New boutique hotel The Pinch opening on King and George streets in downtown Charleston | Real Estate

A new boutique hotel with offerings for leisure travelers and extended-stay guests has made its debut in downtown Charleston.

Called The Pinch, the 25-unit property opened its doors earlier this month, but some of the project is still on the way. Its retail storefronts on King Street will eventually be filled, and two dining venues — an oyster bar and a full-service restaurant — will open later this year.

The site at King and George streets used to house the Bob Ellis shoe store which closed in 2016 after 66 years in business. 

In 2018, the city approved a 22-unit hotel use for the site. The other three units at The Pinch are considered residences and can be reserved for stays of 30 days or more.

The Pinch is a project from Philadelphia-based company Method Co., which also operates several other hospitality concepts: Roost Apartment Hotel with multiple locations for “temporary” or extended stays; Whyle, an offering in Washington, D.C. for stays of one month or more; and Wm. Mulherin’s Sons, a restaurant and four-room hotel housed in a former 19th century whiskey factory in Philadelphia. 

Method Co. describes The Pinch as a luxury boutique hotel. The name has several meanings, said CEO and co-founder Randall Cook. 

“Pinch is a word commonly used in Britain, so we liked how that tied into the history of the city’s founding,” he said. “A ‘pinch of salt’ reminded us of the great culinary traditions and current dining scene in Charleston.”

“Pinching” is also a sailing term, a nod to the Holy City’s nautical connections, and the downtown location can be considered a “pinch-point,” Cook said. 

All of the rooms and suites have kitchens that are stocked with appliances, including dishwashers, cookware, utensils and dishes, and guests will be able to request grocery delivery. All the units are equipped with washers and dryers.

Cook said that providing guest amenities such as a stocked kitchen or more space — even for a shorter stay — is “in line with how today’s travelers are redefining luxury.”

The hotel is decorated with modern art and photography, vintage objects and plants. The rooms have velvet sofas, bathrooms with terracotta floor tiles and mid-century-style furnishings. 

Guests will enter through a cobblestone alley off George Street. To the left is the main part of the hotel, including the lobby, rooms and spa. Those will eventually connect to one of The Pinch’s two dining venues and King Street-facing retail. The original facade was preserved in the design, which was done by New York-based Morris Adjmi Architects.

To the right as guests enter down the alley is the Lequeux-Williams House, a former private residence dating back to 1843. That building is being outfitted as a full-service restaurant with an as-yet-unannounced name that will include several dining areas. The main dining area will have seating on the first and second floors, with a small bar with seating for six on the second level. A former carriage house in the back of the property will be converted into a bar with a wood-burning fireplace and additional seating.

Food served in the restaurant will be influenced by “French fundamentals” and local Charleston cuisine.

The other dining venue, The Quinte Oyster Bar, will be in the main building with a George Street entrance. It will serve cocktails and seafood and feature an 18-seat marble bar.

Both dining spots are expected to open sometime this summer.

The Pinch’s hotel rooms include a mix of king rooms, lofts and one- and two-bedroom suites.

Two of the residences are two-bedroom suites with private outdoor areas. The third is a penthouse residence being outfitted on the third level of the Lequeux-Williams House. 

Cook said he envisions the residences being used by people relocating to the city who need time to settle into a permanent spot. It could also be somewhere Charleston-area residents could live while renovating a house or when between buying or selling a home.

New post-pandemic remote work setups could also send more people on the lookout for long-term stays. The hotel just got an inquiry from someone in Washington, D.C. who works for a company that lets employees work from anywhere for one month a year. That person chose Charleston as their ideal spot, Cook said.

Rates at The Pinch will start at $595 a night for king rooms and $695 for one-bedroom suites.

The Pinch is the first hotel to open on the peninsula in 2022. 

Method Co. has another Charleston hotel on the way, farther up King Street at the former Dixie Furniture store. Construction on that property, which is approved for 50 guest rooms, should begin before the summer, Cook said.