With killer harbor views from the rooftop terrace, the hotel sits at the crossroads of seclusion and convenience―on the edge of quiet Waterfront Park. Book a room in the refurbished historic wing, an 1830s cotton warehouse, with 14-foot ceilings, original brick walls, large plantation shutters, Tempur-Pedic beds, and whirlpool tubs.

The intimate 64-room Relais & Chateaux property, originally built in 1844 as Honig Dry Goods Store, pampers guests as if they were taking up residence in a genteel Southern home―one with Italian marble baths, 10-foot ceilings, and an impressive collection of sweetgrass baskets.

This 21-room manse, built in 1886 by a wealthy cotton merchant for his 13 children, has guest rooms large enough to play full-court basketball (not that we recommend it). Note the mint-condition Tiffany stained glass windows and hand-carved marble fireplaces.