To many residents’ chagrin, the media's love affair with the Holy City continued in 2018 and has shown no signs of stopping in the new year. Below is a list of all the awards, accolades, and honors that were bestowed upon Charleston, its businesses, its restaurants, its people, and more.
FYI – You can click on the award name to learn more.
- # 1 Best City in the U.S. and Canada – Travel + Leisure
- # 1 Best Small City in the U.S. – Conde Nast Traveler
- # 1 Best City in America for Economic Opportunity – Yelp
- # 1 Best Festival in the South: Spoleto Festival – Southern Living
- # 1 City in the South – Southern Living
- # 1 City with the Friendliest Small Businesses – Groupon
- # 1 Friendliest City in the South – Southern Living
- # 1 Prettiest City in the South – Southern Living
- # 1 Top U.S. City – AFAR
- # 2 Best City Hotel in the Continental U.S.: Spectator Hotel – Travel + Leisure
- # 2 Best City in The South to Live in 2018 – Southern Living
- # 2 Best Festival in the South: Charleston Wine + Food – Southern Living
- # 2 Best Food City in the South – Southern Living
- # 2 Best Luxury Hotel in the U.S.: Wentworth Mansion – TripAdvisor
- # 3 Best Hotel in the U.S.: French Quarter Inn – TripAdvisor
- # 3 Best Island in the Continental U.S.: Kiawah Island – Travel + Leisure
- # 2 Best Resort in the South: The Beach Club at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina – Condé Nast Traveler's Reader's Choice list
- # 4 Best Fine Dining Restaurant: Circa 1886 – TripAdvisor
- # 4 Best Small City for 2018 – Resonance Consultancy
- # 4 Biggest “Boomtown” in America – Business Insider
- # 5 Best Beach in the South: Isle of Palms – Southern Living
- # 5 Best Job Market for 2018 – Zippia
- # 6 Best City Hotel in the Continental U.S.: French Quarter Inn – Travel + Leisure
- # 6 Best City to Retire – Wallethub
- # 6 Best Fine Dining Restaurant: Halls Chophouse – TripAdvisor
- # 7 Best American City for Travel Experiences – TripAdvisor
- # 7 Metro Area Where People Love Dogs The Most – LawnStarter
- # 8 Best Fine Dining Restaurant: Charleston Grill – TripAdvisor
- # 8 Best Foodie City in the USA – U.S. News & World Report
- # 8 Best Resort Hotel in the American South: Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort – Travel + Leisure
- # 9 Best Restaurant in the South: Husk – Southern Living
- # 10 Best City in the World – Travel + Leisure
- # 10 Best Place to Retire in the U.S. – Livability.com
- # 10 Best US City for Shopping Local – Yelp
- # 10 City to Shop Local in 2018 – Yelp
- # 10 Great Golf Destinations to Visit in 2018 – Golf Advisor
- # 11 Best City Hotel in the Continental U.S.: Spectator Hotel – Travel + Leisure
- # 11 Ophthalmology Program: MUSC Storm Eye Institute – Ophthalmology Times
- # 11 Best Resort in the South: Wild Dunes – Condé Nast Traveler's Reader's Choice list
- # 11 Top Place to Eat in the US: 167 Raw – Yelp
- # 12 Southern Place To Visit Before You Die: Historic Downtown Charleston – Southern Living
- # 14 Top Place to Eat in the US: Halls Chophouse – Yelp
- # 15 Best Fine Dining Restaurant: Peninsula Grill – TripAdvisor
- # 16 Best Hotel in the U.S.: The Spectator Hotel – TripAdvisor
- # 17 Best Fine Dining Restaurant: Grill 225 – TripAdvisor
- # 17 Best Hotel for Romance: Wentworth Mansion – TripAdvisor
- # 18 Best Place to Retire – U.S. News
- # 18 Best Resort in the South: The Sanctuary Hotel at Kiawah Island – Condé Nast Traveler's Reader's Choice list
- # 20 Best Foodie City in America – Wallethub
- # 21 Best Hotels for Service in the U.S.: French Quarter Inn – TripAdvisor
- # 21 Best Hotel in the U.S.: Wentworth Mansion – TripAdvisor
- # 21 Best Small Hotel in the U.S.: Zero George Street – TripAdvisor
- # 27 Best Place to Live in America – Livability
- # 29 Best Place For Business And Careers – Forbes
- # 35 Best Online Bachelor's Programs: Charleston Southern University – U.S. News and World Report
- # 38 Best Places to Live – U.S. News
- # 61 Best Hotel in the World: Spectator Hotel – Travel + Leisure
- # 94 Best Hotel in the World: Planters Inn – Travel + Leisure
- A- Grade from Renters: Apartment List
- Best Destination Award: Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum – SC Branded
- Best Foodie Stay Finalist: Zero George – AFAR
- Best Fried Chicken in South Carolina: Boxcar Betty's – Southern Living
- Best Hot Dog in South Carolina: Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. – People
- Best Mexican Restaurant in South Carolina: Minero – MSN
- Best Place to Live in South Carolina: Mt. Pleasant – Money
- Best Places to Move To – Thrillist
- Best Urban Oasis Finalist: Belmond Charleston Place – AFAR
- Bloody Mary Mix of the Year for 2018: Charleston Mix Bold & Spicy – New York International Spirits Competition
- Brewery of the Year: Frothy Beard Brewing Company – SC Branded
- Bronze Medal in the World Beer Cup’s Honey Beer category – Low Tide Brewing’s Basil Better Have My Honey
- Bronze Medal in the National Mustard Museum’s Exotic Mustard category – Burnt & Salty’s Korean Mustard recipe
- Cocktail Bar of the Year: Living Room Bar at the Dewberry – Imbibe
- Dishes That Changed America: Husk’s Carolina Gold Rice Pudding – Husk
- Gold Medal in the Great American Beer Festival’s German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock category – Revelry Brewing’s Smooth Like Jazz eisbock
- Gold Medal in the Great American Beer Festival’s Aged Beer category – Revelry Brewing’s Quadtum Leap
- Gold Medal in the Great American Beer Festival’s Belgian and French Style Ale category – Munkle Brewing Company’s 5 Branches Biere de Garde
- Gold Medal in the World Beer Cup’s German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock category – Revelry Brewing’s Smooth Like Jazz eisbock
- James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast – Rodney Scott
- James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Program – FIG
- Health Initiative of the Year: MUSC Center for Telehealth – SC Branded
- Most Beautifully Designed Bar in South Carolina: Vintage Lounge – Architectural Digest
- One of America's 25 Most Festive Christmas Towns – Rave
- One of the 15 Most Noteworthy Museums Opening This Year: The South Carolina Historical Society – Architectural Digest
- One of the 33 Incredible Springtime Adventures: Golfing at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island – Architectural Digest
- One of the 35 Most Beautiful Places To Travel In America – TripAdvisor
- One of the 40 Most Important Restaurants of the Past 40 Years: Husk – Food & Wine
- One of the 40 Most Important Restaurants of the Past 40 Years: Husk – Food & Wine
- One of the 50 Best New Breweries in the Country: Munkle Brewing Co. – Beer Advocate
- One of the 10 Best American Bars: Proof – Spirited Awards
- One of the Best Fried Chicken Restaurants in America: Martha Lou’s Kitchen – Thrillist
- One of the Best Wine Shops in American: Graft Wine Shop & Bar – VinePair
- One of the Top 10 Best Hotel Bars: The Living Room at The Dewberry – Spirited Awards
- One of the Top 10 Best Hotels Bars: Eleve at the Grand Bohemian – Spirited Awards
- People to Watch in 2018: The Cocktail Bandits (Johnny Caldwell and Taneka Reaves) – Imbibe
- People to Watch in 2018: Angel Postell – Imbibe
- Best Brewery in South Carolina: Holy City Brewing – Southern Living
- Best Restaurant in the South: Husk – Southern Living
- Restaurants Every Cheese Lover Should Visit at Least Once: goat.sheep.cow. – Travel + Leisure
- South Carolina’s Best Golf Course: The Ocean Course – South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel
- U.S. Cities That Have the Most Green Spaces – National Geographic
