Charleston Crowned U.S. Small City of the Year by Condé Nast Traveler 2015 Readers’ Choice Awards
Charleston’s storied past, well‑preserved architecture, thriving restaurant scene, and welcoming residents have earned it the top spot as the U.S.’s #1 Small City in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2015 Readers’ Choice Awards—its fifth consecutive win.
Readers vote across categories such as Arts & Culture, Friendliness, Scenery & Sights, Restaurants & Food, Accommodations, Shopping, and Value. The 2015 awards drew a record 128,000 ballots, the highest number in the 28‑year history of the contest.
Charleston first entered the Readers’ Choice Top U.S. Cities list in 1993, ranking sixth. It reached the number‑one position in 2011 and has retained that lead for five straight years.
Other local accolades include Kiawah Island Golf Resort ranking sixth among the Top 20 U.S. Resorts in the South, and Wild Dunes Resort securing the twentieth spot in the same category.
The Restoration on King and Wentworth Mansion earned second and thirteenth places among the Top 20 2015 Readers’ Choice Award‑winning properties in the Hotels/South category, and ranked thirty‑eighth and eighty‑ninth among the Top 100 Hotels & Resorts worldwide.
Top 10 Hotels/Charleston:
The Restoration on King
Wentworth Mansion
John Rutledge House Inn
French Quarter Inn
The Vendue
Belmond Charleston Place
Market Pavilion
Kings Courtyard Inn
Planters Inn
Zero George
Explore Charleston’s unmatched beauty all year long—visit ExploreCharleston.com and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Thank you to everyone who voted!





