South Carolina's First Four Seasons Finally Has a Contractor, and a Much Later Date

Four Seasons has a construction timeline for its first hotel in South Carolina, and it is longer than anyone expected. Developer Strategic Property Partners has hired Hoar Construction as general contractor for Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Charleston, expects to break ground by the end of this year, and now targets completion in 2030 - two years later than the original 2028 date.

The delays came from the site itself. The former Days Inn on the 1.9-acre parcel at 155 Meeting Street was razed in February, followed by months of archaeological work on a downtown lot in one of the oldest cities in the country. Contractor selection took the timeline out further.

The finished project calls for 139 hotel rooms and 36 private residences, several restaurants and bars, a spa and fitness center, an outdoor pool and 7,000 square feet of event space. Residences run from 1,700-square-foot one-bedrooms to 3,700-square-foot three-bedroom homes, many with balconies or terraces, with a dedicated residential team providing Four Seasons services. Prices start at $5 million, and the developer says inquiries since marketing began roughly a year ago have run into the thousands - many from buyers already in the region.

Who is behind it

The ownership structure explains the patience. Bill Gates' Cascade Investment bought the site and neighboring downtown properties starting in late 2022, spending $57 million on the real estate. Cascade also owns Strategic Property Partners and is the controlling shareholder in Four Seasons itself.

Morris Adjmi Architects, Lark Design Studio and Hollander Design handled the design; Charleston-based Iskagna will provide owner representation.

Charleston has drawn steady luxury demand without a global five-star flag - The Dewberry and a set of well-run independents have carried the top of the market for years. A Four Seasons at 2030 means that gap stays open for another four seasons of tourists, and then some.