Charleston Wins Big

Charleston is a triple winner in the first BestWeekend Travel Awards, compiled by travel Web site BestWeekends.com.

The company awarded Charleston its Best of the Best/Destination of the Year for 2007, citing the city’s charm and climate as well as its beaches, history, architecture, art galleries, golf and water sports, accommodations and restaurants.

In other categories, The Planters Inn at 112 North Market St. won the company’s award for Best Small Hotel, while burger joint Your Place tied with burger restaurants in New York and Cambridge, Mass., for Best Burger.

Travel expert Jim Flynn, founder of BestWeekend.com, travels the eastern United States to uncover destinations that offer a superior experience tailored to the weekend traveler.

“A weekend is three days at most,” Flynn said. “You can’t afford to make a mistake on where you stay, where you eat and what you do.”

The company reports that American vacations are getting shorter every year, putting weekend travel on the rise. The number of weekend trips has risen 10% in the past five years, the company reports, with 30% of adults taking five or more weekend trips per year.