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Television™ **ADVANCE FOR WEEKEND, DEC. 2-3 ** This is an undated photo provided by Kiawah Golf and Island Resort of the lobby area of The Sanctuary, one of three hotels that was awarded the five diamonds from AAA. (AP Photo/Kiawah Golf and Island Resorts) ** NO SALES ** CHARLESTON, S.C. One can gaze over the tin rooftops, parks and white steeples of Charleston to the sea beyond from the cupola of the elegant 19th Century Wentworth Mansion. In nearby Summerville, the porch of the century-old Woodlands Inn provides a quiet respite as the wind brushes a glen edged with pine and oak, and a cat named Spike curls up in the warm autumn sun. To the south, one can sit amid antique furnishings looking out on the Atlantic from the grand hall at the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, a hotel which conjures grand southern seaside homes of the past. Farther South, on a barrier island off the coast of Georgia, the Lodge at Sea Island offers some of the best golf in the country. And just over the Florida line, the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island is known for its breathtaking ocean views and family friendly atmosphere, while the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club's pristine beaches and impeccable service has drawn generation after generation to the seaside resort outside of Jacksonville. While each of these elegant properties differs, the way guests are treated is the same - pampered from arrival to departure. All six have earned five diamonds from AAA, an honor bestowed on only 93 hotels for 2007 - less than a quarter of 1 percent of the 60,000 hotels and restaurants reviewed by the motor club's tourism editors. Only 22 states and the District of Columbia have five diamond properties and only eight states have more than the Charleston area. Five diamond hotels must be "world-class properties exhibiting an exceptionally high degree of service; striking, luxurious facilities and many extra amenities," according to the motor club. "It's a pretty incredible story to think that there are three just in this area," said Linn Lesesne, who with her husband operates Charming Inns, which owns the Wentworth as well as five other historic inns. "It speaks volumes for Charleston," agreed Marty Wall, general manager at the Woodlands. "Tourism is such an economic engine in Charleston that it is not surprising these options exist." Tourism is South Carolina's largest industry, generating $15 billion for the economy a year. Being among the best of the best was a goal of all three properties. Lesesne and her husband Rick Widman acquired the Wentworth in the late 1990s and sank $10 million into renovating the 24,000-square-foot mansion, originally built by a wealthy cotton merchant. The four-story red brick structure with its mansard roof has the feel of an elegant home - the rooms finished in mahogany, oak and walnut with high ceilings and intricate moldings. "The atmosphere? It's not that important to me," said Don Tribus, 69, of Vero Beach, Fla., who with his wife has visited Charleston frequently but stayed at the Wentworth for the first time last month. "What's important to me is service. I really feel after being here for three days there's a tremendous family atmosphere," he said. "Right now ... I feel this is going to be our home in Charleston." The Woodlands, located about 20 miles northwest in Summerville. was built a century ago by a wealthy northeastern railroad executive as a winter home. It was a private residence through the 1980s, then operated as an inn for a few years before the current owners acquired it 11 years ago. They added a wing to each side as well as the restaurant, pool, tennis courts and a conference center. With 18 rooms and a cottage, The Woodlands has held the five diamond rating since 1998; its restaurant for a decade. It is also rated five stars by Mobil Travel Guide. The atmosphere is that of a country home, not a hotel, with each room decorated in different colors and textures, so no two are the same. Whether at a restaurant or a hotel, service sets the best apart. "You can create the facility and provide the amenities and all of the things a guest is looking for," Wall said. "But the ultimate component in achieving with people is service - providing a level of service that is beyond all others." That was the goal when oceanfront Sanctuary, the newest of the properties, opened just two years ago. With a price tag of $125 million, it cost nearly $500,000 per room. From the plush rooms to the avenue of oaks you drive along to reach the hotel, The Sanctuary paid attention to the smallest details. The floors in the lobby are new wood but crafted and distressed to appear old, as though the hotel were built years ago. In some places, the joints in the wood are wider than normal to add to the aged look. Grand staircases lead to the second floor and guests pass floor-to ceiling murals of the marsh and sky of Kiawah Island. The mural on the east wing appears as if the sun were rising; that on the west is in evening light. The properties have attracted their share of celebrities. Bruce Willis and Richard Gere have found their way to the Woodlands. Reese Witherspoon has stayed at the Wentworth where, a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the joint chiefs of staff of the United States, England, France and Germany rented the entire inn. This fall, the Republican National Committee held fundraisers at The Sanctuary, which brought Vice President Dick Cheney and President Bush on successive nights. After gaining five diamond recognition, the challenge is maintaining it.
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