Easy Ryder

More than a decade ago, some dear friends invited me and my husband to come stay with them at a rental house on Isle of Palms, a beach town just outside of the city of Charleston.

We instantly fell in love. With the place. We were already sold on each other.

Since that summer, we've returned with those same friends every year, without fail. Even with infants. Even during COVID. Even as the details of our lives shifted and morphed.

And every single year, we spend a bit of time exploring the city.

I love Charleston. But that's nothing special. Everyone does. It's like the golden retriever of cities. Quaint, easy to navigate, with delicious food and friendly locals. It has been named one of the most livable, lovely places again and again. Literally, Travel + Leisure readers have voted it the No. 1 Best City in the US for twelve years running. Twelve.

So, I am no exception. Like the rest of the masses, I appreciate goldens and Charleston. And there is nothing I love more than aimlessly wandering a new town. But—and this is a big but —I always go in August. And, in August, Charleston is hot. Like, really hot. Like, help-I-need-air-conditioning-before-I-pass-out hot.

And I am not stoic in the face of sweltering summer. Which is why I never get more than an afternoon or two to explore.

So, recently, when another set of friends suggested a spring girls' trip to the area, my answer was a resounding yes. I would finally get to explore the city unencumbered by insane heat!

But what would be our hub, if not Isle of Palms?

And that's what led us to The Ryder Hotel , a charming boutique property—with midcentury-meets-tiki vibes—right smack in the beautiful and convenient historic district. And, honestly, it was perfect.

The Ryder first opened in May 2021 and was taken over by Dallas hotelier Makeready in 2022. The idea from the outset was to take a bit of stiffness out of the experience of staying in Charleston. Traditionally, Southern hospitality in this city was just that— traditional . More white tablecloth than picnic table.

And yet at The Ryder, there's a very intentional sense of playfulness and an almost tropical vibe, from the rooftop restaurant and poolside tiki bar, Little Palm (with its flamingo pink accents, teal subway tiles and string lights), to the downstairs slatted-wood Coffee Counter (which serves up all the requisite caffeine and even stocks cannabis drinks).

The hotel feels at once modern and like a throwback to another era.

In fact, the hotel's concept—and name—is inspired by Japhy Ryder, a character from Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums who the hoteliers see as charismatic, free-spirited and adventurous. And that's the infectious energy they want the property to project, as well. "The concept was to shake things up a bit here in the Charleston hotel scene and provide a welcoming, laid-back and unpretentious environment," says hotel manager, William Harrison. "We felt that we all needed a little less formality in our lives and instead…a little more fun and adventure. Basically, think less seersucker and sweet tea and more rose-colored glasses and rosé."

And it does in fact feel here as if you're both in Charleston and perhaps somewhere farther flung, too. Some of the 91 guest rooms (including four spacious suites) face the exterior, while others overlook the interior pool courtyard (perhaps best for night owls rather than early birds because of the restaurant buzz). All of the rooms have a bleached out modernist aesthetic—featuring photographic prints of silhouetted palm trees—that almost evokes Southern California. There's a kind of freshness to the simplicity and a lack of fussiness.

Locals and visitors alike who aren't hotel guests can purchase day passes to the pool and bar, including cushy loungers, cocktail offerings and the pool itself which—at its bottom—showcases the motto: "Good Time, State of Mind." There, it's easy to forget you're in a city at all.

And the restaurant, Little Palm, which feels like what would happen if the Beverly Hills Hotel relocated to Miami, actually features Caribbean inspired cuisine rather than the usual Lowcountry fare with items like Mojo Wings with Sour Orange and an Adobe Rub, a Cuban Sandwich (with local Holy City Hogs pork) and Guava Royale Cake.

Though there's no gym here, guests have access to the facilities at sister property Emeline just a few blocks away, which not only boasts a sweet café and restaurant, but also beautifully curated lobby shop, Keep , with offerings from everyone from Clare V. to local coveted Charleston designers.

But perhaps The Ryder's greatest offering is their " Gear Garage ," a small room off the check-in area that boasts everything from beach chairs, boomboxes and surf boards to bicycles, yoga mats and Polaroid cameras to borrow—all in pristine condition. Basically, the hotel stocks everything you might need or want for your Charleston excursions, in the best designed form. "Our Gear Garage is carefully curated," says Harrison. "While some of our [offerings], such as our apparel with Fat Boy Surf Club , is selected through collaboration via our partnership, others are [simply] unique and wondrous items that help provide a sense of place, whether riding through the streets of Charleston on our custom beach cruisers from local shop Bilda-Bike or relaxing on the shores of Folly Beach."

The Ryder Hotel has it all—and with sweet vibes to boot.