A First Look at Rosemary Rose, the New Rooftop Bar at Charleston’s Nickel Hotel

Walking by the stately but simple cinder-gray streetfront of the Nickel Hotel, you might just miss a trip through its transportive doors. But if you know, you know. Pushing through those doors is like hopping into a time warp. Arched doorways, vaulted ceilings, mossy green-washed porcelain plaster walls, and a black-and-white checkerboard marble floor bring old-world European flair to Charleston’s buzzing King Street and the fast-growing Cannonborough neighborhood.

In the Nickel, a clever blend of vintage furniture and art melds past with present; highlights include a stunning woodland tapestry, a speckled antique silver mirror, a skeletal Picasso-inspired Butch Anthony painting, and a plant-covered curio cabinet of shells and coral. “We’ve always been a little obsessed with Charleston’s secret passageways and hidden courtyards, the kind you only find if you’re paying attention,” says Daniel Olsovsky, the creative director of the Method Co., the design and development firm behind the hotel. “The Nickel was built in that spirit.”

In addition to fifty guest rooms, the Nickel also houses two community spaces. Bar Daniel, a cozy living room–esque bar named for Cannonborough’s namesake, the carpenter and mechanic Daniel Cannon, opens to an airy patio anchored by a gurgling fountain. And on the new rooftop bar and lounge, Rosemary Rose (named for the 1968 Kinks track), olive trees and scallop-edged umbrellas frame a sweeping view of King Street and Cannonborough. “It’s one of the most dynamic and creatively charged pockets of Charleston—home to independent boutiques, beloved restaurants, and a vibrant community of artists, chefs, musicians and designers,” Olsovsky says. “You feel the rhythm of daily life here in a way that’s rare. And being right off Upper King Street, you’re in the heart of it all.”

Below, take a closer look at the boutique hotel and Rosemary Rose, which opens its doors September 4.

Palms flank the gray Calacatta Oliva marble mantel anchoring the living room space of Rosemary Rose. Olsovsky was drawn to the size and motion of “Dust Devils” by Mary Sprague from Super Saturday, an antique shop curated by Sally Simms. “Scale was super important, and much like the music that inspired the space, the artwork had to carry edge,” Olsovsky says. 

Rosemary Rose’s menu nods to the space’s French influence and embraces fresh and zippy flavor. Marinated shrimp, avocado, espelette, and grapefruit sit in cups of endives (pictured here); pine nuts, Taggiasca olives, and basil adorn thin slices of tuna carpaccio; vanilla ice cream swims in an amaro-espresso pour-over.

An espresso martini; a cozy corner with a painting from Super Saturday. “It felt very French New Wave, and the scale and color worked perfectly.”

A palette of soft sage greens, warm clays, and creamy whites sets the tone for the peaceful rooftop. Olsovsky’s team went all in on texture: A stone fountain, silvery olive trees, overflowing terracotta flower pots, green bistro seats, and wicker accents blend Charleston’s coastal vibe with finishes that would feel at home on the beachy hangout spots of Cap d’Antibes or Saint-Tropez’s outdoor cafes. 

“Old Antibes was a major inspiration—it’s a town where the past enhances the present at every turn,” Osovsky says. But nearby details, like the warm, earthy colors of College of Charleston’s Randolph Hall and the intricate ironwork of the French Protestant Church, influenced the palette and texture of the rooftop and courtyard. “It feels both rooted in history and reimagined for today.”

The corrugated wood check-in desk sits in front of a commissioned painting by the Alabama curio collector and artist Butch Anthony. “We collaborated with Butch for an exhibit at our FORTH Hotel + Club in Atlanta and became friends,” Olsovsky says. “His ‘intertwangled’ style that layers hand-drawn skeletons over vintage portraits carries a wit and rawness that balances the arrival experience.” 

At the entrance, a lush countryside unfolds on a handwoven mid-twentieth-century French tapestry. The pastoral scene echoes throughout the guest rooms’ woodland-patterned wallpapers and headboards. 

A stone fountain bubbles in a courtyard in the center of the hotel. Custom ironwork fans out around guest room terraces and ground-level entrances. “The French Protestant Church’s symmetry, ironwork, and understated elegance echo throughout the design.”

A courtyard-facing guest room.

The hotel’s name comes from the French expression c’est nickel. “It basically means ‘spot on,’ effortlessly polished,” Olsovsky says. “That’s the vibe we chased from start to finish—every detail had to hit just right.”