GOLF DESTINATIONS

Sheraton North Charleston Stakes Its Claim As Charleston's Golf Hub

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (May 31, 2002) - Sheraton North Charleston general manager Alex Chamblin is an avid golfer, so when Doug Schmidt of Charleston Golf Partners approached him about offering golf packages it was really just a matter of hammering out the details.

For close to a year now, the two men have partnered in what has is known as "The Great Eight" golf package - an intriguing cross section of the area's diverse daily fee golf offerings that is luring golfers in hand over fist from Charlotte, N.C., Atlanta and other major east coast population centers.

• Introduction • Golf Overview • Charleston Golf Course Reviews • Charleston Golf Courses • Charleston Best Destinations • Accommodations • Activities • Dining • Charleston Golf Packages

"I am the type of guy that has my clubs in my car on any business trip," Chamblin says. "Those are the type of business travelers we are going after."

The Sheraton North Charleston isn't located on a golf course, or in historic downtown, but it does offer a level of convenience and accessibility that other hotels, resorts and bed and breakfasts can't.

The hotel, located just east of the junction of Interstates 26 and 526, is within a 20-minute drive of Charleston's 17 independently owned, daily fee golf courses. And even the restaurants, museums and tours of downtown Charleston were just ten minutes away.

"We are a full service hotel, so we have room service, laundry service, a restaurant and bar, concierge services and more," Chamblin says. "We are a totally self contained unit."

The hotel was originally built as a Marriott back in 1984, but was purchased by an independent company out of Connecticut a few years later. Starwood, owners of the Sheraton and Westin hotel chains, bought the hotel and operated it as a Hilton for four years. Just this year, Starwood bought out the rest of the hotel and converted it to a Sheraton.

"We extended room service hours and hired some really amazing managers," Chamblin says. "Since the conversion, our guest service index has increased from a 7.6 to an 8.5."

Chamblin also converted the bar from a cocktail lounge environment to a family restaurant atmosphere and implemented a golf theme designed to get guests thinking about teeing it up in the Holy City.

"Golf is an under-utilized commodity in this town," he says. "We need to get people thinking about bringing their clubs down here."

Chamblin estimates that the Sheraton North Charleston will sell 800 room nights for golfers this year, an increase of over 100 percent from last year. With two major golf resorts and a myriad of accommodations located downtown, the Sheraton North Charleston may appear to be an unlikely headquarters for a golf vacation.

But Chamblin says the hotel works off of a different model that Charleston's tourist based accommodations.

"We are a full service hotel that is corporate oriented and geared towards the business client," Chamblin says. "We rely on guest loyalty to Starwood and we rely on our convenience to the highway system as a major selling point."

As a business-driven hotel, the Sheraton North Charleston's room rates actually decrease Thursday through Saturday, making it an affordable alternative for weekend golf warriors. Golfers also enjoy the little things that come with the Great Eight package - a free breakfast buffet ranging from biscuits and gravy to strawberries and bagels, free drink tickets, and a shuttle that runs downtown.