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It doesn't get more charming than The Dunlin, a new South Carolina coastal escape from Auberge Resorts set in Charleston's idyllic Sea Islands, where sunset kayaks in the salt marsh followed by a game of mahjong and fireside s'mores are readily available for guests wanting to fully embrace the southern charm.
About a 40-minute drive from Charleston's historic, candy-coloured downtown, The Dunlin resort is set on the vast river banks of the Kiawah River, surrounded by the best of Lowcountry; salt marshes, winding waterways and giant oak trees draped in Spanish moss. Early risers are rewarded with these views flanked by one of the most striking sunrises I've ever seen – best viewed with coffee in hand on your personal porch. Coming here feels like wandering into a southern summer from a bygone era – though The Dunlin’s fleet of luxury Mercedes-Benz for guests to use will help bring you back to the present as you check-in.
We paid a visit at the end of February, which is very much off-peak season but had warm, sunny days and slightly chillier evenings. Most of our fellow guests were from nearing southern States though the vast 2,000 acre space meant we felt like we had the place to ourselves.
Bahamas-based interior designer Amanda Lindroth (formerly head of PR at Gucci) is behind The Dunlin's ‘English cottage meets island chic’ design, which is just as quaint as you'd hope for in this part of the world but with just the right contemporary twist. The resort looks like classic white, porch-lined Charleston Sea Island homes, with 72 cottage-style guest rooms spread across the spacious grounds peppered with wicker rocking chairs, seriously deep bath tubs, indoor fireplaces and the piece de resistance: a wraparound wicker porch which looks out to the idyllic salt marshes below. Inside, you'll find sunny batik prints, gingham and art paying homage to the local wildlife, especially the area's many local birds. The Dunlin itself is named after a local shorebird of the same name which you'll often see wading in the salt marshes.
Nature buffs, those looking for total relaxation and international travellers wanting to see southern hospitality in utter luxury should make a beeline here. You can easily spend your days on the property, whether reading a book on your porch, sipping cocktails by the marsh-front pool, sampling the luxe spa and its gorgeous outdoor sauna, wandering the 20 miles of walking trails, visiting the on-site farm, or taking part in the hotel's many daily experiences (like a dolphin-spotting river safari). For me and my friend, that started with coastal birding on the saltmarsh led by an on-site wildlife biologist, where we spotted everything from local wading birds to bald eagles nesting and even a few dolphins splashing around. We then took our binoculars to the waters with a sunset cruise in the estuary. We glided past tall saltmrash grasses and fresh oysters, learning about the unique sea islands and the Gullah Geechee people as we took in the glorious orange and reds in the sky. But in all honesty, the biggest draw of all might be Linette's, the main restaurant at The Dunlin, overseen by Michael DeCicco, a protégé of Thomas Keller where I had the best caesar salad I've ever had and my friend had the fluffiest most perfect omelette which she has brought up almost daily since.
There are three on-site restaurants at The Dunlin. Downstairs in the main building is where you'll find The Willet room, a relaxed lobby bar dotted with gingham sofas and the ideal place for iced tea, a cocktail and light bites or coffee and gorgeous pastries in the morning (don't sleep on the cinnamon buns). Linette's is The Dunlin’s signature brunch and dinner restaurant serving their take on modern, elevated Southern cuisine using local ingredients including cheese from the on-site Goatery. And oh do they deliver. The brunch highlight for us was the aforementioned omelette, complete with foraged mushrooms, feta and wild spinach. Dinner highlights included buttermilk-fried oysters, a buttermilk-fried chicken which comes with cheddar-thyme biscuits, hot honey and slaw and a freshly made ricotta cavatelli pasta dish. These stellar dishes were made all the better with the excellent southern hospitality from the staff.
Aster, the beautiful on-site Auberge spa, offers a range of treatments from Farmaesthetics and Biologique Recherche but it was the leafy outdoor spa garden that was my highlight. Here you'll find lounge chairs topped with scalloped mint-green umbrellas, a bubbling fountain and a great outdoor sauna, the ideal place to relax post massage with some local tea and fresh cookies.
