Cheers: TripAdvisor lifts glass to this Lowcountry bed and breakfast, one of best in US

Critics have been raving about Anchorage 1770 since the downtown Beaufort bed-and-breakfast opened in 2015.

The 250-year-old mansion-turned-inn that housed injured Civil War soldiers and wealthy plantation owners has captured the attention of critics from Southern Living, The New York Times, Garden and Gun, Conde Nast Traveler and Vogue, just to name a few.

Most recently, TripAdvisor users rated Anchorage 1770 the No. 13 bed-and-breakfast in the United States.

The three-story tabby mansion boasts breathtaking Revolutionary War architecture with massive pillars, three large Southern-style porches and stunning waterfront views of the Beaufort River. Sitting at the edge of downtown, the massive structure has withstood the test of time through wars and hurricanes.

The late novelist Pat Conroy, a Beaufort prince of sorts, raved about the place. Anchorage 1770 owners Amy and Frank Lesesne befriended Conroy when they moved to Beaufort from Atlanta a few years ago.

“He was as sweet as a teddy bear,” Amy Lesesne said.

The Lowcountry literary king celebrated his last birthday with friends and family on the balcony of the inn in October 2015.

“He told me it was the most beautiful hotel he’d ever been in,” Amy Lesesne said. “We’ve had guests from all over come who want to see if Beaufort is as really as beautiful as Pat Conroy says it is in his books.”

She said Conroy loved the top balcony and planned to write a book there. He died March 4, 2016.

You don’t have to be a guest at the bed-and-breakfast to enjoy the balcony views of Anchorage 1770.

The Lesesnes have recently expanded their business endeavors at Anchorage 1770, reopening the 125-year-old Ribaut Social Club for dinner and now happy hour (on the deck).

The Ribaut Social Club started as a literary club and evolved into a wild drinking party that ended sometime around 1891, when Admiral Lester Beardslee, commander of the Port Royal Naval Station, bought the home for $4,000 and later began renovating it. The admiral was said to be an alcoholic and has hidden cabinets where he stashed his booze throughout the house.

“I joke that we were closed for a hundred years,” Amy Lesesne said. “I think that makes us one of the oldest restaurants/bars in the county.”

The Ribaut Social Club serves a rotating menu of small plates, featuring home-style Lowcountry cuisine by chef Byron Landis from Wednesday to Saturday (5 to 8 p.m.) and as well as a Sunday brunch.

This story was originally published February 8, 2017 at 1:08 PM with the headline "Cheers: TripAdvisor lifts glass to this Lowcountry bed and breakfast, one of best in US."