Abingdon Manor Country Inn and Restaurant is located near Florence, South Carolina. It serves as a central stopping place for those traveling between New York City and Palm Beach, Florida. The property is a unique, 10,000 square ft, three-acre home, built in the early 1900s. Large gardens can be found on the premises of the establishment that grow a wide variety of herbs and flowers. The on-site "Dining Room at Abingdon Manor" offers a pre-fixed six-course gourmet dinner, nightly. The inn also hosts larger events such as weddings, family reunions, and corporate events.
Abingdon Manor Country Inn and Restaurant is a bed and breakfast style of lodging in the northern section of South Carolina. The property consists of the main house of over 10,000 square feet, three acres of landscaped grounds with various trees and shrubberies, and an open grassy plot in the front, bordered by a circular driveway. The building has a unique, elegant appearance, its origins dating back to the early 1900s. Thick, white columns support the porch that encircles the main house. Bricks form the building walls in varied patterns, adding texture to the two 12-foot floors that make up the inn. There are various gardens on the premises—a herb garden, rose garden, and fountain garden—and a section of hedges flows into one of the walls on the property's backside. Two designated, patio seating areas are situated outside.
The interior of Abingdon Manor Country Inn and Restaurant is composed of a guest-level sitting area, an honor bar featuring premium libations, Ladies' Parlor and Gentleman's Parlor, a library, and the seven guestrooms. Each room is decorated individually, though there are no specific themes other than rooms named by their decor's base color, such as the Blue Room or the Green Room. One of the most popular rooms at Abingdon Manor is the Red Room, with four large windows in the suite that overlook the backyard at the same level as the treetops. Basic amenities at the inn include televisions, ironing boards, full-length mirrors, individual temperature controls, WiFi, robes, shampoo, hairdryers, and a small assortment of other bathroom items.
The inn serves a complimentary breakfast to guests, classifying it as a bed and breakfast. Breakfasts typically include fruit bowls and hot meals such as eggs, multi-grain pancakes, or Abingdon-specific "breakfast BLTs." Intensely sweet breakfasts like waffles or cinnamon rolls are usually avoided at the Abingdon Manor. Electric vehicle charging is available on-site, with both Tesla and other EV chargers.
One of the unique elements of the property is the on-site restaurant. "The Dining Room at Abingdon Manor" serves dinner nightly at 7:00 PM. The dinner is separate from the inn's reservation costs, but consists of a six-course gourmet meal with pre-dinner drinks starting at 6:30 PM. The Dining Room is the highest-rated restaurant in the Florence, South Carolina region, being rated 4 diamond by AAA for over twenty years.
The owners of the Abingdon Manor Country Inn and Restaurant desire for visitors to have a relaxing overnight stay as they travel from one location to another. One of the goals of the property is to be "an oasis off of highway 95," however, many people also visit the inn to simply relax, take advantage of nature-based activities, go antiquing, and tour the various towns in the area.
The rooms at the inn are designed to be "comfortable and luxurious," explains the owner, Patty Griffey. "We don't believe in putting too many decorations in the rooms." Though each room has its own coloring and unique furniture, care has been taken to avoid "cluttering" space with excessive amounts of collectibles.
The restaurant is a particularly large part of the inn's culture and charm, allowing for the building to open up beyond its traditional functions as a bed and breakfast. Corporate events, higher-class parties, family reunions, and weddings are just a few of the various kinds of events that are typical at Abingdon Manor. Patty also hosts multiple cooking classes, allowing guests to see many of the culinary processes that go into making the six-course dinners at The Dining Room at Abingdon Manor. Massages, romance packages, golfing expeditions, and painting classes are a few more examples of activities and special features at the bed and breakfast.
Guests have spoken well of the inn, praising the service and convenient location as they travel elsewhere. One guest commented, "Beautiful historic Inn style bed and breakfast, with an incredibly accommodating staff and lovely rooms. We chose this Inn to stay at during an overnight stop while driving home from the Holidays (from Florida to Virginia) because they accommodate Electric Vehicle charging and is off of the beaten path and away from noisy Interstate 95."
The main building at the Abingdon Manor Country Inn and Restaurant was built between 1902 and 1905. James Manning, who built the inn, had ancestors come to the area in the late 1700s. Though Abingdon Manor is not the oldest building in the region, it is one of the largest and most preserved of its time. In 1993, the home was purchased, and renovations began in order to convert the property into a bed and breakfast.
After two years, the property was sold to Michael and Patty Griffey, who had been looking for enticing potential in the lodging industry. For 25 years, they have managed the property and have been closely involved in their guests' well-being. Previously, they had lived in Miami, and after years of traveling and experiencing the bed and breakfast industry, they knew that it was something they would enjoy doing. "It's a different lifestyle, but one we very much enjoy," says Patty.
307 Church Street
Latta, South Carolina 29565
United States
Country Inn
Michael & Patty Griffey
