Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina: Best of Both Worlds
Hotels and Resorts
Written by Ashley McGown   
Monday, 01 June 2009
Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina: Best of Both Worlds
By marketing itself as both a historic destination and a waterfront getaway, this resort is standing apart in a highly competitive market.
Premier Business Partners:

Austin Construction
Because of its size and location, Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina (CHRM) can offer its guests the best of both worlds. Located in Mount Pleasant, SC, the resort is just a few miles from the historic downtown area, but unlike most downtown properties, the atmosphere at CHRM is similar to that of an outlying destination resort.

According to GM Ted Bogan, Charleston is the largest historic district in the US, which makes it a prime tourist attraction and, ultimately, a highly competitive market. “We offer something that neither the downtown hotel or the outlying resort market can offer,” he said.

Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina: Best of Both Worlds
Ted Bogan, general manage
“The outer resorts are pretty far from downtown, and the downtown hotels aren’t large enough to create a relaxed beach atmosphere,” he continued. “We offer two different experiences at the same time, which makes us unique and sets us apart from other resorts in the area.”

To make use of its location, CHRM, which employs a team of 100, generates $10.8 million annual revenue, and has 131 guest rooms, provides its guests with transportation to and from the downtown area by way of trolley or water taxi.

The water taxi service is made possible by the resort’s private, 459-ship marina, another popular guest attraction. CHRM’s marina is situated next to USS Yorktown, a large aircraft carrier that sits in Charleston Harbor and is home to Patriot’s Point Maritime Museum, the largest attraction in the area.

In addition to the marina, the resort’s harbor-front location provides guests with a private, white-sand beach. “The harbor is one of our greatest resources,” Bogan said. “It gives us our own beach, and it allows us to offer fishing charters, sailing lessons, and a water taxi to downtown.”

A slow start
CHRM opened in July 1997, but its history dates back many years. The idea to build the property was conceived in the early 1980s, but finance and general contracting issues stopped the project from breaking ground.
In 1989, the resort was finally near completion when Hurricane Hugo hit the area, destroying the property.

An insurance debacle ensued, and the land sat vacant until a local developer bought the property, finished the project, and opened the resort. In 2002, that developer sold the property to Brothers Property Corporation, its current owners.

Today, Bogan and his team are focused on developing programs that highlight the resort’s best assets. As a popular family vacation destination, programs geared toward children are a must, so Bogan appointed a “director of fun” to create family friendly activities.

Soon after, a program called Mini Mariners was developed. Mini Mariners offers a series of different activities throughout each week, including Movie Mania, where parents can drop their children off on Friday nights for a movie and snacks. The event costs just $15, and it gives parents the chance to be alone for four hours without worrying about a babysitter.

On Saturdays, CHRM offers a full-day Mini Mariner event that costs just $35 and includes lunch. “The program is split into two sessions, and we change the activities each week,” Bogan said. “It’s not day care—it’s fun for the children. We build sand castles, organize games in the pool, and set up treasure hunts, among other things.”

An array of events
To cater to its adult population, the team at CHRM built a 4,900-square-foot event pavilion that holds 300 people seated or 1,000 people reception-style. The project is very close to completion, and Bogan estimates it will open in July.

According to Bogan, Charleston is the third most popular wedding destination area in the US, and the event pavilion will help CHRM take advantage of that. Currently, the resort uses its 2,500-square-foot terrace to host weddings. “The pavilion will allow us to host larger events because it’s bigger than our terrace, and it will allow us to double up on events,” Bogan said.

To ensure the pavilion can provide guests with memorable experiences, CHRM invested $150,000 on state-of-the-art audio and video equipment. “We want to make it as easy as possible for bands to plug in and play and for presentations to happen,” Bogan said. “We want it to be a wow factor, and we want it to be as great as an outdoor pavilion can be.”

The pavilion won’t be used exclusively for weddings; the team at CHRM hopes to attract guests looking to throw an array of parties such as oyster roasts, dances, and concerts. Bogan is currently talking with Charleston Symphony Orchestra about the possibility of partnering on an event.

The team at CHRM also plans to open the pavilion up to local charities, working with organizations to host fundraising events. “The wedding market is easy to break into here because there’s such a high demand, but we want to do other things, too,” Bogan said.

In addition to its work on the event pavilion, the team at CHRM recently invested in its guest rooms, fully renovating half (at a cost of $80,000 per room) and performing a soft-goods upgrade in the other half. In the near future, the resort’s team plans to expand further, possibly adding a spa and more restaurants.

“This hotel has been underutilized since it was founded,” Bogan said. “We have a lot of untapped potential on site, and we want to grow that. Renovating the guest rooms and building the pavilion help establish the property as a destination within the destination of Charleston. We’re always evolving, and we have a long way to go.” 
 
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