SC has one of 10 best new resorts in the US for 2025, Travel + Leisure says. See why
A South Carolina coastal resort has been named by Travel + Leisure magazine among the top 10 new resorts in the United States.
The Dunlin, an Auberge Resorts Collection hotel named for a shorebird, opened this past summer along the marshlands of the Kiawah River on John’s Island.
It is 20 miles south of Charleston.
Elizabeth Rhodes, a Travel + Leisure associate digital editor and native South Carolinian, called the 2,000-acre resort “a love letter to laid-back Lowcountry living.”
She said the 72 guest rooms and suites spread across several buildings “feel more like a group of Southern homes.”
There are three restaurants. Linnette’s, the signature restaurant, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and includes all the Lowcountry favorites from shrimp and grits to fried chicken as well as a 45-day dry aged New York Strip.
Catch of the day and vegetables from local farms change with the season.
The lobby bar is called Willet Room.
“This is where to sit if you’d like a light lunch, to try a rare whiskey, or to linger in the early evening with close friends over wood fire-grilled oysters and a Charleston Swizzle,” the resort says.
The Cove is a riverfront pool with cocktails and private cabanas. The pool is also lined with 1950s-inspired umbrellas and loungers.
“I’m well-versed in the magic of the Lowcountry,” Rhodes wrote. “I checked into The Dunlin this past fall with my sister (a Charleston local) for a girls getaway.”
They watched the sun set with Charleston swizzles on the porch, dined on caviar-topped fried oysters at Linnette’s, and swam in the marshfront pool.
“But the most exciting moment of our stay happened during our Into the Salt Marsh excursion, when more than a dozen dolphins jumped and swam all around our boat in the Kiawah River,” she said.
The resort also features a number of experiences including crabbing, sunrise yoga and a trek with a naturalist.
Interior designer Amanda Lindroth, who has offices in Charleston, Nassau and Palm Beach, and Charleston, chose island chic for the interior design featuring pastels, wicker and gingham. Rhodes called it “whimsical and nostalgic.”
“The Dunlin welcomes with a peaceful feel and a cottage-inspired aesthetic, featuring white-washed rooms and honey oak floors with mint green accents and textural linen fabrics,” the resort website says. “Outside, generous porches are the perfect place for morning coffee or a nightcap, offering a sublime oasis in the marshlands with expansive riverfront views.”
The Dunlin includes Aster spa, which the resort says is inspired by French skincare traditions that uses “skincare products with the healing properties of local Aster honey.”
Nurturing and indulgent, the resort says.
Rhodes reports the cost to stay begins at $749 for doubles.
Other resorts on the list are:
- The Brant, Nantucket, Massachusetts
- Casa Loma Beach Hotel, Laguna Beach, California
- The Dunes on the Waterfront, Ogunquit, Maine
- Grand Hyatt Deer Valley, Utah
- Hotel Saint Augustine, Houston
- Palm House, Palm Beach, Florida
- Pendry Natirar, Peapack, New Jersey
- Regent Santa Monica Beach, California
- Terra Palm Springs, California
This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 6:00 AM.