Hotel Trundle Invited to Join Southern Living Hotel Collection
Staff Report From Columbia CEO
Friday, October 11th, 2019
The award-winning Hotel Trundle — downtown Columbia, South Carolina’s first boutique hotel — is proud to announce that it has been invited to join the prestigious Southern Living Hotel Collection, an exclusive, curated network of hotels, inns, and resorts across the South.
Hotel Trundle joins the Inn at Patrick Square in Clemson, The Inn & Club at Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island, Anchorage 1770 in Beaufort, and The Willcox in Aiken as South Carolina’s representatives in the collection. Other hotels from the collection can be found in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
The 24 hotels in this collection are hand-picked by the editors of Southern Living, and all embody the essence of exceptional Southern hospitality. Each hotel features a variety of inspiring amenities, from perfectly crafted rooms and restaurants to breathtaking natural surroundings or bustling city centers. The properties selected all capture a unique experience that is difficult to replicate, making them truly one-of-a-kind hotels in the South.
“Being invited to be part of the Southern Living Hotel Collection is such an honor,” said Rita Patel, co-owner of Hotel Trundle. “We are excited about the potential business this can bring to the Columbia, S.C., area. It’s a real milestone, one of which we are extremely proud, and one that will help this city shine even brighter throughout the Southeast and across the country.”
Patel and her husband, co-owner Marcus Munse, were invited by Southern Living to visit its headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama, where they had the opportunity to meet with the publication’s editorial team and writers, gaining insider knowledge about the South’s travel trends.
“One of the most impactful takeaways from our visit was a presentation research that Southern Living had conducted with its audiences,” noted Patel. “It was fantastic to learn how their readers shop, gather information and plan their travel, because one of our ongoing goals is to provide travelers with the authentic, inspiring experiences they seek when choosing a boutique hotel.”
With backgrounds in architecture and a shared passion for preservation, Patel and Munse designed Hotel Trundle as a love letter to South Carolina’s capital city.
“From the moment we first entered the historic Western Auto, Rose Talbert and Powell buildings in Columbia’s Main Street District, we knew that we had uncovered an extraordinary opportunity, noted Munse. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meticulously restore three historic buildings into a one-of-a-kind boutique hotel.”
Historic elements such as exposed brick, stamped tin ceiling tiles, deep moldings, and custom wood trim are meshed with plush, modern fabrics, chic finishes and fixtures, and rooms are outfitted with lush amenities, thoughtful details and hip features like vintage-look mini-fridges.
Everything is as locally sourced as possible, from the custom-made mattresses, walnut beds and bespoke artwork to the fresh coffee, local food, and the regional craft beer offered to guests at check-in. At Hotel Trundle, the owners’ love for their city shines through in every detail, highlighting of the talented array of local artists, craftspeople, restaurants, and small business owners that are fueling the growth of this vibrant, mid-sized Southern tourism destination.