Watch out for noisy rooms
Overall, the Marriott Town Center in Charleston has a lot going for it: comfortable rooms, a good restaurant, a desirable location downtown, and free internet access in the business center.
Unfortunately, rooms on the south side of the building (with the king beds) are above the inadequately soundproofed second floor ballroom, and we were dismayed to discover that loud music from nighttime receptions there was an audible nuisance--even up on the 10th floor where we were staying. Apparently the management is aware of the problem but does not hesitate to book late night receptions with music for the ballroom, despite the obvious bother the noise imposes on many of their other guests.
On Friday, our first night there, the music ended at 10 p.m. On Saturday, however, it kept going until 11 p.m. Then, on Monday night (it was a holiday weekend), we discovered the music was contracted to blast until midnight. When we expressed concern, the front desk staff offered to switch us to a room across the hall (the rooms with two double beds), which we gladly accepted. Finally, we had a restful and quiet night at this hotel.
Also, be prepared for long waits for crowded elevators on a busy weekend -- only two of the three elevators were working regularly for hundreds of guests to access the 16 floors, which required lots of patience. (Apparently the third doubles as a freight elevator, and at least during our stay was not typically available.)
Because of these problems, we would hesitate before staying there again...or at least, insist on a room on the quiet north side of the building.