Brian and I booked a two-night trip simply to use The Edit credit from our Chase Sapphire Reserve, a premium benefit that elevates exclusive hotel stays with free upgrades, dining credits, and other special perks. We wanted a low-key stay in a walkable city within driving distance, somewhere neither of us had ever been. Charleston, SC seemed to fit the bill. Little did we know, a spontaneous invite to a US Ghost Adventures walking tour would become one of the highlights of our trip.
Why This Staycation Felt Different
We usually spend our time out and about when visiting a new city, trying to see as much as we can. This time was different; the goal wasn’t to see Charleston in a weekend, but to fully enjoy the accommodations and the benefits offered throughout our stay.
Choosing a walkable, laid-back city gave us a beautiful backdrop without any pressure to rush or overplan. Though we mostly relaxed in the quiet luxury of the hotel, we stepped out briefly to take in the local scene. A celebratory dinner with drinks and a guided walking tour gave us the chance to see Charleston on foot as we learned a bit of spooky history along the way.
This staycation was a deliberately slow experience, one made especially memorable thanks to the rare luxury of our hotel and the simplicity of our plans. The Edit credit did more than help cover the room; it turned the trip into something unexpectedly special.
Here’s how it made our staycation so memorable:
1. The Hotel Credit Made the Trip Possible (and Luxurious)
Without The Edit credit, this trip wouldn’t have happened! If you’ve been following us for a while, you know that we’re budget travelers. Premium accommodations aren’t typically a priority when we travel, but with the revamped Sapphire Reserve benefits, we decided to take advantage of this opportunity and splurge a little.
Chase’s The Edit portfolio features a curated selection of luxury hotels and resorts that offer complimentary benefits exclusively for Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers. Our two-night stay in Charleston cost more than the $250 hotel credit, so we split the balance with points and cash. It was a pricey splurge for us, but the credit and The Edit’s extra perks certainly helped!
The Pinch Hotel: A Luxury Boutique Hotel in Downtown Charleston
Set within two Victorian-style buildings dating back to 1843, alongside a newly constructed addition, The Pinch features 22 rooms and suites, as well as 3 longer-term residences, including a standalone townhouse.
It’s an artful display of original detailing, traditional materials, and modern design elements. Every room is outfitted with a full kitchen and a washer and dryer, offering incredible convenience and flexibility. It’s a beautiful property that invites guests to feel right at home.
Brian and I reserved the Loft, which seemed like an ultra-cozy space, despite its open floor plan. Upon check-in, we learned that we had been upgraded to their largest one-bedroom suite, the One Bedroom Premier.
We also enjoyed early check-in two hours ahead of time, as well as a welcome cocktail, The Winter Spritz (an apple cider Aperol spritz with a mocktail option available). We loved the coziness of the one-bedroom suite but are still curious how the Loft would compare.
Chase Travel’s The Edit Benefits & Our Experience
Before we even unpacked, we immediately noticed the thoughtful details throughout. The suite’s herringbone floors, aged brass, and tucked-away books created a space that felt intentional and lived-in, not overly polished.
It had a well-stocked mini bar, which we did not use since we brought along our own beverages. Chase Travel surprised us with a gifted bottle of champagne, valued somewhere between $30 and $50 (definitely more than we usually spend on champagne)!
Brian and I kicked off our stay with our super reasonable $9 Aldi champagne, saving the nicer one for later. As we celebrated 17 years together, we savored the luxury of the room and relaxed while we cooked dinner and cozied up on the couch.
During our stay, we enjoyed The Pinch’s complimentary breakfast featuring local assorted pastries, yogurts, and fruits. While The Edit benefits cover a paid breakfast at other hotels, this one was complimentary for all guests. Other free hotel-specific amenities offered to everyone include the welcome drink, an on-site bike share, and fitness access to the MUSC Wellness Center. We passed on the bikes and gym, but thought these perks were a great touch!
As mentioned, booking through Chase Travel’s The Edit comes with a collection of exclusive benefits for Sapphire Reserve cardmembers. Below is what those perks looked like during our stay at The Pinch:
| The Edit by Chase Travel: Exclusive Benefits | Benefits Received at The Pinch |
|---|---|
| Daily breakfast for two | Local pastries available to all guests |
| $100 property credit | Applied towards valet parking ($49/night) |
| Room upgrade at check-in (if available) | Upgraded from the Loft to a One-Bedroom Premier |
| Early check-in/late check-out (if available) | 2:00PM early check-in, 11:30AM late check-out |
| Welcome amenity | André Clouet Grande Reserve Brut Champagne* |
| Wi-Fi | Available for up to 20 devices |
| *For non-drinking guests: The Pinch’s Front Desk confirmed that if informed before arrival, they can arrange a welcome amenity from a local chocolatier within the same price range. |
We had an incredible stay. Frankly, we would’ve never booked The Pinch without The Edit credit. It was the nudge that encouraged us to plan this little staycation and enjoy it guilt-free.
2. Staying in a Walkable City Made it Easy to Slow Down
The Pinch’s central location in downtown Charleston placed us right in the heart of the historic district. We left the car behind and wandered the streets in the quiet early mornings and again in the evenings, stepping out whenever we felt like exploring a bit.
Aside from the ghost tour, Brian and I had no set plans. Instead of hitting all of the key landmarks, we simply drifted from one neighborhood to the next without a destination in mind. We wandered past gorgeous historic homes, paused along the waterfront, and cruised through Charleston City Market.
Walking changed what we noticed and appreciated, from the ironwork to cobblestones and hidden courtyards. Without a car or much of a schedule to consider, we were free to venture where we wanted.
Church and Union: An Unexpected Dinner
Before our ghost tour, Brian and I popped into Church and Union, a restaurant located in a former Baptist church originally built in 1850. The interior is beautiful, featuring original stained glass and vaulted ceilings. We were surprised to learn that we were visiting during Charleston’s Restaurant Week, and Church and Union was offering a $50/person prix fixe menu.
We ate our way through:
- Wagyu Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps: wagyu beef with a sweet and sour sauce
- Southern Salad: tomato, corn, pickled red onion, cornbread croutons, cotija, creamy poblano dressing
- Laguna Bay Salmon: coconut pirlou, tomato ginger emulsion, crispy rice furikake
- Buttermilk Cake: Meyer lemon curd, burnt honey chantilly, whipped mascarpone, candied citrus
Dinner was absolutely delicious, and the service was wonderful. Our server, Madison, treated us to champagne on the house and discounted our cocktails to their happy hour prices. It was such a lovely gesture and really helped make the night feel like a special celebration! Before long, we were finishing up our impromptu dinner date and walking toward our meeting spot for our ghost tour.
3. Saying Yes to One Planned Experience
To keep the weekend intentionally slow, we planned just one experience: a guided walking ghost tour by US Ghost Adventures. They were kind enough to offer us the opportunity to take part in a sponsored tour.
With haunted tours offered in more than 250 cities nationwide, it’s easy to find an experience that fits both your location and your interests, whether you’re into history, architecture, or even nightlife.
Beyond walking tours, US Ghost Adventures also hosts overnight stays in 4 famously haunted locations, including The Lizzie Borden House!
One of the reasons this tour worked so well for us was its flexibility. With options available in so many places, it fit into where we already were. And given Charleston’s history (est. 1670) along with its preserved streets and architecture, a ghost tour was an easy choice!
Neither one of us had been on a ghost tour before, which is a little surprising considering my appreciation for the dark and spooky. With no real expectations going in, we showed up curious to see how it would go.
Curses, Corsets, & Candlelight: Terrors of Charleston Ghost Tours
US Ghost Adventures set us up with an extended tour, which took us to two additional haunted locations and included an EMF activity detector to use along the way. EMF (electromagnetic field) detectors are handheld devices that can be used to detect paranormal activity. It was fun to play around with as we walked the streets, though the real highlight was the tour itself.
It ended up being just the two of us and our guide, Tim, which made the experience feel more personal. The tour never felt touristy or overproduced. Instead, it felt like a continuation of our easy wandering, just with a bit more storytelling.
Tim was friendly, approachable, and incredibly knowledgeable about Charleston’s history. He shared stories thoughtfully, often leaning more heavily into historical details than the paranormal. He’d catch himself and circle back to the ghost stories as we ventured from one haunted site to the next.
While we thought some ghost stories could have gone slightly deeper, Brian and I really appreciated Tim’s historical expertise and the easy flow of conversation. We visited several notable locations, including the F.W. Wagener Building and the Circular Congregational Church, where the EMF detector lit up like crazy! We won’t spoil the ghost stories for you, but they were both intriguing and entertaining.
More than a Ghost Tour
Ultimately, the Charleston Ghost Tour from US Ghost Adventures gave us context to a city we hadn’t really explored. It highlighted locations we returned to the next day, including cemeteries (my favorite), historic buildings, and even Rainbow Row. Brian and I also checked out a few other landmarks Tim had pointed out during the tour.
Rainbow Row, a row of pastel-colored historic homes 
Wandering Charleston’s quiet cobblestone streets 
The Circular Congregational Church, est. 1681 
The Circular Congregational Church, est. 1681 
Circular Congregational Church Graveyard, est. 1681 
Circular Congregational Church Graveyard, est. 1681 
The Historic Mills House Hotel 
Admiring the Mills House Hotel’s balcony and ironwork 
White Point Garden overlooking Charleston Harbor
Rather than filling the weekend with attractions, we said yes to a single guided experience that added depth to a place we were already wandering. It gave us history, perspective, and even some exercise! And, because we weren’t overbooked and our hotel was right in the heart of the city, the experience was really easy to accommodate and enjoy.
Thanks so much to US Ghost Adventures for the tour and for adding some adventure to our staycation!
From Hotel Perks to Haunted Streets
Our Charleston weekend didn’t require a packed itinerary or any serious plans to feel memorable. Thanks to The Edit, Brian and I were treated to thoughtful perks, a luxurious suite, and the freedom to move at our own pace. Saying yes to the ghost tour, our single planned experience, gave our casual wanderings more meaning and historical depth.
Sometimes, the simplest trips become the most memorable. As for this one, The Edit really did encourage us to slow down and just focus on what made the weekend feel special. Was it a splurge? Yes. Was it worth it? Hands down.
One thing that surprised me was how well this trip fit our (frugal) values, despite the luxury label attached to it. Brian and I weren’t mindlessly splurging or disregarding our travel budget. We were using a benefit we already had and enjoying something slightly elevated, without it feeling excessive.
It made me think about how often we overlook the value of what’s already available to us. Memorable trips don’t come from doing more or spending more; they come from being intentional with what you already have. So as you plan for your next staycation, consider asking yourself:
What perk, credit, or benefit do you already have that could make your next staycation memorable?
