HVS Opens New Office in Charleston, SC

HVS Opens New Office in Charleston, SC

HVS announced the opening of a new office in Charleston, South Carolina, thus expanding its coverage to over 25 cities in the United States. The Charleston office is headed by Heidi Nielsen, Vice President of HVS, who joined the firm in 2006.

In 2014, Condé Nast Traveler Magazine readers ranked Charleston the top tourist town in the United Statesfor the fourth consecutive year, and in 2012, the readers voted Charleston the top tourist destination in the world. Charleston has also been ranked “America’s #1 Small City” by Condé Nast. In addition to tourism, Charleston benefits from the presence of the Joint Base Charleston, The Port of Charleston, The Charleston Naval Shipyard, and Boeing.

Since July 2015, three new hotels have opened in Downtown Charleston—The Spectator Hotel; the Grand Bohemian Charleston, Autograph Collection; and the dual-branded Hyatt House/Hyatt Place. In the city’s well-known Marion Square, one of the most anticipated new hotels is currently under construction; the proposed Marion Square Hotel will occupy the space that was formerly home to the old Charleston County Library.

In addition to Downtown Charleston, Mount Pleasant and North Charleston continue to realize an influx of new supply. Furthermore, Summerville has also become an extremely desirable location for hotel development given the May 2015 announcement that Berkeley County will be home to Volvo’s first American plant.

According to Rod Clough, MAI Senior Managing Director of Consulting and Valuation Services, “This was an ideal market in which to grow in order to serve our clients. Downtown Charleston has become a hot spot for new development, as brands of every service level want to be located there.”

Heidi is considered an expert in appraising and consulting in the Carolinas and the Georgia Coast, often called upon for guidance by hotel developers, owners, and investors. Heidi has written articles focused on hotel markets in Atlanta, Birmingham, and Charleston, having published a review concerning the unique dynamics of lodging markets proximate to major U.S. military installations. Heidi, a state-certified appraiser in South Carolina, earned her bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston and has front-line hotel experience with The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort.