It’s 5:00 on a Thursday. An unusually “cool” June evening for Charleston standards, the temperature reads 75 degrees. An amazing cross breeze from King Street travels through the Kings Courtyard Inn, carrying with it a quiet afternoon buzz.

Guests are waking from siestas or returning from City Market shopping excursions. They leisurely find their way to the inn’s breakfast room, which in the afternoon presents a variety of red wines, white wines on ice and plates of white china with cheese and olives. The hour-long reception is a lovely little perk, a bygone tradition at many big-box hotels.

In every direction, there’s an outdoor courtyard to sit and enjoy your afternoon treat. Each of the inn’s three courtyards has a distinct personality. They all feel hidden; tucked away. A walk around the beautiful labyrinth-like hallways is necessary to discover each one.

Secret gardens and hidden courtyards, they’re just part of the Charleston mystique. Perhaps that’s why an overnight stay at Kings Courtyard Inn and its afternoon wine reception feels so special.

This afternoon, my courtyard of choice was at the back of the inn. It’s quiet. I’m sitting next to palm fronds and terra cotta flower pots, glass of Sauvignon Blanc and Charleston Magazine in hand. How I wish this could be my everyday, but for now it’s just perfect.