About Penny Palace & Crystal Palace | Charleston Vacation Rentals

Our Story

We are a local, family-owned and operated Charleston vacation rental business created around a simple idea: give guests beautiful, memorable homes that capture the character of Charleston while providing the comfort and conveniences people expect today.

Our family has called Charleston home for more than 12 years. We live here with our three children and our dogs, and we love the history, food, beaches, neighborhoods, architecture, and energy that make Charleston such a special place to visit — and to call home.

Our vacation rental story began in 2023 with The Penny Palace.

Built in the 1870s, Penny Palace is a three-story historic Charleston home filled with many of the details that make old Charleston homes so special, including original wood floors, exposed beams, fireplaces, and plenty of Southern character. Its name comes from the distinctive penny floor in the foyer, which helped inspire what would eventually become our Palace theme.

Our goal with Penny Palace was to preserve the home's history and personality while adding the modern comforts today's guests want. The result is a spacious downtown retreat designed for families, groups of friends, celebrations, reunions, and guests who want to experience Charleston from a home with a story of its own.

Then Came The Crystal Palace

In 2025, we expanded with The Crystal Palace, an 1850s Charleston Single that gave us the opportunity to take the Palace concept even further.

Crystal Palace underwent an extensive restoration from the studs out, including new utilities and systems from the street into the home. While preserving the character of a historic Charleston property, we completely reimagined the interior to create a higher-end group experience with soaring ceilings, a chef's kitchen, large gathering spaces, classic Charleston porches, and distinctive finishes throughout.

And then there are the chandeliers.

They became one of the signatures of Crystal Palace — and of our Palace theme. We added crystal chandeliers to bedrooms, bathrooms, hallways, foyers, the kitchen, and just about anywhere else we could find the right place for one.

The result is a home that feels unmistakably Charleston while also being fun, glamorous, and memorable.

Historic Charleston With Modern Comfort

Although Penny Palace and Crystal Palace each have their own personality, they share the same philosophy.

We want our guests to enjoy the charm of a historic Charleston home without giving up modern comfort.

Both properties are designed to give larger groups room to gather while still having space to spread out. They are especially well suited for family vacations, wedding groups, bachelor and bachelorette trips, reunions, friend getaways, and other occasions that bring people together in Charleston.

Their downtown locations also make it easy to experience what we love about living here — historic neighborhoods, King Street, restaurants, shopping, nightlife, waterfront attractions, and, when it's time for a beach day, the Charleston area's beautiful barrier islands.

Our Approach to Hosting

Beautiful homes are only part of a great vacation.

Our properties are supported by experienced property management, and we work hard to make the entire guest experience — from booking through checkout — as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

We want guests to arrive feeling confident about their stay, have the information and support they need while they're here, and leave Charleston already thinking about coming back.

Whether you choose the historic charm of Penny Palace or the restored elegance of Crystal Palace, we hope our homes become part of what makes your Charleston trip memorable.

Welcome to Charleston — and welcome to the Palaces.