The Beaufort Inn

An 1897 mansion compound in downtown Beaufort, South Carolina — 31 rooms across the original main house and detached cottages, with Old Bull Tavern as the on-property restaurant. Beaufort's Lowcountry charm has been intact for centuries because the town largely escaped Civil War destruction; the Beaufort Inn occupies one of those surviving 19th-century antebellum structures.

Beaufort lodging includes B&Bs, chain hotels on the outskirts, and a few historic-mansion inns; the Beaufort Inn is the largest of the historic-mansion category.

The setting

The hotel sits at 809 Port Republic Street in Beaufort's downtown historic district, walking distance to Bay Street's restaurants and shops, the Beaufort waterfront and the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, and the John Mark Verdier House. The historic district's antebellum mansions (the Cuthbert House, the Robert Smalls House, the John A. Cuthbert House) are within blocks. Hunting Island State Park is 30 minutes east; Hilton Head is 45 minutes south.

The drive in from Charleston is 90 minutes south on US-17 and US-21; from Savannah, an hour north.

The building

A multi-building 1897 mansion compound — the original Greek Revival-leaning main house plus detached cottages built in the same architectural language. Materials are clapboard, brass, and velvet — the Lowcountry-Victorian vocabulary. Public spaces include the main house parlor, the Old Bull Tavern (the on-site restaurant), and a courtyard garden between buildings.

Independently owned. The historic district's design code is enforced; the property's exterior reflects that.

The rooms

Thirty-one rooms across the main house and cottages. From around $365 in shoulder seasons; peak spring (azalea-and-camellia season) and fall rates run higher. Layouts include kings and queens with Victorian-period furniture, four-poster beds, and updated bathrooms. Cottage rooms have private entrances and small porches.

Food & drink

Old Bull Tavern is the on-property restaurant — Lowcountry-leaning American, dinner most nights, plus brunch on weekends. Open to non-guests. The bar runs cocktails through the evening. For more options, walk to Bay Street's restaurants — Plums (the seafood institution), Saltus River Grill, Wren Bistro, and the Old Bull's competitors.

On the property

A small in-town hotel's amenity stack:

• Old Bull Tavern restaurant and bar
• Courtyard garden
• Continental breakfast included
• Concierge for plantation tours and Hunting Island
• Walking distance to waterfront and downtown
• Open year-round

Who it's for

• Couples doing a Lowcountry weekend with walking distance to the waterfront
• Repeat Beaufort and Charleston visitors who want the smaller-town stay
• Travelers interested in antebellum architecture and Reconstruction-era history
• Anniversary trips that include a visit to Hunting Island for the day

Who it's not for

• Travelers wanting a beach resort — Hunting Island is 30 minutes
• Anyone expecting modern boutique aesthetic
• Light-amenity guests on the lower end of the Lowcountry market

Nearby

Bay Street's restaurants and shops are three blocks south. The Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park is four blocks. The John Mark Verdier House (1804) is two blocks. The Robert Smalls House and Cuthbert House are within blocks for the historic-walking-tour. Hunting Island State Park (the lighthouse, the maritime forest, the beach) is 30 minutes east. Penn Center on St. Helena Island (one of the country's first schools for formerly enslaved Black Americans) is 25 minutes east. Charleston is 90 minutes north; Savannah is an hour south.