Charleston region receives Southern Living Reader’s Choice Awards

Editors from Southern Living came to Charleston Friday to hand out its 6th Annual Reader’s Choice Awards.

Charleston reaped its share of honors this past year. It won them in five categories – favorite dream getaway, favorite historic destination, favorite romantic destination and favorite weekend destination. Magnolias was awarded favorite gourmet restaurant.

The winners are determined by readers who sent Southern Living their list of favorite places in the South. More than 18,000 subscribers cast ballots that covered 22 categories, including hotels, inns, gardens, zoos, getaways and restaurants.

Destinations, as well as individual businesses, were honored.

Helen Hill, executive director of the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Robbie Freeman, chairman of the CVB, and Tom Parsell, president and owner of Hospitality Management Group Inc., parent company of Magnolias, Blossom Cafe and Cypress, accepted the awards.