came to the table and the top of the Crème Brûlée was still bubbling. With each bite you could smell/taste the smoky warmth of the lavender.

I fell in love with this hotel the moment I entered the lobby. The ambiance is great...think a smaller Grove Park...old, burled wood, stone fireplaces, great decor that is as comfortable as it is attractive. The rooms are comfortable and very well thought out. I loved the music and the bedtime story options on the television. The bedding is very comfortable and the bathroom amenities are lovely. Service is spot on...comprehensive without being too much. The add on touches that you can order through your television are really fun and varied. We very much enjoyed having a cocktail in the lobby at the end of our evening, try the Parisian. Breakfast was delicious...don't skip the potatoes and bacon...and the hollandaise is a keeper. I'd love to come back and try the spa or maybe take a ride thought the woods.

VERY disappointed in afternoon tea at The Willcox Inn in Aiken, SC. Why? Because I didn't have it! I was extremely disappointed in restaurant management when I was told today that afternoon tea was only served after 3pm. I had booked online reservations 7 days in advance, clicking on the 'Book A Table' button on the Afternoon tea link on the Willcox Inn website which took me to Resy Open Table page. The times showing supposedly for afternoon tea was 12, 12:30 and 12:45, so I chose 12:45 and typed in the note box specifying that this is for Afternoon Tea. It gave me the reservation time and sent an email confirming. I then CALLED Willcox Inn to confirm the date, time, number in party for AFTERNOON TEA, telling the lady who took my call that I was calling to confirm afternoon tea time for 4. The lady confirmed she had me down and repeated the details. So two sources confirmed an afternoon tea request, online and human. When I arrived at the dining room of the Willcox today at 12:05pm, early, I was told they only serve tea after 3pm. I was very upset, especially when it was the restaurant's fault for NOT specifying on the afternoon tea page that tea was only available after 3pm. We were told there was nothing they could do and they apologized. My friends and I had traveled from Evans, GA, forty-five minutes away to be told 'sorry, no tea', after I had confirmation from two sources. To make matters worse, we were told there were no tea foods, no scones, no tea sandwiches that could be served to us at 12:30 when everything would be available a few hours later at 3pm. The chef even came to our table to coldly state she could not prepare any scones as she had to feed other diners. The very least a manager could have offered to guests who had traveled distance and were denied what they were given confirmation for, was to comp a meal, and provide an explanation of errors on their website. I will never return to this establishment because they simply do not care about their customers. With today's use of social media, everyone is a reviewer. And this restaurant failed in providing good customer service, and failed in attempting to correct inaccuracies due to their negligence in advertising correct times for afternoon tea. Anyone who booked afternoon tea through this page should have their reservations honored, despite the restaurant's negligence. I do not recommend this restaurant.

Love, love, love The Willcox. We had a couples massage with Catherine and Don. It was a nice experience, relaxing and exactly what we were hoping for. I highly recommend the spa!

The Wilcox has exceptional fresh food, a reasonably priced and robust wine list, and very good cocktails. And on Thursday nights jazz music! Highly recommended!

The Willcox is a local gem and wonderful place to stay! The atmosphere is charming, historic and moody, creating a relaxing and unique experience for any age. The premium suite was very comfortable, with plenty of thoughtful details, and they offer great accommodations for dogs--welcome bag and all! The customer service and waitstaff is excellent--attentive and friendly. The food is incredible, but the highlight was the Butterscotch Budino. It's the best dessert I've ever had. (You have to try it, no matter how full you are.) Whether you're looking for a staycation or passing through Aiken, don't pass on The Willcox.

Wonderful restaurant from entrance to the dinning room. Drinks and food are fabulous. Hostess was nice and waitress provided excellent service. Recommend to everyone... We had oysters, lamp chops, wedge salad, and salmon. Everything delicious !

Shout out to Deidre! She was working the early morning shift when I stopped to drive someone to the airport. Although it was 5:30am, she was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! We chatted while I waited for my person to checkout. She even offered me some coffee or tea... so hospitable! It smelled like a log cabin, I'm considering staying for a night eventually.

Great place- service and food excellent. We love to meet there for cocktails. And old standard in Aiken we all love it!

The Wilcox is always a lovely place to do breakfast, lunch dinner, or just a drink. Pros: Very nice atmosphere, always a Classic. Nice simple breakfast menu. Despite the wait, the Avocado Toast was worth the wait and seduced my palette. Props to the BOH. And I stay coming back to the Wilcox. Cons: All my CONS probably stem from F&B Management which should be on the floor for the servers as an extra support system, an extra set of eyes, hands, and quality control during the workflow. Because it got busy and the wait staff did well despite the lack of extra support they needed for the quality that Wilcox is known for. Not enough wait staff to commit to quality service. SA/busboy needed (Server Assistant) to help the servers with table maintenance. All Servers need to practice full hands in full hands out. The hostess was on top of her game, very attentive, and moved with an elegant sense of urgency. Servers should be provided a tray to help with table maintenance during the workflow. Better on-floor management is needed. For the most part, I will always love the Wilcox, the atmosphere, and the brand. Some minor kinks need ironing out for the breakfast crew but overall the BOH is consistent and that's important. All the waitstaff did their best!

The Willcox is a beautiful, historic hotel featured in Travel & Leisure magazine and many others. They have ample parking in front of the hotel and the staff is wonderful. The architecture of the property is stunning. My sister and I visited for a weekend trip and had a lovely time. We settled in and then went for happy hour, which gets really crowded as many locals enjoy coming here as well. We opted to enjoy our mint juleps on the front porch and it was very serene. I forgot one of my toiletries so I called the front desk and they provided it complimentary. This was wonderful service that I really appreciated. The furniture and decor is very classic featuring a lot of rich, dark wood pieces. The breakfast was delicious, hot, and fresh with a variety of traditional foods (bacon, eggs, pancakes). Overall, it was a wonderful weekend.

Great service and food. We had dinner there and the food came to us right out of the oven.

Elegant and relaxed. Food definitely is top tier. Ambience perfect for banter or business.

We enjoy celebrating special occasions at this historic property. It has an old world charm and a wonderful outdoor pool area that can be reserved for private parties. The service is pleasant and attentive. The menu ranges from burgers to gourmet seasonal specialties. The bar tends to get crowded for Thursday jazz nights and on weekends, making it difficult to find a seat until late (after 8 pm).

A true treasure of Aiken! Upon arriving you know you've come to somewhere special. Whether you're staying in the beautiful hotel or just having a lovely lunch by the pool or in one of the other lovely locations. Perhaps you're stopping in for a drink by the fire or to listen to some jazz music. It's truly a special place! If you're lucky enough to come during the holidays it's truly magical!

Beautiful hotel and perfect spot for a Sunday brunch. Enjoyed using my gift certificate here and trying a little of everything!

Was in town for a wedding looking for a place for a good get together that could accommodate 15 people. The Wilcox was excellent with that. No problems. Excellent waiter and food was very very good. I would highly recommend this hotel and restaurant.

our first visit for our anniversary, and we were very impressed and satisfied with the excellent service provided by our waiter Bruce. The food was excellent and we were treated royally. We will definitely return.

Great food and bar area if you cant get reservations. Great bourbon selection and the chicken liver patte.

The Willcox got a new Exec. Chef in 2023. Food quality is much improved and I like the menu better. Highly recommend. Service is very good here as well.

The food is great, I especially like brunch. The spa area is wonderful from the massages to the mani pedi with lunch served while you are pampered. Great experience.

Wife went there and she enjoyed herself so I went there a couple of times for nightlife and it was very nice foods. Good price is good I record highly recommend it to anybody they want to go there. Great place thank you.

Very high end, pricey. It is a nice atmosphere to meet friends for drinks and appetizers. Their brunch is far better than their dinners in my opinion. Not someplace I go on a regular basis. Not very kid friendly but many older adults frequent the Willcox.

Best service in Aiken! Great food and ambiance. Great brunch- dinner and drinks. You will not be disappointed.

The Willcox has been an awesome experience! The customer service has been on point every day. The Old South Charm just radiates everywhere on this property! Everyone is extremely polite! The maid staff and rooms are phenomenal. Oh the bar is fantastic! Over all a solid 5 Stars !

I left an earlier review about our horrible experience over Christmas. If you check other reviews on travel sites you will find similar negative reviews. The general manager called me about my feedback. Good you would think. She listened, apologized and said actions would be taken. She also asked for us to please come back and she would send me an email with complimentary accommodations to make up for our bad experience. I have not heard from her since. This confirms what I thought was the root cause for this wonderful place going downhill and no longer being a top hotel. It's a management problem. Failure to follow up on this tells me nothing else is followed up on and why it is not improving. Don't waste your money. It is not what it appears to be. Also positive reviews are primarily left by locals. Do the research. Very sad. It has great potential under good management.

If you want the best mixed drinks and eats in town then The Wilcox is where you had better head to. Not an exaggeration when I say that it is the premier spot in Aiken.

Very nice place, good atmosphere and staff are friendly. The food is very average. They do have a variety on brunch menu but taste does not live up to the hype. I had the roasted cauliflower with poached egg. Cauliflower was charred but good, the poached egg was more like hard boiled. We also had the basic eggs and toast that was good with a side of sausage that was horrible. The sausage links tasted like they were out of date, or not cooked properly. I literally took one bite and had the worst after taste. The coffee was very average and a little on the sour side. The bread was amazing for the toast. I just expected better food quality for such a nice place. The hype is definitely not worth it. Update: I am so impressed by management to follow up not even an hour after I posted this. This is great customer service and I will give this place another shot just for that.

I am not sure about this place. Years ago it had great entrees. Then it seemed as if they lost their Chef, for they offered hamburgers and nothing else. And thus far no one has told me about having a great dinner at this place. Seems it has from what I hear become a singles place for a drink on weekends!!!

If you are just looking for great food and wonderful customer service. Thirty have good food great atmosphere.

Generally good service and decent food. Breakfast is best in my opinion. The Belgian waffle WILL make you take a nap after the sugar rush ends. Servers are very polite and do their best, but it's not 5 star, that's for sure. The place really could be something, but it seems cluttered and there's clearly a lot of deferred maintenance at that hotel. Definitely a contender but there are much better places to eat in Aiken.

Gorgeous Hotel. Very nice rooms. Love the woodwork in the bar. In the bar we had the sliders and chicken wings. Very tasty. The drinks were very good also. We also ate in the restaurant. We had the filet and Salmon. Both were excellent. If you're out this way, it is well worth staying here.

We were just three couples looking to get away for a couple of nights. We definitely fell upon good times at the Wilcox. Our wonderful experience began with booking. We had some special requests for rooms and Patti ensured all needs would be met. After arrival, she was also the "go to" angel at the front desk. The exceptional evening food in the dining room was enhanced by our wait person, Stephanie, who provided extraordinary service and a delightful personality to match. Excellent after dinner drinks served in front of the fireplace, were delivered promptly and in person by the cheerful Manager, Kati. We did have a small hiccup one morning at breakfast and it was promptly and seamlessly resolved by by none other than Kati, who seemed to be everywhere at once to ensure world class service. All in all, our visit to the Willcox was a wonderful two days and nights. We shall return again and again! In fact, we are already checking our calendars for our next visit!

Above average meal. We had a belated lunch on a generally slow restaurant day, yet everything was up to par. Spectacular, thoughtful service.

The historic Wilcox Hotel in Aiken is a wonderful location to enjoy convenient walking to Hopeland Gardens and the unique shops in the heart of Aiken. The stately white columned three story building was built in 1900 and exudes southern charm. The equestrian decor envelopes you as you enter the hotel. with a lobby cozy and comfortable. Groupings of overstuffed chairs and couches for enjoying cocktails and food. The lobby bar has a few hightop tables and stools at the bar. Excellent food and service at the hotel restaurant which has a seasonally changing menu. I have stayed at this property three times and can attest to the friendly service and comfortable charm of the accommodations. On my recent stay the Churchill Suite has become my favorite. The two room suite is equipped with working gas fireplaces, comfortable bed large bath with soaking tub and shower and lovely balcony. Amenities of robes and ironing equipment, Kureg coffee set up. Turn down service lit the two fireplaces, closed the shutters, freshened the towels, placed a pitcher of citrus infused water bedside and generally prepared the room for a relaxing evening in front of the fireplaces. Breakfast is included with your stay at the Wilcox. A small menu of cooked to order offerings and a buffet of pastries, fruit, cereals, breads and the best blueberry yogurt compote. During my stay in October the poolside patio provides a quiet area for reading, sun bathing and enjoying a cool drink. There is also a spa at the Wilcox however I have not enjoyed their services to comment. The hotel is old, but well maintained, clean and staffed with helpful, friendly personnel.

The Willcox is incredible. The lobby is gorgeous, the rooms are beautiful, and they think of everything- yoga mat in the closet, umbrella in the closet, great robes, etc. We come in February when there's usually a fire going and the scent is fantastic. We have visited 3 times and it's always been great!

Olivia is super amazing!! We never wanted for anything including the Margaritas.. Thank you Olivia for everything..

Celebrated a friends birthday here for brunch and had an amazing experience! They were very accommodating for 9 people. The food was simply amazing, and the drinks were fabulous and not very dramatically priced. It was very reasonably priced brunch options. Would highly recommend The Wilcox!

Having stayed at The Wilcox back in 2014 my husband and I were excited to revisit for our 10th anniversary. When I called to book the hotel I requested the same room, (301) but was encouraged to try room 208- "it's our favorite room!" so I reserved it. Upon checking-in the ladies both said "oh...208, our favorite!" When I opened the door to the room I was hit with a moldy/cleaner smell that was quite strong, but figured the previous guest had maybe showered just before checking out, or something...it IS an old hotel after all, and the exhaust fans are woefully inadequate. (There was what looked like an air-filtration machine running in the room). BUT...then realized later that day that room 208 is directly over the lobby and front entrance; you hear conversations of everyone coming and going all thru happy hour/evening, the smokers standing on the front porch talking loudly later in the evening, the music from the bar...not what we were looking for...I wanted to ask to change rooms, but we were only there 2 nights and to pack-up everything we just decided to stick it out- Overall The Wilcox is an experience everyone should try-the beds are sooo comfy, fireplace is a nice touch, and really the staff was very nice. The restaurant service is excellent! Our waiter for dinner (Oscar) is the best-didn't rush us but was there when needed. My biggest advice is try it and enjoy Aiken (during polo season is best!) yes, it has slipped in a lot of ways (very subtly, but definitely not the same standard, and yes, I know it's been 9 years but the beauty of the place was the standard...) just realize it's an old historic building- the one elevator is slow, the rooms are old (but beautiful!) -a bit inadequate technology-wise, but try to get a room facing the back of the hotel- makes a HUGE difference in the experience.

Really beautiful historic hotel and cool location. Most of the staff friendly except for the woman at check in. She was very unfriendly and really left us with an overall negative impression. Almost threw out check out materials at us while on our way out. Guess we won't return. Food was descent, but felt like the chef took the week off as the menu options were great, but the flavor and preparation really missed the mark. The cleaning staff were rude as we had a privacy tag on the door. They still knocked and yelled through the door asking if we had a late check out. (We we're literally running 5min late) As for COVID compliance I would rate this hotel As a D- They had the signs, but did not enforce masks among staff or guests.

I have been to many historical hotels and many five star hotels around the world , this one doesn't impress me . I stayed 4 nights in their deluxe room and it was beyond cramped , less room than a motel 6 room for example. The furniture was not antique not that it should be but was a mix of new and well used old furniture. If you glance around you will notice pealing wall paper and worn carpet. The fireplace in my room was broken and cold water faucet in the bathroom would only put out a trickle. The staff was very nice and very professional. If your looking for a historical hotel in a historical town perhaps try Charleston. Parking here gets more difficult the later in the evening you show up . Remember three stars doesn't mean it's bad , it means it's just ok , I personally won't be back .

This is for the restaurant and bar. A real Aiken gem. It is an old land mark that has been lovingly restored and cared for It has oldworld Classic interior comfortable for the rider in jeans and the high style dresser. You can sit in the big comfy chairs or high tops by the bar. Good drinks, beer and food served The restaurant is set formal but unpretentious reservations are a good idea for dinner The meals are chef prepared. Super fresh and enough selection to make anyone happy I like it here to meet friends for drinks and for a really good dinner

I've stayed at the Willcox twice and my in-laws hosted my rehearsal dinner here. As far as hotel accommodations go: Our rooms were always gorgeous. We stayed here on our wedding night and on our first anniversary. The hotel is within walking distance to a few bars downtown as well as having their own bar in house. We did see a bug in one of our rooms (we got married in the middle of summer. It's hot out. It happens) and the staff were super accommodating in offering us another room since I'm terrified of all creepy crawlies. We had plenty of linens and toiletries, and we even got a little card each morning with the projected weather, etc. For our wedding night, we enjoyed a lovely bottle of champagne that was brought in and left on ice for our arrival. I love all of the natural light in their bathrooms - it really makes such a difference in my morning mood! As far as food goes: SO GOOD. I've had their mother's day brunch, our rehearsal dinner, and just a random meal and I can honestly say it's all so yummy. Our service has always been incredible and the different dining rooms are so beautiful. I've only had one drink from their bar but it was great too (some sort of chocolate something?). The price tag is higher than some other options, but you are paying for the beauty of the hotel and the experience. I wouldn't stay here unless it was a special occassion (since I grew up in Aiken and know there isn't much to do in the surrounding area) but it's a nice experience when you are celebrating!

Wonderful hotel and customer service. Restaurant is fabulous and hotel is very nice. Only reason I'm giving 4 stars is because of the spa. It needs some customer service attention. People could be friendlier and more professional! Had 2 services and 2 different people and neither wasn't that great.

We stayed here recently, we were in town from New York for a wedding in Augusta GA. The hotel lobby is warm and pretty. The restaurant ambiance is lackluster. The breakfast is decent although everything has butter and cheese (it's the south, I get it). The hotel room, I think we had a premium suite (asked for the best one they had when booking) was very subpar. The mattress is decades old, the room was leaking gas (I reported this) from the fireplace, not impressively clean but not dirty. There are TV cords everywhere, a phone from the 90's. It's not awful, but I certainly wouldn't qualify this as "nice". I'm writing this because so many people said to me "oh stay at the Wilcox it's great". I realize everyone's standards are different but this was a very mediocre hotel in our opinion.

The Willcox Hotel is a signature local attraction in the Aiken area and if you are looking for a classy restaurant to lunch at, you cannot go wrong here. (I will admit to never having had dinner, so my review is just about the lunch service.) Do yourself a favor if you visit: order the Chicken Liver Pate' and a glass of Pinot Grigio for your appetizer, it is a real treat! The Pate' at the Willcox is legendary! The lunch menu has everything you'd expect, appetizers (like the Pate', Calamari, etc.), soups, sandwiches, salads and even a cheese platter selection. Their wine list is top notch and their house wines are very good labels. Their mussels entree is sublime with a hint of fennel and they often have specials that amaze, like the Steak Tips pasta with Blue Cheese cream sauce that I had on my last visit, which was delicious. I've not been here for dinner, so I can't speak to those prices; but the lunch menu is not only delicious but actually very reasonable. I've been to a couple of hosted private parties at the Willcox too, which were well catered with excellent finger foods and drinks. Plus, they have a catering truck that can mobilize their menu to your location, if you so desire. The Willcox is a high-quality option that, when compared to the other 'fine dining' restaurants in town, comes out on top or very near the top of downtown Aiken's dining establishments.

The staff at the Willcox are fantastic! Everyone we encountered this past weekend was professional and friendly.

I made reservations at The Wilcox for Friday night as a special treat for my wife who was attending an event. The reservation was complete and I received a confirmation number so notified my wife and she headed to Aiken to check in. I later received a call from the hotel and they canceled our reservation. They said they had a glitch in their system that allowed the reservation but they were booked. I then had to call my wife and ask her to wait in a random parking lot while I searched for another place. The Wilcox offered us nothing for our trouble. They blamed the reservation system and just said sorry. I had a similar situation a couple years ago with Thanksgiving Giving Dinner reservations in their restaurant. I booked dinner for 6 and a week before I received the same call blaming the system. I made this reservation months in advance. Our past stays have been very nice but they could offer some consolation.

This was the worst hotel I've ever experienced. From the wait staffs inexperience to the quality of the room (bathtub needed to be calked, missing light fixtures, stained comforter, backed up sinks, vents full of dust) there was not one experience up to par with $300 a night. I would not recommend to anyone.

I am from out of town and I heard a lot of wonderful things about The Willcox Hotel and I was very excited to eat brunch here. Fast forward we have arrived and our service was horrible her name was Gina and she made my first experience at The Willcox Hotel horrible I will never be back. But the food was amazing.