Crowded shops, kids playing, people dining outdoors, strolling down Main Street and wandering through Falls Park on the Reedy River. Downtown Greenville, South Carolina, was filled with people enjoying the city.
I found the best barbecue place where we could cut the brisket with a fork, shopped at the weekly TD Saturday Market and ate at an outdoor food court made of shipping containers.
For our weekend getaway we stayed in the upscale Hotel Hartness, a former private estate where I had an amazing facial, we hiked on the 180-acre property and enjoyed an delicious meal at Patterson Kitchen & Bar.
Luxury stay at Hotel Hartness, private estate turned boutique hotel
We drove through the well-manicured streets of Hartness Living, a 482-acre planned community owned by the Hartness family, a prominent Greenville family. The community includes homes, a Village with retail and restaurants, 180-acre nature preserve and Hotel Hartness, which opened in 2023.
The hotel was the former home of the Hartness family and the original architecture of the French revival-style home was maintained when it was turned into a hotel. There are several well-appointed common areas, perfect for lounging and relaxing.
The luxury boutique hotel, about 20 minutes from downtown Greenville, has 73 rooms, outdoor pool, lake, restaurant, fitness center and bar. Bikes are available for exploring the area, although you need to be prepared for some hills. The large parking lot included four charging stations for electric cars.
We set out on foot one day to explore some of the well-marked 15 miles of trails that wound through the woods and by a creek.
Our room had a huge balcony overlooking the pool and the lake. Serenely decorated in shades of gray and beige, it had a lounge chair, desk, mini-fridge and coffee maker. My favorite features were the bathtub located inside the shower and the cutout in the glass door to turn on the shower so you didn’t have to get wet before the water gets warm.
I spent an indulgent afternoon at the lovely H Spa receiving the first facial I’d had in years. My skin hasn’t felt that refreshed and moisturized for ages. The spa offers a full range of facials, massage and body treatments.
One afternoon we lounged by the pool and I appreciated the large bottle of sunscreen available. It’s a small touch that shows a property cares about its guests and something I always notice.
As I wandered around the spacious courtyard, I was curious about the Airstream. Turns out, it’s the Cigar Stream Mobile Cigar Lounge where guests can purchase and enjoy cigars on selected nights of each month. Hotel Hartness hosts a lot of events, including a 70th birthday party while we were there.
For breakfast, guests can visit CoPilot, a casual coffee shop with light breakfast options.
See below for more dining options at Hotel Hartness.
One afternoon we drove around the area surrounding Hotel Hartness. One of Chris’s ancestors had lived on a farm near there and we did our best to see if the old white farmhouse was still there. From what we could tell, the home was gone but there was still a large tract of land where it used to be.
Exploring Downtown Greenville
Many years ago, my husband, Chris, worked in Greenville back when the downtown area was just “an abandoned canyon of wig shops,” in his words. When we returned in 2010, he was stunned to see the transformation. The Reedy River had been uncovered from its formerly boarded-up, neglected state and a beautiful new park, Falls Park on the Reedy, had been built. The 10 blocks of Main Street were filled with nice shops, restaurants, galleries and residences.
Fast forward another 16 years and Greenville has just gotten busier and more popular. The city has transformed from a small southern city into a mecca for those looking for a vibrant urban environment.
I met a woman from Greenville a few years ago and she told me about a website called Where Should I Live. You fill out a quiz about what you are looking for in a city and it tells where you should move. “Apparently, everyone was told to move to Greenville, and they did!” she said.
It’s easy to see why people want to move there. The city has an amazing food and arts scene, a beautiful walkable downtown and wonderful restaurants.
Thankfully, the downtown area isn’t too big. After strolling through the TD Saturday Market, when 75 vendors line a closed-off section of Main Street, we realized we didn’t remember exactly where our car was parked. “Your Maps app on your phone should tell you where we parked,” Chris said. Mine didn’t.
We knew we parked on a side street. But which one? We didn’t mind a bit of extra walking until we finally located our car.
We returned downtown on Saturday night after dinner just to walk around and were stunned by the crowds of people enjoying the area.
Where to eat in Greenville
We started our weekend with lunch at Gather GVL, a food and drink venue with vendors housed in shipping containers and a courtyard with seating, games and a stage. The venue hosts Happy Hours, live music, fitness and dance classes and board game nights.
With vendors selling Japanese, Mexican and Italian in addition to chicken and doughnuts, it was a tough decision. But we opted to split catfish from Palmetto Seafood Co. since we knew we had a big dinner coming.
Dinner at Patterson Kitchen & Bar at Hotel Hartness was a highlight and our attentive server, Stephen, took good care of us. We had a table by the window overlooking the outdoor dining area and the lake. Fall had just begun so I couldn’t resist ordering both a soup and salad with butternut squash, one of my favorite fall menu items.
For entrees we enjoyed a strip steak and scallops over linguini, both delicious. We ended the meal with a yummy crème brûlée.
Diners at Hotel Hartness can also eat at The Captain Bar, the invitingly cozy and intimate bar where we had a drink before dinner. Menu items include a charcuterie board, shrimp cocktail, sandwiches, wings and flatbreads.
Lunch the next day was close to the hotel at The One5 in Hartness Village where we indulged in the crab cake Benedict and the hangover burger from the brunch menu.
Another highlight was Saturday night when I suggested we check out a highly rated barbecue place, Lewis Barbecue. With us both being from the South, we are all about barbecue. Even though it was early for dinner, the place was packed. After parking in the back of the restaurant in the last remaining spot, we walked by the large screened-in kitchen area where we saw giant smokers, always a good sign at a barbecue restaurant.
The food did not disappoint. We stood in line to order while we figured out the menu. Unlike any other barbecue place I’d ever been, you order meat by the pound, along with any side dishes you want. Usually pulled pork people, we decided to branch out and go for the highly touted brisket.
Oh, my goodness, was it fantastic. So tender we could cut it with a fork and so flavorful it didn’t need any extra sauce. The cole slaw, collards and corn pudding were also outstanding.
To our delight, we found out there is a location in Atlanta, where we live, and promptly made plans to check it out.
– Jan Schroder, Editor-in-chief