May I suggest a stay at Florence, SC near the Civic center? How much are you willing to spend for the night? because what you pay = what you get. If you leave after midnight and drive for about 12 hours, it would put you near Florence, SC. You will be there mid-day. Too early to go to bed. IMO
You must first decide when you are likely to leave home, and figure out when/where you will be by evening. We usually get about 9 hours of sleep in a hotel; therefore, we would rather spend a little more at a decent chain. We like Springhill Suite(6pp) or Holiday suite(6pp). We stayed and liked both of them.