A year after new owners took the helm at one of Lake Marion’s most storied waterfront properties, guests are returning to find something that feels both familiar and distinctly new. Quiet porches, full kitchens and a front-row seat to some of the best fishing water on the Santee Cooper system – with cleaner cabins, sturdier boats and staff who know you by name.
Chris Biddle and partner David Hall purchased the former Carolina King Fishing Resort & Marina on Aug. 1 last year and reintroduced it as Relaxed Retreat at Carolina King. Their approach has been straightforward: to renovate what needs love, steady the operations, and lean into the setting.
“Our goal was a place people want to come to. A destination we can share with our families,” Biddle said during a dockside tour. “We’re keeping it true to the name – relaxed.”
CABINS, RVs, AND ROOM TO BREATHE
The property sits on about 15 acres with roughly 70 furnished cabins ranging from studio-style units to one- and two-bedroom layouts. Many include full kitchens, a practical perk where the nearest sit-down options can be a drive.
Biddle said the team is closing off hard-to-cool sleeping lofts in several “park model” cabins and capping occupancy to keep stays comfortable. “We’d rather host the right number of people well than squeeze in more,” he said.
A small RV area serves longer-term guests and monthly cabin rentals have proved so popular there’s a waiting list. Current one-bedroom monthly rates are about $1,500, which include furnishings, utilities and a boat slip, Biddle said.
CASTING OFF
Fishing remains the draw. The resort rents jon boats and pontoons, now bookable online, and has focused on reliability – registering vessels, catching up on maintenance and standardizing hours. Guide trips are being formalized, with local captains such as Ray Mills and a guided kayak bass option in the mix.
If you launch your own rig, the shoreline has a deep-water ramp, fish-cleaning station and slip options: wet slips around $150/month, open-air dry storage near $200, and a limited number of enclosed 14-by-30 units at about $250, according to Biddle.
Just beyond the docks is what locals call “the hatchery” – a 30-foot hole carved out when a spillway blew during the 2015 flood. The concrete rubble now makes prime habitat. “It’s one of the best fishing spots on the lake, and it’s right next to us,” Biddle said.
While anglers are the resort’s bread and butter, the backwaters reward anyone with a camera or a field guide. Great blue herons, anhingas and seasonal seabirds cruise the cypress edges. “This place is amazing for bird watching,” Biddle said, pointing out a snake-necked anhinga drying its wings on a duck box.
A RETREAT TRUE TO ITS NAME
You won’t find a waterpark or blaring pool speakers here. The owners added Wi-Fi across the park, a new dog park, and are freshening interiors and floors unit by unit. The brand’s center of gravity is slower with a mini-golf nook that came with the property, lawn games, and porches aimed at the water.
“We love kids – we have kids – but we want those who enjoy nature and don’t keep the neighbors up,” Biddle said with a laugh. “Relaxed for everyone.”
Additionally, the lakefront store sells Hunt Brothers Pizza, hot wings and made-from-scratch breakfast biscuits that regulars swear by. There’s house-labeled coffee, basic tackle and, for convenience, the resort also sells S.C. fishing and hunting licenses.
WHAT’S NEXT
Two projects could reshape the campus. First, the owners plan a 100-person meeting hall beside the store – the right size for a medium wedding, corporate retreat or family reunion with on-site lodging. Second, Biddle hopes to work with the Palmetto Trail and Santee Cooper to rebuild a pedestrian/bike crossing that washed out in 2015, reconnecting the trail segment that ends near the resort and eventually tying into Jack’s Creek and the I-95 bridge.
“It’d be a great amenity for guests and a boost for the area,” he said. “Trails breed other small businesses.”
Relaxed Retreat has also taken over nearby Jack’s Creek Marina. Security upgrades are planned, and Biddle envisions about 10 elevated waterfront units there for a sister destination with a different feel. “We want each property to have its own personality,” he said.
One year in, the changes at Carolina King are the kind you feel. Better boats, cleaner cabins, friendlier signage and a staff focused on customer service. Spring weekends usually sell out, and the calendar is filling further into shoulder seasons. All good signs for a place that’s banking on the basics: fish, birds, porches and time.
“This isn’t a luxury hotel,” Biddle said. “It’s a place to slow down, breathe the fresh air and enjoy the quiet comforts of the lake.”
